The Adolescents are a hardcore punk band formed in 1980 in Fullerton, California. It is a supergroup band made up by early members of Agent Orange and Social Distortion. Along with Bad Religion, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, Social Distortion, and many others, they are often credited as one of the leading bands of the 1980s punk revival.

For 27 years after its inception, the Adolescents have had many constant member changes. The band broke up and reformed twice, sometimes with different guitarists, bass players and/or drummers. Their first break up was sometime after the release of their 1981 self-titled debut release, which is often considered an influential punk rock album, when some members of the band were involved in their own projects, including Agent Orange and D.I.. However, the Adolescents reunited in 1986 and released two more albums (Brats in Battalions in 1987 and Balboa Fun Zone in 1988) before spltting up again in 1989. The band once again reunited for good in 2001 for a 20th anniversary tour and had continued performing ever since. They released one reunion album (O.C. Confidential in 2005) and are currently writing/recording new material for their next album, which is possibly due for release sometime in 2008.

The band has influenced many of today's later punk groups, including Bad Religion, Face to Face, Good Riddance , The Offspring , Pennywise and The Vandals.

The beginning, first album and hiatus

The Adolescents were formed by Steve Soto after leaving Agent Orange in December 1979. The original line-up was led by frontman Tony Cadena, with Steve Soto on bass, Frank Agnew on guitar, John O'Donovan on guitar and Peter Pan on drums. Both O'Donovan and Pan left in June . Later that year, the group released the classic hardcore single "Amoeba" on Posh Boy Records. The track also appeared on the Rodney on the ROQ compilation, assembled by L.A. DJ Rodney Bingenheimer.

The Adolescents signed with Frontier Records in January 1981 and recorded their debut album, The Adolescents, the following month. It quickly became one of the best-selling California hardcore albums, behind the Dead Kennedys' Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. Despite this success, Rikk Agnew left the band. He was replaced by Pat Smear, formerly of The Germs. This lineup lasted until the end of June, when Smear left (he would later go on to join Nirvana during its final years, and then Foo Fighters, although he would leave that band to go solo again in 1997).

The Adolescents broke up in August 1981. Cadena formed The Abandoned, Steve Soto and Frank Agnew joined Legal Weapon, Royer formed D.I., and Rikk Agnew joined Christian Death.