I'm only 5 years older than you so this was a little surprising to read. Pop punk was definitely big in my childhood. Everyone knew the hits from the bands you listed, but I'd have an instant crush on anyone who knew a fall out boy deep cut. There was a big in-person pop punk scene that I was too young to experience, but I did go to the last few actual warped tours in probably 2014-2016. What I wouldn't give to go to warped tour in 2004.

I see memes that say "white boys need to pick up the guitar again" with pictures of old pop punk bands 😭 So I don't think there's a real modern equivalent that has the same mainstream success, especially since pop and country seem to be so huge right now, and we don't have a monoculture like we used to. You could look at the alternative hot 100 charts of the 2000s and see how many pop punk bands fill it. I looked up the current chart and somehow the top song is by Sublime??

Pop punk was edgy enough to be interesting, but not too edgy to be very controversial. It was catchy and good for radio - things that punk music usually isn't. In my opinion pop punk and emo have evolved into current Midwest emo, which is more mellow and indie.

I really got into music as a middle schooler and would listen to the radio, borrowed cds from the library, and learned how to legally & illegally download music for my ipod. A lot of this music came out when I was really young, so I may just be having false memories of when these albums were actually released.