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4[[quoteright:350:[[Music/SexPistols https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sex_pistols_jacket.png]]]]
5[floatboxright:
6Primary Stylistic Influences (70s Punk):
7+ ProtoPunk, GarageRock, RockAndRoll, GlamRock and Pub Rock (British bands only)
8]
9[floatboxright:
10Secondary Stylistic Influences (70s Punk):
11+ {{Rockabilly}}, SurfRock, UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion, HardRock, AvantGardeMusic, sometimes KrautRock and {{Reggae}}
12]
13
14->''"The popularity of punk rock was, in effect, due to the fact that it made ugliness beautiful."''
15-->-- '''Malcolm [=McLaren=]'''
16
17''This page is for the musical genre. For the 2009 play, go to Theatre/PunkRock.''
18
19Punks themselves are [[TheQuincyPunk covered elsewhere on TV Tropes]].
20
211-2-3-4!
22
23Ah, Punk Rock. You just can't beat it, can you?
24
25God, where to begin? Well, first, the music itself. Punk rock is characterised by fast, hard-edged music, typically with short songs, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics. In short: if you want to be a rocker, and have [[ThreeChordsAndTheTruth strong political views but little technical skill]], it's the genre to go for. That's not an insult towards punk, of course: it's just, people usually won't care. Punks do not care if they are untalented; they do it anyway. Were [[Music/SexPistols Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious]] good musicians? No. But they still played, and that was because they were punks. They didn't give a damn about what other people thought of them, and that's a view many other punks share.
26
27{{Ahem}}. Punk bands tended to eschew the excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. They also embraced a DIY aesthetic, with many bands self-producing their recordings and distributing them through informal channels.
28
29It all started in the mid-seventies with punk scenes growing in the US, thanks to the Music/{{Ramones}}, Australia, thanks to The Saints, and the UK, thanks to the Music/SexPistols, the Music/{{Buzzcocks}}, and Music/TheClash. While the scene had been fomenting for a while, the big push of punk started, most say, in 1976 with the release of The Damned's first single and The Sex Pistols' first appearances. Out of all the first wave of punk bands, The Sex Pistols, in particular, were highly influential due to Malcolm [=McLaren=]'s clever marketing and their high visibility, even though they weren't that talented a band (not that this matters, because they're punk). They (Sex Pistols) caused quite a fair bit of controversy on several notes: [[ClusterFBomb mass swearing]] during [[RefugeInAudacity a live TV interview]]; releasing an anti-monarchy song named "God Save the Queen" for the Queen's silver jubilee; [[IntentionallyAwkwardTitle their name]], "the [[PhallicWeapon Sex Pistols]]". This controversy also [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity resulted in the punk scene exploding into success]], causing the creation of the punk subculture and, by extension, the emo and goth subcultures, too.
30
31By the early-eighties, with the increased diversity of influences and backlash against the cardboard-cutout punk bands starting to clog the scene, standard punk rock started to get replaced by harder, faster and more aggressive styles, in particular HardcorePunk. PostPunk, a less aggressive style that focused on more complex and experimental music, also evolved out of this initial punk explosion. This gave way to PostPunk and GothRock bands such as Music/JoyDivision and Music/{{The Cure|Band}}, respectively, as well as {{New Wave|Music}} bands like Music/{{Blondie|Band}} and Music/TalkingHeads, both of which existed during the punk explosion, but only came to prominence after it had keeled over. These genres incorporated elements from other genres such as Jamaican dub and {{Krautrock}}. Punk would exert a heavy influence over various forms of AlternativeRock. Other notable subgenres of punk include Music/{{Emo}} and PopPunk.
32
33In addition, there is the subgenre of Oi!/street punk; nominally apolitical and the self-proclaimed music of the working class. Popular among punks and skins of all races and political stripes, the genre was formed in reaction to the perceived invasion of the punk scene by college hipsters, art school students and corporate fat cats. Famous bands include: the Cockney Rejects, the Oppressed, Angelic Upstarts, Cock Sparrer, Iron Cross, and many others. [[labelnote:Special note]]There are a small number of fascist/white power affiliated groups who emulate the Oi! style. They are currently locked in a decades long battle with SHARP and redskins, as well as AFA affiliated punks. In summation, most connected to the Oi! scene are not racist, and to label them as such is a good way to get a boot to the head. Most people just refer to neo-Nazi/far-right bands as Rock Against Communism/RAC, and following suit is probably the safest way to avoid pissing anyone off. Then again, they are literal fascists, and who's in Oi! to keep things calm? Punk's early [[PuttingOnTheReich use of fascist imagery]] for shock value resulted in a proliferation of genuinely racist, rather than latently racist, bands, resulting again in increased violence and waves of action and reaction on both sides, although fascists in the scene were decried by bands ranging from The Clash to the Dead Kennedys, whose single "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" was a seminal example. [[/labelnote]]
34
35Throughout its history, Punk has been at odds with ProgressiveRock, which is often considered to be the epitome of technical rock. Many punk musicians decried its greatly elaborate and exhibitionist nature, claiming that these characteristics were stifling and discouraging to amateur musicians. (However, this wasn't universal, and its extent has been frequently exaggerated in the press, perhaps due to critics' disdain for progressive rock. Music/JohnLydon [Johnny Rotten], for example, was an avowed fan of several seminal prog bands like Music/{{Magma}} and Music/VanDerGraafGenerator,[[note]]Lydon's outspoken praise for these groups actually became a source of tension with [=McLaren=], who felt it would conflict with the Pistols' image[[/note]] and the genre was an unmistakable influence on his later work with Music/PublicImageLtd. The two genres ultimately wound up influencing much of the same music - Music/{{Metallica}}, Music/TalkingHeads, and Music/TheFallOfTroy, to name just three disparate examples, all bear an influence from both punk and prog - and ultimately even cross-pollinated ''each other'' somewhat. The ProgressiveRock page has much further detail under the "Fandom Rivalry" trope.)
36
37Punk has been described as the democratisation of music, since prior to its deconstruction of rock, rock had been becoming ever-more idolatrous and money-focused. Punk also helped create the next generation of independent record labels, including, most notably, Creator/FourADRecords, Creator/FactoryRecords, Rough Trade and Creator/SubPop. Interestingly, the punk ethos and fandom intersect in the early eighties, when punk 'zines were the inspiration for modern, home-produced fanzines, which eventually led to today's internet communities.
38
39Also see [[UsefulNotes/{{Punk}} Useful Notes on Punk]]
40
41[[AC: Sub-genres of Punk:]]
42[[index]]
43* {{Anarchopunk}}
44** CrustPunk
45* DarkCabaret
46* {{Emo|Music}}
47** ScreamoMusic
48* FolkPunk
49* HardcorePunk
50** {{Crossover Thrash}}
51** {{Grindcore}}
52** {{Metalcore}}
53*** {{Deathcore}}
54** PostHardcore
55** {{Powerviolence}}
56* HorrorPunk
57* {{Queercore}}
58* PopPunk
59** DefendPopPunk
60* PostPunk
61* {{Psychobilly}}
62* PunkRap
63* RiotGrrrl
64* SkaPunk
65* UsefulNotes/StraightEdge
66* StreetPunk
67** [[{{Oi}} Oi!]]
68* [[Literature/TheTaqwacores Taqwacore]]
69
70!!Notable punk musicians:
71[[AC:New York Punk Bands:]]
72* Music/GGAllin
73* Music/ChokingVictim
74* Music/DeadBoys
75* Music/TheDictators
76* Music/JohnnyThundersAndTheHeartbreakers
77* Music/MinkDeville (also NewWaveMusic)
78* Music/{{Mumps}}
79* Music/PattiSmith
80** 1976 - ''Music/{{Horses}}''
81** 1976 - ''Music/RadioEthiopia''
82** 1978 - ''Music/{{Easter}}''
83** 1979 - ''Music/{{Wave}}''
84* Music/{{Ramones}}
85** 1976 - ''Music/{{Ramones|Album}}''
86** 1977 - ''Music/LeaveHome''
87** 1977 - ''Music/RocketToRussia''
88** 1978 - ''Music/RoadToRuin''
89** 1980 - ''Music/EndOfTheCentury''
90** Joey Ramone
91*** 2002 - ''Music/DontWorryAboutMe''
92* Music/RichardHellAndTheVoidoids
93* Music/{{Suicide|Band}}
94* Music/TalkingHeads (also PostPunk; specifically began as an "art punk" outfit and continued to feature punk as a heavy element in their sound up until the mid-80's)
95** 1977 - ''Music/TalkingHeads77''
96** 1978 - ''Music/MoreSongsAboutBuildingsAndFood''
97** 1979 - ''Music/FearOfMusic''
98** 1980 - ''Music/RemainInLight''
99*** 1981 - "Music/OnceInALifetime"
100** 1983 - ''Music/SpeakingInTongues''
101** 1984 - ''Film/StopMakingSense''
102* Music/{{Television}} (also PostPunk)
103** 1977 - ''Music/MarqueeMoon''
104* Music/TitusAndronicus
105** 2010 - ''Music/TheMonitor''
106* Music/TuffDarts(also PowerPop)
107* Music/TheWorldInfernoFriendshipSociety
108
109[[AC:British Punk Bands:]]
110* [[Music/NineNineNine 999]]
111* Music/AdamAndTheAnts
112* Music/TheAdicts
113* Music/TheAdverts
114* Music/BadNerves
115* Music/TheBoys
116* Music/TheBoomtownRats (though they lean towards NewWaveMusic as well)
117* Music/{{Buzzcocks}}
118* Music/{{Chelsea}}
119* Music/{{Chumbawamba}}
120* Music/TheClash
121** 1977 - ''Music/TheClashAlbum''
122** 1979 - ''Music/LondonCalling''
123** 1980 - ''Music/{{Sandinista}}''
124** 1985 - ''Music/CutTheCrap''
125* Music/{{Crass}} (co-UrExample for HardcorePunk)
126* Music/TheDamnedBand
127* Music/IanDuryAndTheBlockheads
128* Music/{{Eater}}
129* Music/EddieAndTheHotRods (the missing link between British Punk Rock and PubRock)
130* Music/TheExploited (widely believed to be the ones who popularized the mohawk as part of the "punk style")
131* Music/FluxOfPinkIndians
132* Music/GenerationX (notable for being Music/BillyIdol's first band)
133* [[Music/{{Idles}} IDLES]]
134* Music/TheJam
135* Music/JoyDivision (VERY early work, mostly when they were still known as "Warsaw". Later became the {{Trope Codifier}}s for PostPunk)
136** 1988 - ''Music/{{Substance|JoyDivisionAlbum}}'' (includes the early punk EP ''An Ideal for Living'')
137* Music/ManicStreetPreachers
138* Music/TheMembers
139* Music/NewModelArmy
140* Music/TheOnlyOnes (also NewWaveMusic and PowerPop)
141* Music/JohnOtway & Music/WildWillyBarrett
142* Music/TheOutsiders
143* Music/{{Penetration}}
144* Music/TheRezillos
145* Music/TheRuts
146* Music/SexPistols
147** 1977 - ''Music/NeverMindTheBollocksHeresTheSexPistols''
148** Music/JohnLydon
149** Music/SidVicious
150*** 1979 - ''Music/SidSings''
151* Music/TheShapes
152* Music/SiouxsieAndTheBanshees (before they went GothRock, anyways)
153* Music/TheSkids
154* Music/StiffLittleFingers
155* Music/TheStranglers
156* Music/ToyDolls
157* Music/{{Ultravox}} (Their first two albums with John Foxx as Ultravox!)
158* Music/TheUndertones
159* Music/TheVibrators
160* Music/TheWho - Probably the UrExample of this trope, being part of UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion and cited as an influence by Music/TheClash, Music/SexPistols, Music/TheRamones, and Music/GreenDay, while defining the [[ScooterRidingMod Mod scene]] of the [=1960s=], and popularizing the RockOpera.
161* Music/{{Wire}}
162** 1977 - ''Music/PinkFlag''
163** 1978 - ''Music/ChairsMissing''
164* [[Music/XRaySpex X-Ray Spex]]
165
166[[AC:Los Angeles Punk Bands:]]
167* Music/BadReligion
168* Music/BlackFlag
169** 1981 - ''Music/{{Damaged|Album}}''
170* Music/CircleJerks
171* Music/{{Descendents}}
172* Music/TheDils
173* Music/TheDistillers
174* Music/TheFleshEaters
175* Music/TheGerms
176* Music/JoanJett and the Blackhearts
177* Music/TheLindaLindas
178* Music/{{Minutemen}}
179* Music/{{Lagwagon}}
180* Music/{{NOFX}}
181* Music/ThePlugz
182* Music/TheRunaways
183* Music/{{TSOL}}
184* Music/TheWeirdos
185* Music/XUSBand
186* Music/TheZeros
187
188[[AC:Other Punk Bands:]]
189* Music/{{Adolescents}}
190* Music/{{AJJ}}
191* Music/AntiFlag
192* Music/AtTheDriveIn
193* Music/AtomAndHisPackage
194* Music/{{Avengers}}
195* Music/BabesInToyland
196* Music/BadBrains
197* Music/TheBatteredWives
198* Music/{{BiS}}
199* Music/TheCasualties
200* Music/TheChats
201* Music/{{Crime}}
202* Music/TheDarkestOfTheHillsideThickets
203* Music/DeadKennedys
204** 1985 - ''Music/{{Frankenchrist}}''
205** Music/JelloBiafra
206* Music/TheDeadMilkmen
207* Music/TheDemics
208* Music/TheDirtbombs
209* Music/TheDishrags
210* Music/TheDiodes
211* Music/{{DOA}}
212* Music/DollSkin
213* Music/{{DMZ}}
214* Music/TheDwarves
215* Music/TheExplodingHearts
216** 2003 - ''Music/GuitarRomantic''
217* Music/TheForgottenRebels
218* Music/DieGoldenenZitronen
219* Music/GreenDay
220** 1994 - ''Music/{{Dookie}}''
221** 1995 - ''Music/{{Insomniac}}''
222** 1997 - ''Music/{{Nimrod}}''
223** 2000 - ''Music/{{Warning}}''
224** 2004 - ''Music/AmericanIdiot''
225** 2009 - ''Music/TwentyFirstCenturyBreakdown''
226** 2016 - ''Music/RevolutionRadio''
227* Music/GreenJelly
228* Music/NinaHagen
229* Music/TheHives
230* Music/{{Jawbreaker}}
231* Music/{{Kuroyume}}
232* Music/TheLawrenceArms
233* Music/LeftoverCrack
234* Music/LudwigVon88
235* Music/ManOrAstroMan
236* Music/TheManikins
237* Music/TheMenzingers
238* Music/MinorThreat
239* Music/MischiefBrew
240* Music/{{Misfits}}
241* Music/{{Nomeansno}}
242* Music/TheOffspring
243** 1994 - ''[[Music/SmashAlbum Smash]]''
244* Music/OnkelKonkelAndHisKonkelbar
245* Music/ThePagans
246* Music/PansyDivision
247* Music/PatTheBunny
248* Music/ThePlasmatics
249* Music/EmilyPukisAndTheVagrants
250* Music/TheRealKids
251* Music/RadioBirdman
252* Music/RareAmericans
253* Music/RubberCityRebels
254* Music/TheSaints
255* Music/SchoolyardHeroes
256* Music/ScreamingFemales
257* Music/ShutUpSidney
258* Music/SocialDistortion
259* Music/TheStooges (widely considered the UrExample of what punk would come to be, to the point it is sometimes classified as "Proto-Punk")
260* Music/TheSuicideCommandos (not to be confused with the Music/{{Industrial}} group with the similar name)
261* Music/SumoCyco
262* Music/{{Tankcsapda}}
263* Music/TeenageHead
264* Music/{{Tocotronic}}
265* Music/DieTotenHosen
266* Music/ViktorTsoi
267* Music/{{Vazzyrock}}
268* Music/TheViletones
269[[/index]]

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