Editing Social Distortion (section)

==Musical style, influences, and legacy==

Social Distortion has been described as [[punk rock]],<ref name="volmers"/><ref name="distefano">{{cite news |last1=Distefano |first1=Alex |date=March 18, 2014 |title=THE 10 BEST SOCIAL DISTORTION SONGS |url=https://www.ocweekly.com/the-10-best-social-distortion-songs-6605594/ |access-date=December 27, 2022 |work=[[Orange County Weekly]]}}</ref><ref name="vice">{{cite news |last1=Vice |first1=Jeff |title=SOCIAL DISTORTION HELPS MAKE PUNK HISTORY CLEAR |url=https://www.deseret.com/1990/6/14/18866778/social-distortion-helps-make-punk-history-clear |access-date=December 27, 2022 |work=[[Deseret News]] |date=June 14, 1990}}</ref><ref name="Murray"/><ref name="Rabid">{{cite web|last1=Rabid|first1=Jack|title=Social Distortion|url=http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=social_distortion|work=[[Trouser Press]]|first2=Ira |last2=Robbins }}</ref> [[rock 'n' roll]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gorman |first=Bobby |date=2010-12-02 |title=Social Distortion To Make TV Debut |url=https://www.thepunksite.com/news/social-distortion-to-make-tv-debut/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=ThePunkSite.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stickler |first=Jon |title=Social Distortion Release New Single In Week Of Exclusive London Show - Stereoboard |url=https://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/165570/9 |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Stereoboard.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-01-17 |title=SUICIDAL TENDENCIES North American tour dates |url=https://idioteq.com/suicidal-tendencies-north-american-tour-dates/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=IDIOTEQ.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-30 |title=Gibson kondigt de Mike Ness 1976 Les Paul Deluxe aan - Sonus Magazine |url=https://sonusmag.nl/gibson-mike-ness-1976-les-paul-deluxe-aan/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Sonusmag |language=nl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-10-08 |title=Social Distortion - Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll |url=https://www.punknews.org/review/3361/social-distortion-sex-love-and-rock-n-roll |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Punknews.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Social Distortion – Band |url=https://laut.de/Social-Distortion |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=[[laut.de]] |language=de}}</ref> and [[cowpunk]],<ref name="Sfetcu">{{cite web |last1=Sfetcu |first1=Nicolae |date=May 9, 2014 |title=Country Music |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MSGKAwAAQBAJ&q=cowpunk |access-date=December 27, 2022 |website=Google Books |publisher=MultiMedia Publishing}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.houstonpress.com/music/things-to-do-social-distortion-revention-music-center-august-14-2019-11336642 |title=Social Distortion's On Tour to Houston and Mike Ness Says A New Record is Next |work=[[Houston Press]] |first=Jesse Jr. |last=Sendejas |date=August 12, 2019 |accessdate=May 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Mike-Ness-cowpunk-sound-3058583.php |title=Mike Ness' cowpunk sound |work=[[San Francisco Gate]] |last=Ganahl |first=Jane |date=November 10, 1999 |accessdate=May 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/9/5/20851480/social-distortion-mike-ness-40th-anniversary-chicago |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909050129/https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/9/5/20851480/social-distortion-mike-ness-40th-anniversary-chicago |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-09-09 |title= Social Distortion's Mike Ness on the band's 40 years: 'I didn't think we'd make it to this point' |work=[[Chicago Sun Times]] |last=Fragassi |first=Selena |date=September 5, 2019 |accessdate=May 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/events/fl-xpm-2010-11-10-sfl-ent-to-do-social-distortion-111010-story.html |title= Punk pioneers: Social Distortion performs in Miami Beach on Saturday |work=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |last=Link |first=City |date=November 10, 2010 |access-date=October 29, 2019}}</ref> while their early work has been characterized as [[hardcore punk]].<ref name="blush" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Social Distortion Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000038302#biography |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref><ref name="distefano" /><ref name="peake">{{Cite web |last=Peake |first=Steve |date=January 7, 2019 |title=Top Punk Rock and Hardcore Bands of the '80s |url=https://www.liveabout.com/top-punk-rock-and-hardcore-bands-of-the-80s-10701 |access-date=March 4, 2021 |website=LiveAbout}}</ref> They are thought to be one of the pioneering bands of the original Southern California punk rock movement out of [[Orange County, California|Orange County]] in the late 1970s, and their style closely associated with the [[Adolescents (band)|Adolescents]], [[Agent Orange (band)|Agent Orange]], the [[Germs (band)|Germs]], and other bands from that place and time. In the mid-'80s there was a notable change in their style of music – taking more from [[country music]] and rock 'n' roll. Mike Ness admits in the DVD commentary from ''[[Another State of Mind (film)|Another State of Mind]]'' that he may have even tried ''too'' hard on the ''Prison Bound'' album. They did eventually find their niche, and the majority of their albums from the mid-80s on to the early '90s featured a melodic punk sound that is distinctly – and distinctively – their own.

Social Distortion's music is influenced by bands and artists such as Johnny Cash, [[Hank Williams]], [[Bob Dylan]], [[Eddie Cochran]], the Rolling Stones, [[the Sex Pistols]], [[the Clash]], [[New York Dolls]], [[Dead Boys]], and [[the Ramones]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.socialdistortion.com/news.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429101808/http://www.socialdistortion.com/news.html|url-status=dead|title=THE OFFICIAL SOCIAL DISTORTION WEBSITE|archivedate=April 29, 2007|website=www.socialdistortion.com}}</ref> Social Distortion have influenced bands such as [[Pennywise (band)|Pennywise]], [[Face to Face (punk band)|Face to Face]], [[Avenged Sevenfold]], [[Rise Against]], [[Black Veil Brides]], [[Pearl Jam]], [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]], [[the Offspring]], [[Volbeat]] and [[Thrice]]. The band began playing with fellow [[Orange County, California]], bands such as [[the Adolescents]], [[China White (band)|China White]], [[Shattered Faith]] and [[T.S.O.L.]] The music was fast, angry and energetic.

All of Social Distortion's songs are written and sung by Mike Ness. There is a common theme in most of his lyrics about "impulsiveness, its consequences and the hard struggle to overcome".<ref name="history" />