The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. The band's music is a blend of traditional rock and roll, ska, and punk rock. They are credited with being one of the first bands to mix these genres together into a new style that became known as ska punk. The Bosstones are also known for their high-energy live shows and their use of the stagedive.
The band was founded by singer Dicky Barrett and bassist Nate Albert in December 1983. The two had been friends since they were young children growing up in the Boston suburb of Hyde Park. They started playing music together in high school, and when they graduated, they decided to start a band. They recruited guitarist Lawrence Katz, drummer Joe Gaffney, and trombonist Chris Rhodes to complete the lineup.
The band's name comes from a nickname given to them by a local DJ named Jack Lewis. He called them the mighty mighty Boss-tones because of their sound and stage presence. The name stuck, and it wasn't long before the band was gigging regularly around town.
In 1987, the Bosstones released their first EP, Ska-Core, The Devil & More. This release helped increase their fan base outside of Boston significantly. It wasn't until 1990 that the Bosstones released their debut full-length album,. Don't Know How To Party - which included the single Someday I Suppose - that they achieved national success though; the album peaked at #39 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart In 1993 followed by Question The Answers; which entered Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart at #149.. With 1995's Let's Face It; however - featuring lead single The Impression That I Get, which hit #1 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart - finally broke them into mainstream success; it remains their highest-charting album to date peaking at #31 on Billboard 200..