Punk Era

tagStarted 1976Peak 1976-1979Last big hit 1980

Located in 1 route

Year-zero rock: fast, short, buzzsaw-distorted songs played with deliberate amateurism, snarled vocals and confrontational anti-establishment lyrics. Stripped to three chords and a sneer, recorded loud and cheap, it rejected virtuosity, prog excess and arena polish — speed, attitude and DIY immediacy over everything.

History

Crystallized in 1976 between New York's CBGB (Ramones) and London (Sex Pistols, The Clash), punk detonated as a reaction against bloated stadium rock. The Pistols' 1977 'Never Mind the Bollocks' scandalized Britain; by 1979 the original wave splintered into post-punk, new wave and hardcore.

Defining artists

RamonesSpotify YouTube
Sex PistolsSpotify YouTube
The ClashSpotify YouTube
The DamnedSpotify YouTube
BuzzcocksSpotify YouTube
Dead BoysSpotify YouTube

Essential listening

Blitzkrieg Bop — RamonesSpotify YouTube
Anarchy in the U.K. — Sex PistolsSpotify YouTube
White Riot — The ClashSpotify YouTube
New Rose — The DamnedSpotify YouTube
Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) — BuzzcocksSpotify YouTube

← Explore Rock

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk_rock
https://www.britannica.com/art/punk
https://www.allmusic.com/style/punk-ma0000002780