Punk rock

Punk Rock is an anti-establishment music movement that began about 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified by The Damned, The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, and The Clash. The term is also used to describe subsequent music scenes that share key characteristics with those first-generation "punks". The term is sometimes also applied to the fashions or the irreverent "DIY" ("do it yourself") attitude associated with this musical movement.

Post-1970s punk

In the 1980s a second wave of anti-establishment and "DIY" bands came into their own in the UK and the United States, a genre known as Hardcore punk. The period from approximately 1980 to 1986 is considered the peak of hardcore punk. Early hardcore bands include Black Flag, Bad Brains and The Germs and the movement developed via Minor Threat, Flipper, The Dicks, Minutemen and Hüsker Dü, among others. In New York, there was a large hardcore punk movement led by bands such as Agnostic Front, The Cro-Mags, Murphy's Law, Sick of it All, and Gorilla Biscuits.

Related Topics:
1980s - Hardcore punk - 1980 - 1986 - Black Flag - Bad Brains - The Germs - Minor Threat - Flipper - The Dicks - Minutemen - Hüsker Dü - Agnostic Front - The Cro-Mags - Murphy's Law - Sick of it All - Gorilla Biscuits

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In the UK, meanwhile, post-punk bands as diverse as Joy Division, The Fall, Magazine, Public Image Ltd, Scritti Politti and Gang of Four, each with their own distinctive sound, contributed to a musically adventurous era, although their influence on later 'punk rock' is debatable.

Related Topics:
Post-punk - Joy Division - The Fall - Magazine - Public Image Ltd - Scritti Politti - Gang of Four

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A thriving punk rock subculture can still be found in many cities.

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The punk rock of the early and mid-1990s was characterized by the scene at 924 Gilman Street, a venue in Berkeley, California, which featured bands such as Operation Ivy, and Rancid (though clearly not simultaneously, as Rancid sprung from the proverbial ashes of Operation Ivy), who would later go on to be well-known among the punk scene. Epitaph Records, an independent record label started by Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion, would become the home of the "skate punk" sound, characterized by bands like Pennywise, NOFX, and The Offspring. Around 1994, these bands achieved a commercial success, followed by a short-lived ska punk revival around 1997. Green Day achieved huge commercial success with their 1994 album, "Dookie". In 1991, Nirvana, essentially a punk-rock band, topped the charts with their album Nevermind, the first time any significantly punk-influenced band reached this level of success in the U.S. This shift in public taste was chronicled in a film entitled 1991: The Year Punk Broke, which featured Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., and Sonic Youth; Nirvana also featured in the film Hype!.

Related Topics:
924 Gilman Street - Berkeley, California - Operation Ivy - Rancid - Epitaph Records - Brett Gurewitz - Bad Religion - Skate punk - Pennywise - NOFX - The Offspring - 1994 - Ska punk - 1997 - Green Day - Dookie - Nirvana - Nevermind - Dinosaur Jr. - Sonic Youth

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Regardless, there is still a thriving underground punk scene in both North America and Europe. The widespread availability of the Internet and file sharing programs enables bands who would otherwise not be heard outside of their local scene to garner larger followings, and emphasizes the DIY ethic started by the original punk bands. Many punk bands still retain the political streak of their forefathers. The political success of George W. Bush and Tony Blair have inspired both songs and political action, such as the Rock Against Bush movement, that can be compared to the original rage at Reagan and Thatcher.

Related Topics:
Internet - File sharing - George W. Bush - Tony Blair - Rock Against Bush

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In punk's original heydey, punks faced harassment and even violence from others, such as in Britain, where punks were infamously involved in brawls with teds, or fans of rockabilly. Nowadays, it is relatively socially acceptable to be punk and play punk rock music, and it is often merely a fashion statement for youth. Thus, some maintain that the punk scene has lost the very heart of its former nature as one of explosive creativity, rebellion, anger, and individualism, and that it has become a mere caricature of what once was.

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By the late '90s, punk was so ingrained in Western culture that it is often used to sell commercial bands as "rebels", amid complaints from underground punk fans that, by being signed to major labels and appearing on MTV, these bands were buying into the system that punk was created to rebel against, and as a result, could not be considered true punk. This debate continues with the popularity of modern powerpop in the early 2000s, and the emo trend of recent times. Notable modern powerpop bands include Simple Plan, Green Day, Good Charlotte, and Relient K; Please note, these bands are NOT punk, and they suck worse than molded cheese.

Related Topics:
MTV - Emo - Simple Plan - Green Day - Good Charlotte - Relient K

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