Punk Rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that formed during 1975 to 1980 and was internationally viewed by the mass media as teenage rebellion with messages of antiestablishment. With its roots in garage rock and protopunk music, punk music was on the periphery of mainstream music. Just as the lyrics of punk rock artists such as The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash suggest, the culture created around punk rock was that of alienation of class, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexuality. Punk bands create short and edgy songs that create friction between the mainstream norm and the alienated punk rock culture.

The term “punk rock” was originally used to characterize rock and roll garage musicians of the mid ’60s who were not vocally or musically trained. Bands such as The Seeds and The Sonics fitted into this genre – which was later known as ‘garage rock’.

Early History
Before punk rock culture formed into what music critics and music listeners know of today, there was an underground rock movement from 1965 to 1975 in New York City. With bands such as the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, and the New York Dolls performing in nightclubs, the United Kingdom and United States culture led to the formation of punk rock. The Velvet Underground was a New York band promoted by pop artist Andy Warhol. Singer and guitarist Lou Reed sung lyrics that were centered on themes of drug addiction, sexual deviancy, and social alienation. Velvet Underground was also paved the way for experimental musical elements. In Velvet Underground, John Cale played the viola, which added to the other experimental sounds that other bands were using.

Unlike the experimental nature of the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1967, were the working-class, motorcycle-riding, leather-jacketed ancestors of punk rock. Lead singer Iggy Pop was known for unorthodox stage antics like stage diving, cutting his body with beer bottles, and rubbing himself with raw meat. Despite their extreme stage presence, the lyrics the Stooges wrote evoked themes of sensibility that recreated memories from events such as Woodstock.

The New York Dolls had a major influence on punk rock in terms of fashion. Formed in New York City in 1971, the New York Dolls, an all-male band, dressed typically in fishnet stockings, red lipstick, tutus, ostrich feathers and Army boots. This fashion statement was a response to the English glam rock movement spearhead by David Bowie.

Each of these bands, the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, and the New York Dolls all had key elements that would lay the foundation out for punk rock. The experimental musical styling’s, radical stage presence, and fashion all converged in the mid 1970s in the New York City club scene. Bands from the Television to the Ramones to the Sex Pistols shaped how society perceived punk rock and the subculture that followed.

The Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols are considered the first “true” punk rock band. They are originally from the United Kingdom and they were one of the most influential punk rock bands of all time. Their first show was at St. Martin’s Art College in 1975 and they were booed off the stage within 10 minutes. Soon after that they began playing larger shows by opening for big bands. In 1976, the band was able to get on the Bill Grundy show, Today. The Sex Pistols became very intoxicated before the show, which led to Bill Grundy being suspended for two weeks. This catastrophe caused the cancellation of many Sex Pistol tour dates. Their record label EMI dropped the Pistols, after their incident. In 1977, the Sex Pistols signed to A&M records and released their single “God Save the Queen”.

The release of their single was a big milestone for them. For starters, The British national anthem was named “God Save The Queen” and the Sex Pistols song heavily mocked the national anthem. The song was also released during the Silver Jubilee, which celebrated the Queen’s 25th year on the throne. This song became the anthem of the punk movement in England. When the song was released, it outsold the number one song at the time, however it was number two according to the charts. Five days after the song was released the BBC banned it.

Alphabetical List of Punk Rock Bands
Punk Rock Bands 0-K

Punk Rock Bands L-Z

These are the notable punk rock bands throughout the years. This list provides insight into how vast the culture of punk rock was and how influential punk rock was during its short rise to fame. The punk rock bands stretched all across the country and even to other countries as well.

Antiestablishment
Antiestablishment Photo

The punk rock scene was very underground in the 1960s, but punk rock became big in the 1970s. Bands such as the Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and Underground Velvet were the leaders of the punk rock movement. Many punk rock songs were anti-establishment. These songs also made reference to anarchy. Punk rockers had a “Down with the man” mentality. Once the underground movement reached Great Britain it exploded.

Punk rock became huge. People had the look and the ideological feelings. During the 1970s, the people were angry with the government especially during the economic recession of the 1970s. During the recession, punk rock was there to give the people music. The genre made people realize how angry they were with the government. This is when anarchy and antiestablishment became part of the movement.