Why Do They Rock So Hard?

1998 studio album by Reel Big Fish

Studio album by

Reel Big Fish

Released

October 20, 1998

Recorded

Sunset Sound Recorders and Music Grinder Studios - Hollywood, CA.

Genre

Ska punk

Length

73:52

Label

Mojo

Producer

Reel Big Fish
John Avila

Reel Big Fish chronology

Turn the Radio Off
(1996)

Why Do They Rock So Hard?
(1998)

Cheer Up!
(2002)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Punktastic	^[2]

Why Do They Rock So Hard? is the third full-length studio album by the ska punk band Reel Big Fish.

This is the only Reel Big Fish studio album where the band line-up has not changed from the previous album.

Aaron Barrett has said in two interviews that this was his favorite album until the release of Our Live Album Is Better than Your Live Album. The album was mixed at Scream Studios by Tim Palmer.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Somebody Hates Me"	Aaron Barrett, Dan Regan	3:28
2.	"Brand New Song" (see notes ^2a)	Barrett, Regan, Grant Barry	3:04
3.	"She's Famous Now"	Barrett	3:05
4.	"You Don't Know"	Barrett, Scott Klopfenstein	3:26
5.	"The Set Up (You Need This)"	Barrett, Klopfenstein, Tavis Werts	4:22
6.	"Thank You for Not Moshing" (see notes ^6a)	Barrett, Adam Polakoff, Robert Quimby	2:41
7.	"I'm Cool"	Barrett	3:20
8.	"I Want Your Girlfriend to Be My Girlfriend Too"	Barrett	2:53
9.	"Everything Is Cool"	Barrett, Regan	3:07
10.	"Song #3" (see notes ^10a)	Barrett	3:28
11.	"Scott's a Dork"	Barrett, Obiajula Ugbomah	3:04
12.	"Big Star"	Barrett	3:34
13.	"The Kids Don't Like It"	Barrett, Clifton Chase, Cheryl Cook, Guy O'Brien, Sylvia Robinson, Michael Wright	3:20
14.	"Down in Flames"	Barrett, Regan, Werts	4:49
15.	"We Care"	Barrett, Werts	3:55
16.	"Victory Over Peter Bones"	Barrett	5:25
17.	"The Legend of Alan Guile Versus Peter Bones" (see notes ^17a)	Barrett	16:51

Notes: ^(2a) A cover of the A-ha song "Take On Me" (2:54) appears on some international releases in between "Somebody Hates Me" and "Brand New Song".; ^(6a) Titled "In the Pit" on subsequent albums.; ^(10a) On the clean version of this album, "Song #3" is stripped of its vocal track and called "Sleep All Day".; ^(17a) Hidden track; begins with 5:20 silence. On the Japanese release, a cover of the Duran Duran song "Hungry Like the Wolf" (3:39) appears in place of this track.

Personnel

Reel Big Fish

Aaron Barrett – guitar, lead vocals, synthesizer, celesta
Grant Barry – trombone
Andrew Gonzales – drums
Scott Klopfenstein – trumpet, vocals, keyboards, Celesta
Dan Regan – trombone, screams
Tavis Werts – trumpet, flügelhorn
Matt Wong – bass guitar, vocals

Additional musicians

Coolie Ranx (Pilfers) – vocals on tracks 6 & 10
Brandon Werts – percussion
Sam Avila – organ
John Avila – piano
True: 129 – scratching
Jay Gordon – backing vocals

Production

Tim Palmer – mixing
Joe Zook – mixing
Jay Rifkin – executive producer
Steve Baughman – engineer
Jay Gordon – engineer
Steve Gamberoni – engineer
Jenny O. – art direction
Dave Holdredge – digital editing
David Holdrege – digital editing
John Avila – producer, mixing
Donnell Cameron – engineer, mixing
Kevin Dean – engineer
Lisa Johnson – photography

Charts

Chart performance for *Why Do They Rock So Hard?*
Chart (1999)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[3]	54
US Billboard 200^[4]	67

References

^ Greene, Jo-Ann. "Reel Big Fish - Why Do They Rock So Hard? Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
^ Punktastic review
^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 232.
^ "Reel Big Fish Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2022.