As a person who lived through this entire era, I see a few bands you might have missed: The Dictators, The Dead Kennedys, Stiff Little Fingers and The Buzzcocks
When it comes to Punk Pop of the 90's/2000's, The Buzzcocks created the template. Pete Shelly was kind of out at the closet at a time that could still get you beaten up. If we didn't realise at the time, when he released his solo single Homosapien, he as good as told us. They kind of inspired Factory records (and the entire UK indie label scene) when they self released their first EP. True hero's, and they had the songs.
The Saint's would get quite annoyed at being called punk, Especially their lead singer Chris, I got to learn this first hand lol , For the record I think they're early stuff is punk!
If you want to get into pioneering art-punk "Pink Flag" by Wire in the UK and the first Suicide album from the US are both great. (Actually "Chairs Missing" is my favorite Wire record, but it's their second record.) You could also throw "Junkyard" by The Birthday Party (with early Nick Cave) from Australia into the mix.
I can never believe how Crass is left out of so many punk lists.. they are a founding father type band that took punk to the max. And no one ever mentions them ..
Absolutely agree. Was just looking to see if anyone mentioned them in the comments. Maybe they were too punk for the average punk listener? I’m always blown away by that too. Hands own the best!
I love road to ruin ramones..its my fave studio album by ramones but love 1st..leave home. Rocket..after ruin its alive came out wow...!..crank that up...wonderful classic live album...the days when they came on..joey shouts hey!...we're the ramones and this is called rockaway beach!-...1234's...from dd...then thanks very much!..goodnight...from joey😄no messin..awesome 👌 gazramone
I would say The Damned kicked it off in the UK & we got import copies early on in NYC of New Rose which was released in ‘76 a month or so before Anarchy was released. . Also The VU White Light White Heat was an early influence.
Damned were a band of some notice but again werent the band that pushed any boundaries or caused contraversy,punk bands did that.Its hardly surprising all this debate on what band was the first punk band springs up decades after a tabloid first mentioned the first band as punk,The Sex Pistols.Then its debated years after with all these kids not born at the time."No green day were the first punk band"😂.
I was fortunate enough to become close friends with Stiv while working in a factory in the mid 70’s Youngstown, Ohio. He was the craziest dude I ever met -he once mooned me while driving his pea green Fiat convertible. I recall when he applied for the job he walked into the plant wearing red wife beater t shirt, skin tight rattlesnake pattern pants and chrome plated platform shoes.
Siouxsie & the Banshees's debut album "The Scream", allthough not your typical "punk" album as the evolution to come is already obvious is a landmark. Listen to their cover of The Beatles's "Helter Skelter". But the real testimony of their punk belongings is on "Join Hands", their second album: "The Lord's Prayer". Pure punk anthem!
I've watched more than a few punk rock "best" reviews, many by dudes my age (58), and yours is the best so far. I agree with 80% of yr picks. Just a great job!! Excellent.
I would probably put Sham 69 on this list. The band was decisive in bringing punk to street level, a working class band (for American punk this doesn't make the slightest difference, but in the British context it makes ALL the difference). Jimmy Pursey's skinhead/suedehead background gave impetus to several bands of the "second wave" of British punk.
Great list Sam, I would personally include the Saints' "I'm Stranded", one of the first punk albums & brilliant. Also the Stranglers' "Rattus Norvegiocus", which is brilliant (possibly considered not pure punk by many,) and Stiff Little Fingers' wonderful "Inflammable Material". Patti Smith's first 2 albums are also classics, punk in attitude, definitely.
Also, "Black and White." That is solid punk, imo. (editing to clarify I meant "by The Stranglers.") I have never known how to genre-classify early Patti Smith music. I guess punk is as close as you can get, but she is sort of her own genre. lol. It's like, you really can't just call Bob Dylan a folk singer.
Ah yes !!! How could you forget about the Strangies ? R.I.P. Dave Greenfield !! Hugh , J.J. , Jet Black and such stories about Vlad's affections for his camel / Cuba / pearl necklaces ?? 🤡
A lot of these were my intro into not only the genre, but the community I’ve been a part of for a very long time. Fortunately, with the internet a person can connect not only to the “Punk 101” bands, but to the plethora of DIY bands spanning each decade, region, country, etc. Listening to MRR radio is a great way to start as well. They play both current punk and those from the past. The Razorcake podcast, as well. Just for fun, these are my favorite songs from each of the albums mentioned: 1. Shake Appeal 2. Trash 3. I Wanna Be Sedated 4. Hey Little Girl 5. Love Comes In Spurts 6. Night Of The Living Dead 7. Sunglasses After Dark (top Cramps song overall, coincidentally) 8. Holidays In The Sun 9. Career Opportunities 10. Germ Free Adolescents 11. Love Song 12. I Luv I Jah 13. Screaming At A Wall 14. What I See 15. and since ‘MIA’ is a discography… Richie Dagger's Crime (from LP) / Forming (out of 7”ers)
Subscibe to Razorcake. It's $15 in the USA. They are non-profit. Good people doing good work. Every time an issue shows up, every 2 months, I totally forget I have a subscription.
Great list Sam! Based on your list I would add these 5 to round out your top 20. Wipers - Is This Real? Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables Descendents - Milo Goes To College Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady Death - For The Whole World To See *bonus* The Monks - Bad Habits (while originally conceived as a spoof of punk rock, this is one of the best punk/new wave albums ever! So catchy and clever and funny!
Yeah, i agree DKs, Descendents and Buzzcocks should’ve been included. And maybe also SLF’s Inflammable Material (one of my favourite albums ever) and perhaps also Incredible Shrinking Dickies as the West Coast response to Ramones
Agent Orange and Descendents for punk with great musicianship. Also Bad Brains but their more sophisticated stuff like "I Against I" isn't really punk.
Great list, to make it 21 albums I would include Dead Kennedys 'Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables', Eddie & the Hot Rods 'Beginning of the End'', Wire 'Pink Flag', Ian Dury and the Blockheads 'New Boots and Panties', The Toy Dolls 'Absurd-Ditties' and Skafish 'Skafish'.
The Cramps, were never considered punk, by many people, including The Cramps, but certainly loved but punks and new wavers. I'm certainly a huge fan! You should read every thing you can about them, very interesting. They took more from the deepest, dark and sometime obscure origins of rock and roll. Poison Ivy, wrote all the music and lyrics, she is a master mind and one of my favorite guitarists. Sadly, since the death of Lux in 2009, we will probably never hear from her again. Stay Sick, is my favorite. I discovered them around 84'. Good list you have :)
Thanks for this review! I totally agree about the status of Iggy & the Stooges' 'Raw Power', but after that the best two 'new wave' hard rock bands of the 1970s were both Australian: the Saints (especially the first two albums, 'Stranded' and 'Eternally Yours') and Radio Birdman (check out the 2:30-minute studio version of 'New Race', their cover of 'You're gonna miss me', 'Do the pop' and 'Hand of law'). The Sex Pistols were great but the Saints and Radio Birdman left them for dead.
Sex Pistols got barred from nearly every venue in the UK.They were met with 50 police squad cars when they arrived in usa.They got sacked from several record companies before they signed for Virgin.Songs like Anarchy in the UK defined the genre.They created far more negative publicity than any other band in the world ever including the grundy tv interview.They released their really only one album with BOLLOCKS emblazoned on it,no othe band has done that and which was the best album ever made.First and best punk band right there for all them reasons.
Nice list! Some of my essentials might not seem like punk at first glance, but bear with me, I'm an old man who tends to disregard genre barriers. Regardless, this is what we listened to back then... Adding to your list... The Plasmatics - New Hope for the Wretched Blondie - Blondie The Patti Smith Group - Easter Pearl Harbor and the Explosions - Pearl Harbor and the Explosions Johnny Thunder and the Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F. Joan Jett - Joan Jett The Jam - All Mod Cons; In the City The Dictators - Bloodbrothers Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True; This Year's Model The Professionals - The Professionals The Talking Heads - Talking Heads '77 The B-52s - The B-52s Urgh! A Music War soundtrack with shout outs to -- Television - Marquee Moon New York Dolls - Too Much, Too Soon The Clash - Give 'em Enough Rope; Black Market Clash (the original 10" is great, but the expanded version is basically a collection of A's B's and EP's) David Bowie - Lodger Johnny Thunder - So Alone Syl Sylvain and the Teardrops - Syl Sylvain and the Teardrops The Rolling Stones - Some Girls Wreckless Eric - Wreckless Eric Stiff Records - Live Stiffs Live; A Bunch of Stiff Records Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! Cheers
One of my top 10 punk LPs was The Dead Kennedys 'Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables', and of note from that, 'The Stars and Stripes of Corruption '! Awesome LP! And who could forget 'Holiday in Cambodia'!
@@scottchapman2870 DKs were great either way👍..me n a mate were talking about what a great lp fresh fruit is,last night, it came up due to dh peligro passing away recently..
@@scottchapman2870 Hopefully they still fit😉...yeah its a real shame, he was a great musician....."the sum if our surroundings" album by Peligro,is well worth checking out, if you haven't heard it....
Really like your casual conversational delivery. I've listened to a lot of punk & more for decades but never new a 1/10 of the stories & embarrassingly missed some of the lyrics. Thanks.
Great list, you should include the album by DEATH, for the whole world to see.. the Hackney brothers. It came out in 1975.. one of my all time classics!! In my opinion one of the greatest punk rock albums of all time!!
I’m listening to records for my best of 1979 video. GI by the Germs is not messy at all. It is amazing how tight they were on this. I’m not hating. I love that you are embracing Punk. Love your channel.
You should check out Crass - notably "Feeding of the 5000" and " Stations... ". They kick-started the Anarcho-punk movement in the UK and were even discussed in the British parliament. Also, if you like X-Ray Spex, give Penetration a listen - "Moving Targets" and "Coming Up For Air" are highly recommended.
A good list . I would also add : The Boomtown Rats self titled debut The Clash : Give ‘Em Enough Rope The Ruts : The Crack The Saints : I’m Stranded , or , Eternally Yours Teenage Head’s self titled debut , or , Frantic City Thanks !
I might include the self-titled *Generation X* feat. Billy Idol, and also *Crossing the Red Sea With The Adverts.* Amd, while perhaps not essential, but I'd also like to offer a nod to the deeply interesting 70's proto-punk band Doctors of Madness, who made stellar music, and introduced electric violin to punk music. Also, a mention for the Ultravox debut album, which was very punk, before they went more new wave. Speaking of new wave bands that started out punk, XTC's *White Music* was very raw and punk before they softened up a bit and became the seminal new wave band we came to love. Also, a nod to Mission of Burma, because I love them.
Ramones pioneered down-picking and ferocious rhythm guitar, and NY Dolls mastered the loose and jangly guitar solos. So many great punk bands! I recently discovered Magazine's Shot By Both Sides, and Hawkwind's Space Ritual!
Another amazing albums review video Sam. I love X-Ray Spex too. Such an underrated band. Check out the documentary on Polystyrene, released a couple of years ago. Her daughter is very much involved in the making of the documentary. Watching from London UK.
Hi Sam! You have a new fan! I also recently found Omaha Introvert, and I love that there are young women out there with tastes in music similar to mine. I am kinda old, and was there when this music was created, and it still speaks to me. There is one that I got when it was released: HaHaHa by Ultravox (1977). This was their second album. John Foxx was the singer and main writer. He made the first three Ultravox albums. Then, Midge Ure took over for album four, Vienna. And they became popular! I would recommend the first three albums, but HaHaHa is definitely punk. Love your different hair colors! My wife changes her colors all the time! Keep rockin'! Love your program!
I may have to look at Raw Power again, but for me, Fun House is just legendary. Moments that can never be duplicated ever, in 1970. Wow. Enjoyed the video alot. You're coming along well over here! 😁
Nice choices, and as a UK resident, some unfamiliar ones which I will have to check out. We certainly owe a debt of gratitude to our American cousins for those early pioneers such as Iggy and The New York Dolls both of whom were hugely influential. I was a little surprised that you didn't include The Dead Kennedys in your list. They were very popular here in the UK. Great video, entertaining and informative, thank you.
Great List.....a few omissions but I get these are lps that you personally own. MC5 as a founder group, I think you need to add Patti Smith...cannot have a conversation of New York punk without her. My FAVE band ..The Heartbreakers need to be talked about...then in the UK bands such as Siouxsie and the Bandshees, The Slits, Generation X, The Jam, Wire etc. I have over 700 OG late 70's Punk lps......LOVE THEM!
I would strongly recommend Chrome’s 1979 album Half Machine Lip Moves. In my eyes one of best and underrated American punk/post punk bands and album ever.
Thanks for that. I am subscribed. Every album you held up put a smile on my face. Great memories of great times listening to those and others. So I won't complain about you not having X or Television !
This was so entertaining and the choices were excellent. I'm 58 and would have included some Lou Reed and Gang of Four "Entertainment!". It's nice to know that there are young people who care about any of this!
Great list, would have added Inflammable material by Stiff Little Fingers, L.A.M.F. by the Heartbreakers, the first Tom Robinson album, Buzzcocks and the list could on and on and on...
Have 90% of those albums and saw 50% of the band's. Black Flag in 82 and 84 was one of the most memorable. The hardcore stuff like Discharge, GBH, UK Subs, Anti Nowhere League etc etc. Great video!!
for anyone that likes Raw Power, Young Loud & Snotty and Machine Gun Etiquette ..... I can recommend checking out Radios Appear by Radio Birdman ... it feels like it belongs with those 3. Fans of The Cramps, The Misfits and The Gun Club might want to check out In Heaven by The Meteors which is a classic Psychobilly album I also shout out to Shock Troops by Cock Sparrer and Death of Innocence by Legal Weapon as records that deserve more attention by punk fans.
Love that you started with a bunch of American bands! Some of the songs on Blank Generation, Hell first performed with Television going back to 1974, which you can hear on some crappy sounding bootlegs. I don't know that Hell and Verlaine stayed friends later on -- it's been a while since I read Please Kill Me, an essential oral history of the NY scene!
Cyclops Helicopter is my favorite, but yeah you can’t go wrong with The Weirdos every song is a barn burner! The Zeros were actually from San Diego, but anything east of the 605 is lumped in with LA unfortunately.
Great list. Really tough to narrow it down to 15 (I know, I've tried). I lived through this era like others who commented - Suicidal Tendencies' debut album also makes my top 15 list. Keep up the good work.
The MC5 were never a punk band, although they were a huge influence on the genre and people call them such, they were a garage style band turned acid rockers for the Kick Out The Jams era They played heavy acid rock, just like their little brother band The Stooges.
@@danneeson7056 Of course they weren't a punk band, but only because the term was not being used to describe a music genre. Most bands start as garage or basement bands and evolve. When I was young a PUNK was a lippy kid who needed his ass beat and knew it and was not afraid and expected it. MC5 we're brash, anti establishment, loud, real loud, oversexed kids who went up against music industry, labeled bands and blew their doors off when they would open for them. No one messed with them, they had a well deserved attitude. They had all the ingredients of a punk band AND they could play and leave an audience in a state of musical physical, emotional and mental exhaustion from the pure energy of a performance. THE MC5 SHOULD BE IN THE ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME!!!!!
@@dsgp7835 Just pointing out they were an acid rock band , like The Stooges. There was nothing more punk than dropping acid in those days. They(MC5) had a backstage altercation with The Cream that was famous, and caused The Cream to play one of their heaviest sets ever at Detroit's Grande Ballroom in 1967.Here in Toronto in I think it was 1969 The MC5 played a show at The Electric Circus and then played at an afterhours private party which was raided by police and The MC5 were given a police escort out of the city.
@@danneeson7056 Dan, I must disagree. Yes Cream was, Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, the Dead and Vanilla Fudge we're acid rock bands. Rare Earth, Frigid Pink and Electric Prunes we're acid rock bands. It was their longer playing songs that had soloing and trip inspired lyrics that made them such. That was not The Five or the Stooges. Their songs were shorter in length and had high and harder energy with lyrics about anarchy mayhem and sex. Acid rock bands wanted to entertain and carry you away. The MC5 and the Stooges wanted to scare the shit out of you with scalding volume and tempo. The exact ingredients and attitude of punk bands. The Five and Stooges were badass Detroit Punks!!!
You have FANTASTIC taste in Punk Rock! Some of my all time favorites: *Bad Brains - Rock For Light* *Germs - G.I.* *T.S.O.L. -T.S.O.L. EP* T.S.O.L. - Dance With Me* *Agent Orange - Living In Darkness* *Black Flag - Jealous Again* *Misfits - Walk Among Us* *Circle Jerks - Group Sex* *Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables* *X - Los Angeles* *X - Wild Gift* *X - Under The Big Black Sun* *Adolescents - Adolescents*
Good stuff. In our circles there's at least one big fan for each of them. But some here ask another question: Put the records of artists from the UK and the U.S. to the side for a moment - what have you found? Or shorter: did you, or anybody, look?
I can't believe nobody has mentioned Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts (1977) or Hahaha by Ultravox! (1977)..Two groundbreaking albums by bands at the forefront of the movement in the UK..
Good start, you could add in the Avengers, DOA, Flipper, the Pagans (Cleveland) then get a hold of the compilation "Nuggets" of bands of the mid-'60s that formed the basis of punk. You can go back even further to the Sonics and other PNW bands from the early '60s and '50s outcasts like Link Wray....Just keep discovering! Late '70s compilations from when Punk was getting started are a good source, too.
Solid list! A few I dont have on wax. I would add more hardcore like Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, Descendents. Also UK legends like Sub Humans , Crass, GBH, Exploited.
My first show as a child was The Beach Boys...the next was White Zombie and THE RAMONES! In 6th GRADE, with my best friend and his Mom. I felt completely at home with all the bikers and punks. Changed my life. "Death" is an amazing all Black punk band from here in Detroit (1971) that doesn't get enough attention...
Good video. I moved to London in the late 80s and although it was a decade after the original punk scene had died it was still awesome to be there. I stayed for three years. Anyhoo, recommendations: you should check out one of the early first wave American punk bands, a band called THE SCREAMERS. Unfortunately they never released any records, but there's live recordings and demos out there. Also check out a doco film called PUNK: ATTITUDE. It's here on youtube.
the Adverts " crossing the red sea " , the Only ones " the class , the jam and the saints , was my favorites in 1978... and another...now i am 72years old 😛
If you're a fan of punk there's really no way to narrow the essential albums down to just 15, especially since punk itself comprises several different styles. I wouldn't take anything off this list, but I would definitely expand it to include these 15 more: "Zen Arcade" by Husker Du "Love Bites" by The Buzzcocks "Pure Mania" by The Vibrators "Half Machine Lip Moves" by Chrome "A Trip To Marineville" by Swell Maps "vs." by Mission of Burma "For The Whole World To See" by Death "Chairs Missing" by Wire "Dig That Groove Baby" by The Toy Dolls "Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash" by The Replacements "Eternally Yours" by The Saints "Unknown Passage" by Dead Moon "All Rise" by Naked Raygun "Landshark" by Fang "San Francisco's Doomed" by Crime
Solid, love that Voidoids. My Top 5 starter pack would be: Television _Marquee Moon_ _Story Of The Clash_ Circle Jerks _Group Sex_ _Repo Man_ Soundtrack Sex Pistols '77
VERY COOL LIST, EXCELLENT CHOICES. I WAD EXCITED TO SEE SOME EARLY HARDCORE IN THERE W/ BAD BRAINS, MINOR THREAT AND BLACK FLAG. BUT I WAS MOST EXCITED TO THE CRAMPS MENTIONED! I FEEL LIKE THEY DONT GET AS MUCH LOVE AS THEY SHOULD FOR BEING SUCH AN AMAZING BAND
I'm 54 years old and I think you pretty much nailed it except I would have to include the comp. Not So Quiet on the Western Front.. That album was highly influential for hardcore punk.
Check out MC5, Ramblin Rose and Kick Out The Jams, live at Tartar Field in Detroit, 1970! And Blue Cheer, Summertime Blues! To me, this was the very earliest stirrings of punk.
I always go into these lists with a grain of salt...because so many miss the mark. but you opened with the same 3 albums I would have picked. Outstanding review that hits the mark close to dead center. Although I wish the Dead Kennedys were prominently placed in that list, since I think they had pretty massive clout and influence...and staying power, but for a list this close to perfect I can forgive much. That said, every band named had a right to be there, even the obscure ones that time forgot but fans never did. Also...love the name...Telegram Sam is still a fave song...both the Bauhaus and TRex versions. I was too late for the dawn of punk, but I truly loved the waning years when the bands that lasted were at their peak creatively. I was a gutter punk scene rat in the late 80s/early 90s in MI, when local music was still vibrant and punk/goth/glam/industrial/rave/alternative were just a great mush of surprises and sonic wonder. I miss it sometimes, but at least I've got the music still, which...in many ways, was what I loved most. The raw, aching hunger to communicate something to the world. Discontent, rage, lust, joy, frustration, hate, fear, self loathing, lust for life, what have you...but from inarticulate howl to carefully crafted poem/song, it was always a struggle to say something honest and with less artifice than pop or disco offered the world. That...I admire.
Great choices all. I will echo some of the comments below. Wire -- Pink Flag, The Saints (I lean toward Eternally Yours), Wipers -- Is This Real, X -- Los Angeles, Killing Joke (self-titled first lp), Zero Boys -- Vicious Circle
I wonder if dawn of the dickies by the dickies will ever wind up on any top 15 punk album list. They are pivotal, I guess, more than the deep roots of punk.
Nice lineup and a good analysis comparing the Dead Boys' sound to that of their "native" NYC compatriots. If you expanded the list you might consider adding The Slits, Avengers, and as you mention, X.
Just played Smash It Up the other day! Nice choices, and I’m drooling over your super clean collection. All my Punk LPs are originals (that I bought used and cheap of course) and none of them are in mint-ish condition. Bullocks and Blank Generation are in pretty good shape (although the dog gnawed the Pistols cover) for $2 late 70s used acquisitions. One fun record I think I would add is the Vibrators Pure Mania. Fast and loud, like punk should be mostly.
I was 17 in 1977, and was into Punk. Interesting that a person who is only 25 being into old bands from the past. Not that it's a bad thing, but the whole scene is well and truly over. What would someone go and see in concert today that's Punk?. I'm 62 now and occasionally play it , and sometimes I'm laughing because it seems so corny now.
Hi Sam 🌞 ! - I'm glad Johnny Thunders ⛈️ traveled to London to not only inspire Malcom McLaren but record his terrific So Alone album with the masterpiece " You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory " .. Will never forget a Friday night in early 1979 when I saw The Clash on their second ever 🇺🇸 show at The Santa Monica .. They were absolutely amazing ..especially Topper & Bo Diddley opened ! Remember " Some People Think Little Girls Should Be Seen & Not Heard .. But I Say .. 🎷 Take Care Sam ✌️
![[hate5six] Big No - March 29, 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/i2w-XbaTzg4/mqdefault.jpg)
As a person who lived through this entire era, I see a few bands you might have missed: The Dictators, The Dead Kennedys, Stiff Little Fingers and The Buzzcocks
When it comes to Punk Pop of the 90's/2000's, The Buzzcocks created the template. Pete Shelly was kind of out at the closet at a time that could still get you beaten up. If we didn't realise at the time, when he released his solo single Homosapien, he as good as told us. They kind of inspired Factory records (and the entire UK indie label scene) when they self released their first EP. True hero's, and they had the songs.
WHAT?! 🧐😳
WHY? Girls don't like Biafra's voice?
DK forever
Yeah realy missed, especialy The Dead Kennedys
Also The Ruts
An Australian punk band “The Saints” and in particular the album “Eternally Yours” worth checking out as well.
The Saint's would get quite annoyed at being called punk, Especially their lead singer Chris, I got to learn this first hand lol , For the record I think they're early stuff is punk!
セインツは素晴らしいパンクバンドです。
@@beano1eye Whatever it is, the first few releases by The Saints are amazing!
And X X-Aspirations LP.
Great choice!
If you want to get into pioneering art-punk "Pink Flag" by Wire in the UK and the first Suicide album from the US are both great. (Actually "Chairs Missing" is my favorite Wire record, but it's their second record.) You could also throw "Junkyard" by The Birthday Party (with early Nick Cave) from Australia into the mix.
@Triple6 Clique Wire to this day continues to knock me on my ass
Chairs Missing is their best album, I agree, although the other two of their early stuff were great also...
I can never believe how Crass is left out of so many punk lists.. they are a founding father type band that took punk to the max. And no one ever mentions them ..
To me, they‘re musically really unattractive. 🤷🏼♂️
Crass,Conflict,Subhumans etc. Could do top anarcho list! 🏴
Absolutely agree. Was just looking to see if anyone mentioned them in the comments. Maybe they were too punk for the average punk listener? I’m always blown away by that too. Hands own the best!
@@PUNKinDRUBLIC72 Conflict is one of the craziest bands I've ever seen. Like a sonic assault.
Seen conflict numerous times over the years.
There's maybe 2 albums I'd have from that list, black flag and X-ray specs. The rest? Meh.
My favorite RAMONES album is "LEAVE HOME". It's their 2nd album released in January 10th 1977.
Agreed
@@chrisallen766 me too
I love road to ruin ramones..its my fave studio album by ramones but love 1st..leave home. Rocket..after ruin its alive came out wow...!..crank that up...wonderful classic live album...the days when they came on..joey shouts hey!...we're the ramones and this is called rockaway beach!-...1234's...from dd...then thanks very much!..goodnight...from joey😄no messin..awesome 👌 gazramone
Worth adding Pink Flag by WIRE to your collection.
That album influenced a lot of the bands you showed. Great job!
Pink Flag is one of the greatest Albums ever made
Anything by Wire. Often overlooked.
First Wire album is killer! Agreed. 👍
LOVE LOVE LOVE Wire! I discovered them when Our Swimmer came out. I was 13 and bought the 7"!
I love punk rock, grew up with it and I just heard Pink Flag for the first time, how did I miss it back then?
I would say The Damned kicked it off in the UK & we got import copies early on in NYC of New Rose which was released in ‘76 a month or so before Anarchy was released. . Also The VU White Light White Heat was an early influence.
Damned were a band of some notice but again werent the band that pushed any boundaries or caused contraversy,punk bands did that.Its hardly surprising all this debate on what band was the first punk band springs up decades after a tabloid first mentioned the first band as punk,The Sex Pistols.Then its debated years after with all these kids not born at the time."No green day were the first punk band"😂.
@@brianmorecombe2726 the damned were more like a pop band commercial junk
I was fortunate enough to become close friends with Stiv while working in a factory in the mid 70’s Youngstown, Ohio. He was the craziest dude I ever met -he once mooned me while driving his pea green Fiat convertible. I recall when he applied for the job he walked into the plant wearing red wife beater t shirt, skin tight rattlesnake pattern pants and chrome plated platform shoes.
Siouxsie & the Banshees's debut album "The Scream", allthough not your typical "punk" album as the evolution to come is already obvious is a landmark. Listen to their cover of The Beatles's "Helter Skelter". But the real testimony of their punk belongings is on "Join Hands", their second album: "The Lord's Prayer". Pure punk anthem!
I still like a lot of Siouxsie stuff
Its not punk its post punk
Seeing younger people embrace vinyl, and GOOD vinyl... it warms my heart massively.
Great choices. You also can't go wrong with "Give 'Em Enough Rope" by The Clash. That's my personal favorite.
Yep! That would be my choice of Clash album too 👍🏻
I've watched more than a few punk rock "best" reviews, many by dudes my age (58), and yours is the best so far. I agree with 80% of yr picks. Just a great job!! Excellent.
I would probably put Sham 69 on this list. The band was decisive in bringing punk to street level, a working class band (for American punk this doesn't make the slightest difference, but in the British context it makes ALL the difference). Jimmy Pursey's skinhead/suedehead background gave impetus to several bands of the "second wave" of British punk.
Great list Sam, I would personally include the Saints' "I'm Stranded", one of the first punk albums & brilliant. Also the Stranglers' "Rattus Norvegiocus", which is brilliant (possibly considered not pure punk by many,) and Stiff Little Fingers' wonderful "Inflammable Material". Patti Smith's first 2 albums are also classics, punk in attitude, definitely.
Also, "Black and White." That is solid punk, imo. (editing to clarify I meant "by The Stranglers.") I have never known how to genre-classify early Patti Smith music. I guess punk is as close as you can get, but she is sort of her own genre. lol. It's like, you really can't just call Bob Dylan a folk singer.
All very worthy to be in the Top 10, not just the Top 15.
Ah yes !!! How could you forget about the Strangies ? R.I.P. Dave Greenfield !! Hugh , J.J. , Jet Black and such stories about Vlad's affections for his camel / Cuba / pearl necklaces ?? 🤡
"Machine Gun Etiquette" is incredible it's a beautiful combination of punk/glam music.
It’s a masterpiece.
"Ladies and gentlemen, how do " . I fuckin love the damned. Saw them at the Fulham greyhound in 79, 15 years old and jumping about like a lunatic.
Glam?
Yeah, Captain Sensible is a big
Marc Bolan/T-Rex fan.
my favourite Damned album.
A lot of these were my intro into not only the genre, but the community I’ve been a part of for a very long time. Fortunately, with the internet a person can connect not only to the “Punk 101” bands, but to the plethora of DIY bands spanning each decade, region, country, etc. Listening to MRR radio is a great way to start as well. They play both current punk and those from the past. The Razorcake podcast, as well.
Just for fun, these are my favorite songs from each of the albums mentioned:
1. Shake Appeal
2. Trash
3. I Wanna Be Sedated
4. Hey Little Girl
5. Love Comes In Spurts
6. Night Of The Living Dead
7. Sunglasses After Dark (top Cramps song overall, coincidentally)
8. Holidays In The Sun
9. Career Opportunities
10. Germ Free Adolescents
11. Love Song
12. I Luv I Jah
13. Screaming At A Wall
14. What I See
15. and since ‘MIA’ is a discography… Richie Dagger's Crime (from LP) / Forming (out of 7”ers)
Subscibe to Razorcake. It's $15 in the USA. They are non-profit. Good people doing good work. Every time an issue shows up, every 2 months, I totally forget I have a subscription.
Great list Sam! Based on your list I would add these 5 to round out your top 20.
Wipers - Is This Real?
Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
Descendents - Milo Goes To College
Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady
Death - For The Whole World To See
*bonus*
The Monks - Bad Habits (while originally conceived as a spoof of punk rock, this is one of the best punk/new wave albums ever! So catchy and clever and funny!
Thanks for mentioning Wipers!
Yea i Think about dk and descendents too, and buzzcoocks.
Good choices
Yeah, i agree DKs, Descendents and Buzzcocks should’ve been included. And maybe also SLF’s Inflammable Material (one of my favourite albums ever) and perhaps also Incredible Shrinking Dickies as the West Coast response to Ramones
Agent Orange and Descendents for punk with great musicianship. Also Bad Brains but their more sophisticated stuff like "I Against I" isn't really punk.
Great list, to make it 21 albums I would include Dead Kennedys 'Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables', Eddie & the Hot Rods 'Beginning of the End'', Wire 'Pink Flag', Ian Dury and the Blockheads 'New Boots and Panties', The Toy Dolls 'Absurd-Ditties' and Skafish 'Skafish'.
Eddie and the hot rods are pub rock not punk rock
The Cramps, were never considered punk, by many people, including The Cramps, but certainly loved but punks and new wavers. I'm certainly a huge fan! You should read every thing you can about them, very interesting. They took more from the deepest, dark and sometime obscure origins of rock and roll. Poison Ivy, wrote all the music and lyrics, she is a master mind and one of my favorite guitarists. Sadly, since the death of Lux in 2009, we will probably never hear from her again. Stay Sick, is my favorite. I discovered them around 84'. Good list you have :)
Played their LP's in the mid 80's until the grooves were flat.
I am a huge fan of Punk Rock and "Oh Bondage! Up Yours" is an amazing song! RIP Polly S.
What you dont mention
Identity?
Hello. XRAY Spec, such a good album. Thanks for your videos. Do you know any French punk band ?
Stinky Toys
@@kevinbrewis6014 Metal Urbain
Thanks for this review! I totally agree about the status of Iggy & the Stooges' 'Raw Power', but after that the best two 'new wave' hard rock bands of the 1970s were both Australian: the Saints (especially the first two albums, 'Stranded' and 'Eternally Yours') and Radio Birdman (check out the 2:30-minute studio version of 'New Race', their cover of 'You're gonna miss me', 'Do the pop' and 'Hand of law'). The Sex Pistols were great but the Saints and Radio Birdman left them for dead.
Nice to see someone mentioning The Saints and Radio Birdman. Both criminally underrated.
Sex Pistols got barred from nearly every venue in the UK.They were met with 50 police squad cars when they arrived in usa.They got sacked from several record companies before they signed for Virgin.Songs like Anarchy in the UK defined the genre.They created far more negative publicity than any other band in the world ever including the grundy tv interview.They released their really only one album with BOLLOCKS emblazoned on it,no othe band has done that and which was the best album ever made.First and best punk band right there for all them reasons.
Who can resist those eyes????!!! I had to sub. Great work explaining and providing insight on those punk albums.
Thank you for including X-Ray Spex. One of my favorite bands of all time.
Nice list!
Some of my essentials might not seem like punk at first glance, but bear with me, I'm an old man who tends to disregard genre barriers. Regardless, this is what we listened to back then...
Adding to your list...
The Plasmatics - New Hope for the Wretched
Blondie - Blondie
The Patti Smith Group - Easter
Pearl Harbor and the Explosions - Pearl Harbor and the Explosions
Johnny Thunder and the Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F.
Joan Jett - Joan Jett
The Jam - All Mod Cons; In the City
The Dictators - Bloodbrothers
Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True; This Year's Model
The Professionals - The Professionals
The Talking Heads - Talking Heads '77
The B-52s - The B-52s
Urgh! A Music War soundtrack
with shout outs to --
Television - Marquee Moon
New York Dolls - Too Much, Too Soon
The Clash - Give 'em Enough Rope; Black Market Clash (the original 10" is great, but the expanded version is basically a collection of A's B's and EP's)
David Bowie - Lodger
Johnny Thunder - So Alone
Syl Sylvain and the Teardrops - Syl Sylvain and the Teardrops
The Rolling Stones - Some Girls
Wreckless Eric - Wreckless Eric
Stiff Records - Live Stiffs Live; A Bunch of Stiff Records
Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Cheers
One of my top 10 punk LPs was The Dead Kennedys 'Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables', and of note from that, 'The Stars and Stripes of Corruption '! Awesome LP! And who could forget 'Holiday in Cambodia'!
Stars and stipes wasn't on Fresh fruit..
@@davedennison7386 Good point. My memory failed me! :-)
@@scottchapman2870
DKs were great either way👍..me n a mate were talking about what a great lp fresh fruit is,last night, it came up due to dh peligro passing away recently..
@@davedennison7386 I wasn't aware that he passed. Such a shame. I just pulled out a pile of DKs t shirts from back in the day! So many memories! Lol
@@scottchapman2870
Hopefully they still fit😉...yeah its a real shame, he was a great musician....."the sum if our surroundings" album by Peligro,is well worth checking out, if you haven't heard it....
Really like your casual conversational delivery. I've listened to a lot of punk & more for decades but never new a 1/10 of the stories & embarrassingly missed some of the lyrics. Thanks.
Wonderful list. I would have had to find some way to slip X and Husker Du onto my own list.
Great list, you should include the album by DEATH, for the whole world to see.. the Hackney brothers. It came out in 1975.. one of my all time classics!! In my opinion one of the greatest punk rock albums of all time!!
DEATH is garbage.
Brush up on your music… you need to crawl .. before you walk..
Death is the pioneering metal band from Florida.
@@beyond.the.paradigm359 oddly enough there actually is another Death out there. I'm a huge fan of Chuck Schuldiner's pioneering work too.
magazine - real life 1978
agent orange - living in darkness 1981
Great mentions. Really love the first 2 albums from Magazine.
I’m listening to records for my best of 1979 video. GI by the Germs is not messy at all. It is amazing how tight they were on this. I’m not hating. I love that you are embracing Punk. Love your channel.
Wadda brown noser you are Bitchie. And, a dirty old man.
You should check out Crass - notably "Feeding of the 5000" and " Stations... ". They kick-started the Anarcho-punk movement in the UK and were even discussed in the British parliament.
Also, if you like X-Ray Spex, give Penetration a listen - "Moving Targets" and "Coming Up For Air" are highly recommended.
A good list .
I would also add :
The Boomtown Rats self titled debut
The Clash : Give ‘Em Enough Rope
The Ruts : The Crack
The Saints : I’m Stranded , or , Eternally Yours
Teenage Head’s self titled debut , or , Frantic City
Thanks !
Do you have the album Cut by The Slits?
Not yet, but that is a killer album!
how about a follow up to your eighties review? - Bikini Kill to The Distillers, Crucial Features, .. .. ..
I might include the self-titled *Generation X* feat. Billy Idol, and also *Crossing the Red Sea With The Adverts.* Amd, while perhaps not essential, but I'd also like to offer a nod to the deeply interesting 70's proto-punk band Doctors of Madness, who made stellar music, and introduced electric violin to punk music. Also, a mention for the Ultravox debut album, which was very punk, before they went more new wave. Speaking of new wave bands that started out punk, XTC's *White Music* was very raw and punk before they softened up a bit and became the seminal new wave band we came to love. Also, a nod to Mission of Burma, because I love them.
Ultravox 1st album punk?
About as punk as Tiger Lily
Pre Ultravox 😂😂😂👎👎
You are such an musically opened minded woman you always have interesting videos love your music tastes awesome video sam
May I suggest Rudimentary Peni ‘Death Church’
Subhumans’From The Cradle To The Grave’
Die Kreuzen’S/T
Loving the channel, keep it going x
Ramones pioneered down-picking and ferocious rhythm guitar, and NY Dolls mastered the loose and jangly guitar solos. So many great punk bands! I recently discovered Magazine's Shot By Both Sides, and Hawkwind's Space Ritual!
Another amazing albums review video Sam. I love X-Ray Spex too. Such an underrated band. Check out the documentary on Polystyrene, released a couple of years ago. Her daughter is very much involved in the making of the documentary. Watching from London UK.
Hi Sam! You have a new fan! I also recently found Omaha Introvert, and I love that there are young women out there with tastes in music similar to mine. I am kinda old, and was there when this music was created, and it still speaks to me.
There is one that I got when it was released: HaHaHa by Ultravox (1977). This was their second album. John Foxx was the singer and main writer. He made the first three Ultravox albums. Then, Midge Ure took over for album four, Vienna. And they became popular!
I would recommend the first three albums, but HaHaHa is definitely punk.
Love your different hair colors! My wife changes her colors all the time!
Keep rockin'! Love your program!
I may have to look at Raw Power again, but for me, Fun House is just legendary. Moments that can never be duplicated ever, in 1970. Wow. Enjoyed the video alot. You're coming along well over here! 😁
The CRAMPS "Psychedelic Jungle" with the edition of Kid "Congo" Powers on guitar (of Gun Club fame) is a must have album.
Indeed
The Goo Goo Muck!
Love this album! Had when I was younger in the 80s. Need to get it again. A Grail
THE CRAMPS 🤘🏽💀🤘🏽
An intro to Punk must be with the Godfathers of the genre, "Death."
And "Bad Brains" must be recognized!
Nice choices, and as a UK resident, some unfamiliar ones which I will have to check out. We certainly owe a debt of gratitude to our American cousins for those early pioneers such as Iggy and The New York Dolls both of whom were hugely influential. I was a little surprised that you didn't include The Dead Kennedys in your list. They were very popular here in the UK. Great video, entertaining and informative, thank you.
Great List.....a few omissions but I get these are lps that you personally own. MC5 as a founder group, I think you need to add Patti Smith...cannot have a conversation of New York punk without her. My FAVE band ..The Heartbreakers need to be talked about...then in the UK bands such as Siouxsie and the Bandshees, The Slits, Generation X, The Jam, Wire etc. I have over 700 OG late 70's Punk lps......LOVE THEM!
Check out the MC5’s Kickout the Jams. Can’t get earlier than them
I would strongly recommend Chrome’s 1979 album Half Machine Lip Moves. In my eyes one of best and underrated American punk/post punk bands and album ever.
Thanks for that. I am subscribed. Every album you held up put a smile on my face. Great memories of great times listening to those and others. So I won't complain about you not having X or Television !
No Killing Joke?
This was so entertaining and the choices were excellent. I'm 58 and would have included some Lou Reed and Gang of Four "Entertainment!". It's nice to know that there are young people who care about any of this!
Great list, would have added Inflammable material by Stiff Little Fingers, L.A.M.F. by the Heartbreakers, the first Tom Robinson album, Buzzcocks and the list could on and on and on...
Have 90% of those albums and saw 50% of the band's. Black Flag in 82 and 84 was one of the most memorable. The hardcore stuff like Discharge, GBH, UK Subs, Anti Nowhere League etc etc. Great video!!
for anyone that likes Raw Power, Young Loud & Snotty and Machine Gun Etiquette ..... I can recommend checking out Radios Appear by Radio Birdman ... it feels like it belongs with those 3.
Fans of The Cramps, The Misfits and The Gun Club might want to check out In Heaven by The Meteors which is a classic Psychobilly album
I also shout out to Shock Troops by Cock Sparrer and Death of Innocence by Legal Weapon as records that deserve more attention by punk fans.
Shock Troops! Riot Squad is one of the greatest punk songs
Radio Birdman, indeed!
Love that you started with a bunch of American bands! Some of the songs on Blank Generation, Hell first performed with Television going back to 1974, which you can hear on some crappy sounding bootlegs. I don't know that Hell and Verlaine stayed friends later on -- it's been a while since I read Please Kill Me, an essential oral history of the NY scene!
Check out "The Weirdos" and "The Zeros" from LA.
We got the neutron bomb!
Cyclops Helicopter is my favorite, but yeah you can’t go wrong with The Weirdos every song is a barn burner! The Zeros were actually from San Diego, but anything east of the 605 is lumped in with LA unfortunately.
Great list. Really tough to narrow it down to 15 (I know, I've tried). I lived through this era like others who commented - Suicidal Tendencies' debut album also makes my top 15 list. Keep up the good work.
Any MC5 album is an absolute must to own. They are the real first punk band. My favorite is the BACK IN THE USA.
*With her obligatory selection, I'm surprised they weren't even given a passing mention*
The MC5 were never a punk band, although they were a huge influence on the genre and people call them such, they were a garage style band turned acid rockers for the Kick Out The Jams era They played heavy acid rock, just like their little brother band The Stooges.
@@danneeson7056 Of course they weren't a punk band, but only because the term was not being used to describe a music genre. Most bands start as garage or basement bands and evolve. When I was young a PUNK was a lippy kid who needed his ass beat and knew it and was not afraid and expected it. MC5 we're brash, anti establishment, loud, real loud, oversexed kids who went up against music industry, labeled bands and blew their doors off when they would open for them. No one messed with them, they had a well deserved attitude. They had all the ingredients of a punk band AND they could play and leave an audience in a state of musical physical, emotional and mental exhaustion from the pure energy of a performance. THE MC5 SHOULD BE IN THE ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME!!!!!
@@dsgp7835 Just pointing out they were an acid rock band , like The Stooges. There was nothing more punk than dropping acid in those days. They(MC5) had a backstage altercation with The Cream that was famous, and caused The Cream to play one of their heaviest sets ever at Detroit's Grande Ballroom in 1967.Here in Toronto in I think it was 1969 The MC5 played a show at The Electric Circus and then played at an afterhours private party which was raided by police and The MC5 were given a police escort out of the city.
@@danneeson7056 Dan, I must disagree. Yes Cream was, Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, the Dead and Vanilla Fudge we're acid rock bands. Rare Earth, Frigid Pink and Electric Prunes we're acid rock bands. It was their longer playing songs that had soloing and trip inspired lyrics that made them such. That was not The Five or the Stooges. Their songs were shorter in length and had high and harder energy with lyrics about anarchy mayhem and sex. Acid rock bands wanted to entertain and carry you away. The MC5 and the Stooges wanted to scare the shit out of you with scalding volume and tempo. The exact ingredients and attitude of punk bands. The Five and Stooges were badass Detroit Punks!!!
You have FANTASTIC taste in Punk Rock!
Some of my all time favorites:
*Bad Brains - Rock For Light*
*Germs - G.I.*
*T.S.O.L. -T.S.O.L. EP*
T.S.O.L. - Dance With Me*
*Agent Orange - Living In Darkness*
*Black Flag - Jealous Again*
*Misfits - Walk Among Us*
*Circle Jerks - Group Sex*
*Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables*
*X - Los Angeles*
*X - Wild Gift*
*X - Under The Big Black Sun*
*Adolescents - Adolescents*
Fantastic List TS.............And your synopsis of each album is so on the money and articulate. Hope you do more videos.
Good stuff. In our circles there's at least one big fan for each of them. But some here ask another question: Put the records of artists from the UK and the U.S. to the side for a moment - what have you found? Or shorter: did you, or anybody, look?
The Slits, Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks also influential.
Blue hair, trés punk.
I was waiting for Germs. That's one of my favorite albums ever, and so is a lot of the Ramones early stuff. Good list!
Great video! You know your stuff. Have you ever been to the PRINCETON RECORD EXCHANGE??
SST records had a few Chicano punk bands which I could relate to plus early grunge
WURM and Saint Vitus 🎙️
I can't believe nobody has mentioned Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts (1977) or Hahaha by Ultravox! (1977)..Two groundbreaking albums by bands at the forefront of the movement in the UK..
Dead Kennedys is Essential I also would recommend Fear & Circle Jerks first albums
Dead Boys "Young Loud & Snotty" is in my top 3 records of ALL genres...
Good start, you could add in the Avengers, DOA, Flipper, the Pagans (Cleveland) then get a hold of the compilation "Nuggets" of bands of the mid-'60s that formed the basis of punk. You can go back even further to the Sonics and other PNW bands from the early '60s and '50s outcasts like Link Wray....Just keep discovering! Late '70s compilations from when Punk was getting started are a good source, too.
Well done for including X Ray Spex and Bad Brains.
David Johansen starred in a pilot I wrote for HBO. I found him to be a very nice guy. He sure liked his cigarettes, though.
Solid line up for sure.. 👍🏻 thanks for putting me on to Richard Hell
Solid list! A few I dont have on wax. I would add more hardcore like Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, Descendents. Also UK legends like Sub Humans , Crass, GBH, Exploited.
My first show as a child was The Beach Boys...the next was White Zombie and THE RAMONES! In 6th GRADE, with my best friend and his Mom. I felt completely at home with all the bikers and punks. Changed my life. "Death" is an amazing all Black punk band from here in Detroit (1971) that doesn't get enough attention...
Good video. I moved to London in the late 80s and although it was a decade after the original punk scene had died it was still awesome to be there. I stayed for three years. Anyhoo, recommendations: you should check out one of the early first wave American punk bands, a band called THE SCREAMERS. Unfortunately they never released any records, but there's live recordings and demos out there. Also check out a doco film called PUNK: ATTITUDE. It's here on youtube.
the Adverts " crossing the red sea " , the Only ones " the class , the jam and the saints , was my favorites in 1978... and another...now i am 72years old 😛
Loved the video, Sam. Jealous that you have some of those on vinyl. Keep it up!
Stevie Stiletto first few albums are great. But they are hard to find.
All really good choices but for those new to The Ramones I'd start first with "Leave Home" then on to "Rocket To Russia".
I see punk in a TH-cam title, i click.
If you're a fan of punk there's really no way to narrow the essential albums down to just 15, especially since punk itself comprises several different styles. I wouldn't take anything off this list, but I would definitely expand it to include these 15 more:
"Zen Arcade" by Husker Du
"Love Bites" by The Buzzcocks
"Pure Mania" by The Vibrators
"Half Machine Lip Moves" by Chrome
"A Trip To Marineville" by Swell Maps
"vs." by Mission of Burma
"For The Whole World To See" by Death
"Chairs Missing" by Wire
"Dig That Groove Baby" by The Toy Dolls
"Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash" by The Replacements
"Eternally Yours" by The Saints
"Unknown Passage" by Dead Moon
"All Rise" by Naked Raygun
"Landshark" by Fang
"San Francisco's Doomed" by Crime
Nice! What about The Birthday Party, Husker Du, Destroy All Monsters or Davila 666?
Solid, love that Voidoids. My Top 5 starter pack would be:
Television _Marquee Moon_
_Story Of The Clash_
Circle Jerks _Group Sex_
_Repo Man_ Soundtrack
Sex Pistols '77
VERY COOL LIST, EXCELLENT CHOICES. I WAD EXCITED TO SEE SOME EARLY HARDCORE IN THERE W/ BAD BRAINS, MINOR THREAT AND BLACK FLAG. BUT I WAS MOST EXCITED TO THE CRAMPS MENTIONED! I FEEL LIKE THEY DONT GET AS MUCH LOVE AS THEY SHOULD FOR BEING SUCH AN AMAZING BAND
I'm 54 years old and I think you pretty much nailed it except I would have to include the comp. Not So Quiet on the Western Front.. That album was highly influential for hardcore punk.
great list I think its missing either of dead Kennedys first two albums though
Check out MC5, Ramblin Rose and Kick Out The Jams, live at Tartar Field in Detroit, 1970! And Blue Cheer, Summertime Blues! To me, this was the very earliest stirrings of punk.
I always go into these lists with a grain of salt...because so many miss the mark. but you opened with the same 3 albums I would have picked. Outstanding review that hits the mark close to dead center. Although I wish the Dead Kennedys were prominently placed in that list, since I think they had pretty massive clout and influence...and staying power, but for a list this close to perfect I can forgive much. That said, every band named had a right to be there, even the obscure ones that time forgot but fans never did. Also...love the name...Telegram Sam is still a fave song...both the Bauhaus and TRex versions. I was too late for the dawn of punk, but I truly loved the waning years when the bands that lasted were at their peak creatively. I was a gutter punk scene rat in the late 80s/early 90s in MI, when local music was still vibrant and punk/goth/glam/industrial/rave/alternative were just a great mush of surprises and sonic wonder. I miss it sometimes, but at least I've got the music still, which...in many ways, was what I loved most. The raw, aching hunger to communicate something to the world. Discontent, rage, lust, joy, frustration, hate, fear, self loathing, lust for life, what have you...but from inarticulate howl to carefully crafted poem/song, it was always a struggle to say something honest and with less artifice than pop or disco offered the world. That...I admire.
Pat Smear - what a career. Poly Styrene may be punk's greatest lyricist.
Great choices all. I will echo some of the comments below. Wire -- Pink Flag, The Saints (I lean toward Eternally Yours), Wipers -- Is This Real, X -- Los Angeles, Killing Joke (self-titled first lp), Zero Boys -- Vicious Circle
I wonder if dawn of the dickies by the dickies will ever wind up on any top 15 punk album list. They are pivotal, I guess, more than the deep roots of punk.
The CRAMP'S ep Gravest Hits was one of my live changing records.
New Model Army’s ‘Vengeance’ is absolutely worth your time. Well worth having on your collection.
Nice lineup and a good analysis comparing the Dead Boys' sound to that of their "native" NYC compatriots. If you expanded the list you might consider adding The Slits, Avengers, and as you mention, X.
X is NOT PUNK!!!!!
Just played Smash It Up the other day! Nice choices, and I’m drooling over your super clean collection. All my Punk LPs are originals (that I bought used and cheap of course) and none of them are in mint-ish condition. Bullocks and Blank Generation are in pretty good shape (although the dog gnawed the Pistols cover) for $2 late 70s used acquisitions. One fun record I think I would add is the Vibrators Pure Mania. Fast and loud, like punk should be mostly.
I fell very envious cuz you have got a great records collection! I loved your list. Regards from São Paulo, Brazil
Ask me for brazilian hardcore stuff. We made some interesting noisy records down here.
Thanks for this! One major album is missing in your list - Frankenchrist by Dead Kennedys.
Pere Ubu ( Cleveland )- the modern dance lp. 1976 and mid 60s American ex GI band in Germany The Monks! Super influential.
I was 17 in 1977, and was into Punk. Interesting that a person who is only 25 being into old bands from the past. Not that it's a bad thing, but the whole scene is well and truly over. What would someone go and see in concert today that's Punk?. I'm 62 now and occasionally play it , and sometimes I'm laughing because it seems so corny now.
Hi Sam 🌞 ! - I'm glad Johnny Thunders ⛈️ traveled to London to not only inspire Malcom McLaren but record his terrific So Alone album with the masterpiece " You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory " .. Will never forget a Friday night in early 1979 when I saw The Clash on their second ever 🇺🇸 show at The Santa Monica .. They were absolutely amazing ..especially Topper & Bo Diddley opened ! Remember " Some People Think Little Girls Should Be Seen & Not Heard .. But I Say .. 🎷 Take Care Sam ✌️
Hey David! An original UK press of Johnny's So Alone album is at the top of my grail list. Oh man that Clash show had to be incredible!
Not to forget that they brought Nancy spugen with them therefore bringing Heroin and, well, the rest is history...
You forgot Over the Edge and Youth of America by the Wipers