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In 2021, Sublime is a mainstay of rock music, if not one of the most popular California bands of all time. Their hits are so synonymous with Southern California that their songs have been used at least once in film to communicate that a character is in fact a huge stoner.
That pop culture ubiquity belies the fact that they never achieved mainstream success with their original lineup.
Tragically, Sublime lead singer and guitarist Bradley Nowell was found dead at age 28 from a heroin overdose in the Oceanview Motel in Outer Sunset, San Francisco. Two months later, the band s self-titled album – featuring the iconic singles “Santeria,” “Wrong Way” and, of course, “What I Got” – was released to immediate success. The album would go platinum six times and continues to appear on “Best Album of All Time” lists to this day. Sublime dissolved after the death of their frontman, and the majority of fans never had a chance to watch them play live.