"There’s a good argument to be made that no album had a more profound impact on the development of pop punk than [Milo Goes to College]. It was firmly rooted in the hardcore scene and played with the same rawness, speed, and intensity as early Black Flag, [...] but the Descendents added in bright, catchy melodies through Milo Aukerman’s bratty, snotty delivery, and basically invented pop punk in the process. And it wasn’t just the sound of pop punk that Milo Goes to College paved the way for; it was the lyrical content too. With songs about hating your parents, wanting girls to like you, being a loser, and a hint of social criticism, Milo Goes to College laid out what would be the primary concerns for a large majority of pop punk bands to come. Just about every major pop punk band has sung the Descendents’ praises."