Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California, in 1991. Founded by 80s punk veterans Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, who previously played in the highly influential ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day, The Offspring, Bad Religion, NOFX, and Social Distortion—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid-1990s. Unlike many of their contemporaries, however, Rancid remained signed to an independent record label and retained much of its original fan-base, most of which was connected to its underground roots.

Rancid includes Tim Armstrong on guitar and vocals, Freeman on bass and vocals, Lars Frederiksen on guitar and vocals, and Branden Steineckert on drums. The band was formed by Armstrong, Freeman, and former drummer Brett Reed, who left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Steineckert. Frederiksen joined Rancid in 1993 when the band was searching for a second guitar player.