Plenty of California post-hardcore bands got political, plenty of them got ambitious, and plenty wrote great pop hooks. But Bad Religion got there first, forming in 1980 and seldom standing still since then.Their aggressive yet melodic approach, well-reasoned political lyrics and distinctively crunching guitar sound inspired some of the biggest bands in punk like Green Day, Rancid, The Offspring, Rise Against and AFI. But their smarts and integrity inspired lesser known bands from Guttermouth to Authority Zero and more.