A Brief History of Orange County Rock

No Doubt’s success may mark the end of the “Orange Curtain”--the barrier of stereotypes that often blocked bands trying to emerge from the O.C. scene. But the county does have a pop past:

1950-1954: In Fullerton, instrument designer Leo Fender introduces two of rock’s indispensable electric guitars: the Telecaster and the Stratocaster.

1961: Dick Dale pioneers the surf-guitar sound in the seaside ballrooms of Newport Beach and Huntington Beach.

1962: The Righteous Brothers emerge from Santa Ana to become prototypic blue-eyed soul duo.

1963: The Chantays, from Santa Ana, score with surf-rock classic, “Pipeline.”

1965: The We Five hit with “You Were on My Mind.”

1966: Fullerton’s Jackson Browne moves on after woodshedding at local folk clubs that also nurtured Tim Buckley and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

1968: Ex-New Yorker Jose Feliciano records “Light My Fire.”

1970s: Formative era for the O.C. blues, progressive-country and folk-rock scenes that now feature such acts as James Harman, Jann Browne, Chris Gaffney and Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys.

1978-83: Explosion of punk rock in Fullerton and Huntington Beach. Social Distortion, Agent Orange, the Adolescents, T.S.O.L., the Crowd, the Vandals and D.I. form and release their first records.

1982: Metallica takes its baby steps before moving to the Bay Area.

1983: Berlin, from Fullerton, is first O.C. new wave band to join major label.

1984: Dexter Holland and Greg Kriesel of the Offspring start their first band.

1985: Stryper becomes the first Christian heavy metal band to get mainstream notice.

1986: Stacey Q hits with “Two of Hearts.”

1987: No Doubt gathers immediate following among local ska fans.

1990: Social Distortion becomes the first O.C. punk band to sign with major label.

1992: No Doubt and Sublime release their debut albums to little response.

1994: The Offspring’s “Smash” sells 8 million copies worldwide; Korn, transplants from Bakersfield, releases debut album.

1995: No Doubt releases “Tragic Kingdom”; Sublime a hit thanks to belated airplay for its 1992 “Date Rape.”

1996: Sublime’s Brad Nowell dies of a heroin overdose. “Tragic Kingdom” begins its eight-week run at No. 1. Sublime, Social Distortion and Korn also place albums in the Top 40.

1997: The Offspring’s “Ixnay on the Hombre” album enters last week’s album chart at No. 9, joining No Doubt and Sublime to give the O.C. alt-rock scene an unprecedented three of the Top 30 albums.