Punk rock has come a long way since it came into existence in the 1970s. Today it is mainstream, with bands who have adopted the look in order to market themselves. To those who delve deeper than the bleak pop-punk world of Blink-182 and Good Charlotte a much richer world is revealed.
Back in the late-1970s and early-1980s when the punk rock movement was at it’s peak, the seminal bands that would unknowingly shape the course of popular music for decades to come were playing to some of the most dedicated music fans ever seen. Punk rock has been dumbed down dramatically since then, but there are still a few of those classic punk bands that just refuse to disappear thanks to the impact they made.
Sex Pistols
Classic Line-up: Johnny Rotten (vocals), Steve Jones (guitar), Paul Cook (drums), Sid Vicious (bass)
When most people think of punk rock, they think of the Sex Pistols. The most visually identifiable features of any punk rocker – the multi-colored, spiked hair, chained and studded jackets, etc. – originally came from the Sex Pistols. The abrasive anarchist attitudes of punk rockers these days are also the result of the Sex Pistols actions. From songs like “Anarchy in the UK” and “God Save the Queen” the Sex Pistols made it clear that they had no respect for authority or he established order of things. The self-destructive antics of bassist Sid Vicious only served to fully cement the Sex Pistols as the most infamous band of all-time. They only managed one former record during their time together, but they sure made it count.
Selected Songs:
– God Save the Queen from Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
– Anarchy in the UK from Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
– Holiday in the Sun from Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
– No Feelings from Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
– Pretty Vacant from Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
Black Flag
Classic Line-up: Henry Rollins (vocals), Dez Cadena (guitar), Greg Ginn (guitar), Chuck Dukowski (bass), no long term drummer
Black Flag could quite possibly be labeled as the original hardcore punk band. The influence can now be seen extensively, possibly more than any other band, in the underground punk circuit. The Black Flag sound has become the signature of every band that rejects the mainstream. More than that, Black Flag pioneered the DIY record movement that now keeps many local punk rock scenes afloat, and could even be listed as a forbearer to the do-it-yourself attitude that most bands have conducted when releasing records since the internet exploded in popularity. Black Flag has ventured outside their comfort zone over the years, with a nearly endless revolving door of talent spending time in the line-up, but they will also be remembered for the fast, heavy, dirty punk rock of their early days.
Selected Songs:
– Louie Louie, single (1981)
– TV Party from Damaged (1981)
– Annihilate This Week from, single (1990)
– My War from My War (1983)
– Retired at 21 from In My Head (1985)
The Misfits
Classic Line-up: Glenn Danzig (vocals), Jerry Only (bass), Doyle von Frankenstein (guitar), no permanent drummer
Where so many punk rock bands adopted ratty clothing or DIY studs and patches, the Misfits carved out their own special place in punk rock history by becoming the punk rock horror band. Adorned with the trademark “Devilock” hairstyle and ghoulish face paint, the Misfits became famous for writing songs about horror and B-movie themes. They initially weren’t very successful, but underground tape trading led the several soon-to-be famous musicians becoming fans. Those that were influenced by the Misfits included Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and AFI. A late career revival, minus Glenn Danzig, proved to be a great success, though the music never managed to reach the level of their early work.
Selected Songs:
– Bullet, single (1978)
– Last Caress from Static Age (recorded in 1978, released in 1997)
– Die, Die My Darling, single (1984)
– Hybrid Moments from Legacy of Brutality (1985)
– Skulls from Walk Among Us (1982)
The Damned
Classic Line-up: Dave Vanian (vocals), Captain Sensible (guitar), Rat Scabies (drums), Brian James (guitar), Algy Ward (bass)
Like the Misfits, the Damned cultivated a unique look in order to curve out their niche. In this case, it was the signature gothic look of Dave Vanian. The Damned’s early records were gritty in the vain of the Misfits recordings, but as time progressed increasingly polished production allowed the Damned to expand. Normally a taboo in the punk world, the Damned incorporated keyboards into their sound. The Damned were something of a dark horse in the punk rock world until they released Machine Gun Etiquette in 1979. After that, the Damned proved themselves to be not only one of the best of the original wave of punk musicians, but also one of the longest lasting with their tenth studio album being released in 2008.
Selected Songs:
– Neat Neat Neat from Damned Damned Damned (1977)
– New Rose from Damned Damned Damned (1977)
– Machine Gun Etiquette from Machine Gun Etiquette (1979)
– Love Song from Machine Gun Etiquette (1979)
– Smash It Up from Machine Gun Etiquette (1979)
Social Distortion
Classic Line-up: Mike Ness (vocals, guitar), John Maurer (bass), Christopher Reece (drums), Dennis Danell (guitar)
Social Distortion might have the rockiest road to punk rock icons of any band out there. It took four years together before the band released their first album, Mommy’s Little Monster, in 1982. It wasn’t long before front man Mike Ness had developed a serious drug issue, which could have left Social Distortion as an above average but forgettable first wave punk band.
When Mike Ness sobered up Social Distortion resumed. Somehow this first wave of punk rock band became much bigger than before, as Ness integrated country stylings into the familiar punk rock sound. The result was one of the most unique sounding punk bands getting hot just before the success of bands like Nirvana and Green Day dragged punk rock to the mainstream. As Mike Ness’ years of sobriety piled up, Social Distortion improved. Unlike most early punk bands, Social Distortion’s best albums come from the last 20 years, with their most recent being released in 2004.
Selected Songs:
– Story of My Life from Social Distortion (1990)
– Reach for the Sky from Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll (2004)
– Mommy’s Little Monster from Mommy’s Little Monster (1983)
– Don’t Drag Me Down from White Light, White Heat, White Trash (1996)
– Another State of Mind from Mommy’s Little Monster (1983)
Dead Kennedys
Classic Line-up: Jello Biafra (vocals), East Bay Ray (guitar), Klaus Flouride (bass), D. H. Peligro (drums)
As their name implies, the Dead Kennedys do not hold back when it comes to sensitive issues. Featuring lyrics filled with sarcastic, leftist messages, it would be easy to write the Dead Kennedys off. Their musicianship, which featured far more than the normal three power chord attack of most punk bands, combined with Jello Biafra’s instantly recognizable voice made the Dead Kennedys a unique listening experience. The often satirical take on political issues, mixed with a healthy dose of sarcasm, is still something that no other punk band has managed to replicate.
Selected Songs:
– Holiday in Cambodia from Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)
– California Uber Alles from Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)
– Police Truck, single (1980)
– Too Drunk to F***, single (1981)
– Chickens** Conformist from Bedtime for Democracy (1986)
The Clash
Classic Line-up: Joe Strummer (vocals, guitar), Mike Jones (vocals, guitar), Paul Simonon (bass), Topper Headon (drums)
For being one of the original punk bands, the Clash have very few songs that actually follow the punk rock formula. Instead, the Clash relied on a mixture of styles that could be called the influence for the modern punk, ska, reggae, easy listening, hard rock and heavy metal movements that followed. Also, the Clash were the first punk band to mix music and politics (the Sex Pistols mixed music and anti-politics) to an incredible effect. What resulted was a band that was not only talented, but diverse and meaningful as well. To see the Clash’s effect you simply need to look at the bands they influenced: U2, Sublime, No Doubt, Jakob Dylan, the Hives, the White Stripes, M. I. A., among others.
The Clash somehow became the most punk rock band, without ever staying within the confines of what punk rock is. From the original wave of punk rock, the Clash is the only band that managed to transcend the label without losing their credibility.
Selected Songs:
– London Calling from London Calling (1979)
– White Riot from The Clash (1977)
– Complete Control from The Clash (1977)
– Guns of Brixton from London Calling (1979)
– (White Man) in Hammersmith Palais from Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978)
The Ramones
Classic Line-up: Joey Ramone (vocals), Johnny Ramone (guitar), Dee Dee Ramone (bass), Tommy Ramone (drums)
The Clash might have bent the genre to it’s extremes, but no one stayed to the core of punk rock musically than the Ramones. Armed with only a smattering of power cords, quirky lyrics and leather jackets, the Ramones built a career on two minute long songs at break neck speeds. The infectious energy and keen simplicity have made the Ramones songs some of the most memorable pieces of music from the last 50 years. Where other bands plugged in politics, the Ramones kept it to 50s pop sensibilities, if they were on crack.
The image of four rockers with long, dark hair, leather jackets, torn jeans highlighted the music perfectly, only helping the Ramones in their quest for music superstardom. If the influence of the band is in question, one simply needs to look around at the familiar Ramones seal on t-shirts or the hundreds of movies, commercials and TV shows featuring the familiar stylings of the Ramones.
Selected Songs:
– Blitzkreig Bop from Ramones (1976)
– I Wanna Be Sedated from Road to Ruin (1978)
– Sheena is a Punk Rocker from Rocket to Russia (1977)
– Pinhead from Leave Home (1977)
– The KKK Took My Baby Away from Pleasant Dreams (1981)
Sources
http://www.allmusic.com for songs, albums and band line-ups.
