The career of Sublime singer Bradley Nowell has thrived — and then some — in the 16 years since his death.

Nowell, who would have turned 44 Wednesday had he not succumbed to a drug overdose at 28, remains a hugely celebrated and respected artist. What's most surprising is that Nowell's posthumous fame is based almost solely on a single recording: his group's major-label debut from 1996, Sublime, which has sold nearly seven million copies to date.

Sublime is big business, even in death. The Long Beach, California, trio's punk- and ska-inflected songs have become concert staples for everyone from No Doubt to Jack Johnson, and continue to garner heavy spins on rock radio.

Vancouver Island loves Sublime, too. The Victoria BC Ska Society is honouring Nowell's birthday with six Tribute to Sublime concerts over a two-week period, beginning with dates in Victoria on Thursday (Club 9ONE9) and Saturday (Victoria Event Centre).

To get you in the mood, here are 10 essentials from the Sublime catalogue.

1. What I Got. The song that opened doors for Sublime is this nugget of singalong goodness, a breezy summer jam that takes the classic pop of Lady Madonna and infuses it with rap verses, turntable scratching and street slang.

Released to radio stations just three months after Nowell's death, What I Got features one of the most addictive choruses of the decade. "Lovin' is what I got," Nowell sings, somewhat prophetically. "Remember that."

2. Doin' Time. George Gershwin's Summertime might seem like odd source material for Nowell and Co., but the jazz standard provides a solid foundation. The production is dense and multi-layered and the vibe is chilled-out, but Nowell rises above it all with a superb vocal performance, one that fuses jazz, reggae and hip hop into an effortless-sounding gumbo.

3. April 26, 1992 (Miami). The familiar Sublime recipe — fusing hip hop with reggae — is at its weed-blazing best on April 26, 1992 (Miami), a deceptively sinister tune about the Los Angeles riots of 1992. Nowell plays the role of law-breaking troubadour on this colourful rant, sparked by the landmark Rodney King acquittal.

4. Badfish. Nearly one-third of the songs on Sublime's 1992 debut were covers — and very good covers at that. Perhaps the best song on the album, however, was a Nowell original that hinted at great things to come. Badfish, one of the first songs in the Sublime catalogue to mix Nowell's acoustic inclinations with a solid reggae vibe, uncorked a successful recipe the group would follow until its abrupt end four years later.

5 Santeria. Sublime slowed its familiar ska-beat to a mid-tempo shuffle on this hit, the biggest one for the band aside from What I Got. Santeria is custom made for the beach, with a Latin feel and no shortage of soulful singing from Nowell, who is in fine form. That it remains a radio hit to this day is a testament to the band's songwriting abilities, if not Nowell's innate ability at crafting hooks.

6. 40oz. to Freedom. The title track of 40oz. to Freedom captures everything Sublime did right early in its career. Blazing guitars, a rock-steady beat and some typically unsophisticated — albeit memorable — lyrics courtesy of Nowell. He is a star in waiting on 40oz. to Freedom —

a street poet who will bum booze and smokes on the way to stealing your heart.

7. Wrong Way. Sublime's ska-punk roots are up front and in your face on this full-tilt rocker, one of the shortest but most memorable songs on the band's 1996 breakout release. Nothing remarkable happens, but it's a catchy bit of skanking from a band whose rhythm section (bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh) sound unstoppable when the tempo is high.

8. Date Rape. L.A. radio station KROQ played a big role in breaking Sublime to a wider audience, regularly spinning the group's first official hit, Date Rape. The song, whose story ends with a controversial comeuppance, has been wrongly viewed by some as an endorsement of violence, its intention misconstrued through Nowell's upfront take on touchy subject matter. It's become one of Sublime's most enduring hits.

9. Saw Red. A few versions of Saw Red exist — including Nowell's rip-roaring duet with a then-unknown Gwen Stefani — but the best is a terrific rendition the singer recorded alone on acoustic guitar. Included on 1998's Acoustic: Bradley Nowell & Friends, one of Sublime's many posthumous releases, this version features the smoked-out and weary — but always soulful — frontman in all his ragged glory.

10. Work That We Do. Essentially a loosely constructed dub jam, Work That We Do lasts a brief two minutes and stands at odds with the rest of the songs on 1994's Robbin' the Hood. It won't stop traffic, but it shows the band's affinity for dub reggae, which had more of an impact on the group than fans of What I Got would ever realize. It's a revealing look into the world of a group that two years later would be one of the biggest in the rock world — and over and done with, as a result of the death of its lead singer.

mdevlin@timescolonist.com