Big Blog: Punk Rock

What is punk rock?

Punk rock is a style of rock music that first began stirring in the 1960s, only to explode in the 1970s. Punk songs are characterized by their short length, aggressive style of playing, basic instrumentation, and often shouted vocals Often, bands would be either self-recorded or self-produced. The very essence of the genre is hard-edged. The lyrics usually contain themes of societal upheaval, racial and socioeconomic equality, anti-establishment thought, and a variety of other leftist ideals.

 

How did punk come to be?

Punk can trace its origins to 1960s garage rock. The genre grew simultaneously in the USA, England, and Australia, so some scholars disagree which country can truly take credit for punk’s sudden rise to prominence. Though most tend to associate punk with the UK due to London’s thriving punk scene and British names like The Clash and Sex Pistols existing at the forefront of the movement, the beginnings do, in fact, belong with the US. Bands like The Stooges and The Velvet Underground in the late 1960s set the stage for the scene’s growth in the States. The 1960s and 1970s hosted a variety of pushes for social change, which allowed for such societally pertinent lyrics to flourish. This, combined with the progressively grittier sound of rock ‘n’ roll, allowed the punk scene to prosper.

 

Who are some of the founders?

As mentioned before, The Stooges and The Velvet Underground were a few of the bands in the 1960s that helped to usher the punk movement into the world’s consideration. Shortly after, the New York Dolls appeared in 1971, which kicked the movement’s momentum into full swing. Inspired by the glam appearance of artists such as David Bowie in the 1960s, they blended this aesthetic with aggressive music. After the New York Dolls, many of the most iconic (and my personal favorites) American punk bands began to pop up. This includes big names like The Ramones, Blondie, and The Talking Heads. 

 

 

 

Where did the movement go from there?

At this point, we are in the mid-1970s. Right around this time, Britain produces Sex Pistols and, one of my favorite bands of all time, The Clash. These bands were a smash hit and continued to foster the entire punk subculture. Feeding off of the momentum, America responded with even more iconic punk bands in the years immediately following. This includes names like The Misfits, Black Flag, and the Dead Kennedys.

(They're not American I just really love The Clash)

(They ARE American)

 

 

Will you please go on a slight little tangent about Sex Pistols lore?

I sure will, thanks for asking! Sex Pistols were a ridiculously controversial band. Honestly, the word “band” is a stretch. They are one of the most iconic bands in punk, but they are quoted as saying, “We’re not into music, we’re into chaos.” Bassist Sid Vicious actually could not even play bass when he joined the band, but he was absolutely insane and chaotic enough that the band figured he’d suit the image. Their live antics were equally as questionable; they were known for doing things like spitting on their audience to cause an outrage. Of course they were controversial, that was the whole goal. The band only enjoyed about just under 3ish years of intactness before they were torn apart by each member’s insufferable personality and rampant drug use. Does this sound like the kind of band that would end amicably? Of course not!

 

How did the punk scene change after Sex Pistols?

Sex Pistols parties were the things of legend. Nightmarish legend, but legend nonetheless. The things I have read about Sid Vicious I will never be able to get out of my mind… but let’s just say there is a lot he would do in order to get his fix of heroin. Here is an article that will tell you all about it, if you’re curious. Just before the band dissolved, he began seeing a woman named Nancy Spungen. (Sid and Nancy, ringing a bell? They’re kinda huge in pop culture.) Their relationship was fueled by toxicity, codependency, and an endless amount of drugs. Right after the band’s breakup, he spent all of his time with Nancy. This would change in 1978 when he snapped out of a drug-induced stupor in a New York hotel next to Nancy, who had died of a stab wound. Sid Vicious was charged but denied killing her, and to this day no one knows exactly what happened. He died of an overdose before he could be sentenced. After this, the punk scene slowed down considerably. Everyone became aware of the harsh reality that exists with a lifestyle that thrives on the hardcore and outrageous.

What about the punk subculture?

If you couldn’t tell by the Sex Pistols’ lack of musical prowess, the subculture is just as much a part of the scene as the actual music. (Unless we’re talking about The Clash who were revolutionary in their exploration and expansion of musical genre and wonderfully talented.) 

 

(See?? They experimented a lot with a bunch of different genres like funk, reggae, and everything else you can imagine.)

Fashion was a big component of the subculture. Again, everything was designed to shock. Drastic hairstyles like extreme spikes or mohawks were characteristic, and clothes tended to be ripped, vandalized, or held together by safety pins. SEX, a shop in London, was known for spreading this style all over the world. Punks tended to be working-class youths that wanted to stand up to and challenge societal norms. Like the youths of today, they were the ones that called for immediate social change.

What does punk music look like today?

Mainstream punk tends to be significantly more chilled out than it was during punk’s origin. It eventually branched off into a number of different genres.

1.     Post-punk, which includes bands like Fugazi

2.     Noise rock, including bands like The Melvins or Sonic Youth

3.     Glam-punk, think early Motley Crue

4.     New-wave, which includes bands like Joy Division

5.     Pop-punk, which is a whole SLEW of bands that started with bands like The Offspring or Green Day which turned into bands like My Chemical Romance or All Time Low or Paramore which now influences a bunch of mainstream artists like MGK and Maneskin. The 2020s are seeing a fairly strong resurgence in interest in this genre. 

 

So, yes! Punk was defined by its revolutionary aspects and its influence still lingers in our music’s mainstream. It’s hard to know exactly where it will go from here, but it won’t go away any time soon.

 

 

 

Cooper, Ryan. “From the Stooges to Bikini Kill and beyond: A Timeline of Punk.” LiveAbout, LiveAbout, 9 May 2019, https://www.liveabout.com/timeline-of-punk-music-history-2803347.

“Punk Rock Music Guide: History and Bands of Punk Rock - 2023.” MasterClass, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/punk-rock-music-guide#47VyVoiNvy3ptZkWgQEcwY.

“Punk.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/art/punk.

Smith, Rob. “The Sex Pistols' Tragic Real-Life Story.” Grunge, Grunge, 14 June 2022, https://www.grunge.com/126113/sex-pistols-tragic-real-life-story/.

“Punk.” Museum of Youth Culture, 27 Apr. 2020, https://museumofyouthculture.com/punk/.