Good Riddance

Good Riddance are a Santa Cruz punk band whose music joins melodic hardcore speed with social conscience, personal discipline, and a strong sense of political urgency. Formed in the late 1980s and led by vocalist Russ Rankin, the band became closely associated with Fat Wreck Chords in the 1990s through albums such as For God and Country, A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion, Ballads from the Revolution, Operation Phoenix, Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit, Bound by Ties of Blood and Affection, and My Republic. After a farewell and later reunion, Peace in Our Time, Thoughts and Prayers, and Before the World Caves In continued the same mission with older perspective. Good Riddance fit punk scope directly through melodic hardcore, skate punk, and hardcore punk. Their songs are fast and hook-conscious, but the lyrical tone is often serious, dealing with ethics, war, animal rights, relationships, and systemic failure. The band's best work balances urgency with control: tight drums, economical guitars, and Rankin's forceful vocals make the message move. Good Riddance remain a model of politically engaged punk that values melody without softening conviction.