Social Distortion's roots in late-'70s Orange County placed them at hardcore's ground zero in California, but tattooed troubadour Mike Ness has spent his career reconnecting punk to the outlaw spirit of classic country. After Ness' drug habit sidelined the group in the mid-'80s, they got a new lease on life in 1990 with the breakout singles “Story of My Life” and “Ball and Chain”, which channeled the singer's hardscrabble experiences into jaunty, jangly drinking songs. Subsequent alt-rock radio staples—like the raggedly glorious “I Was Wrong”—confirmed his status as a Springsteen for the circle pit.