Quite literally exploding onto the scene on both sides of the pond in the 1970s, the genre of punk is embodied by more than just its music. The in-your-face, middle-finger-to-authority attitude is much of what made the genre’s pioneers notorious, whilst the memorable leather jacket/DIY fashion gave the subculture a distinct, like-no-other look.
However, one cannot say that the music is not the centre of its world. Fast paced, no-holds-barred and punchy – that is the punk sound through and through. Though punk – the subculture and the music – has always lived away from the mainstream, a taste for it can still be found among Indiependent contributors. Check out some of our favorite classic punk tracks below!
Quite possibly the quintessential track of the British punk era, ‘God Save the Queen’ is anarchy in its purest form: controversial lyrics and heavy guitar riffs blasted out by skinny, leather-clad men with bright hair. Released to coincide Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, the infamous lyrics that made Queen Liz synonymous with “the facist regime” lead to the track being banned from broadcast by the BBC despite its popularity. The song sang out the political feelings of many young Brits of the time, and it sung them loud and unabated. The band even attempted to perform the song outside Westminster Palace on the day of the jubilee celebrations, a stunt that earned the track a seat, almost immediately, as one of the most notorious – and best loved – punk tracks of all time.
Of course, it’s not just the image of the infamous single that places it high in the ranks of punk stardom. With an instantly recognisable opening riff, and raucous, strident vocals that you can’t help but sing along to like (or when) you’ve had one too many beers, ‘God Save The Queen’ effervesces and explodes and makes its listeners do just the same. After all, calm and the Sex Pistols will never go hand in hand.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8fLOJswWtk?rel=0]
Words by Amie Bailey.
Though The Runaways are predominantly a rock band, their debut single ‘Cherry Bomb’ has an undoubtedly ‘punk’ flavour to it and is widely regarded as the all-girl bands’ signature tune. Spontaneously written by Kim Fowley and Joan Jett for lead singer Cherie Currie to audition with, there is a real sense of anarchy and unruly independence to the lyrics, that predate the 90’s pop obsession of ‘girl power’ with a vengeance. “Hello Daddy, hello Mom, I’m your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-CHERRY BOMB / hello world, I’m your wild girl / I’m your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-CHERRY BOMB”
There is also an unapologetic sense of sexual liberation and female empowerment in the song, that along with Currie’s provocative costume and angsty attitude, further encapsulates the kind of political/social rebellion that is at the centre of all punk music. “Hey street boy want some style? / your dead end dreams don’t make you smile // I’ll give you something to live for / have ya and grab ya until you’re sore!” But lyrics aside, even the instrumentals – from Jett’s electric guitar riffs and the heavy underlying bass to the uptempo clashing of the drums- have a really fierce edge to them. And as if all that wasn’t enough for you, the sheer audacity of the tune is so great that it has featured in countless movie soundtracks – including last year’s Guardians of The Galaxy ‘Awesome Mix’ – as an anthem for badass action that is incredibly snappy and enjoyable.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqEh8OBQfmY?rel=0]
Words by Annie Honeyball.
My classic punk song would come under the vein of Hardcore but is probably one of the most important 80 seconds of punk music ever recorded. Minor Threat’s ‘Out of Step’ is a definitive straight edge track that cemented Mackaye & co’s place in Hardcore and Punk legend. Minor Threat’s emergence within the punk scene was one of the most influential and divisive in its history. Mackaye’s adherence to the straight edge lifestyle powers through this intense punk classic.
Lyle Preslar’s distorted guitar riffs blast over crashing drums while Mackaye voices his damning critique on the hedonistic lifestyle of 1980s America through his passionate screaming vocals and disjointed speech mid-song. His criticisms are harsh, blaring out “I don’t smoke / I don’t drink /I don’t fuck / At least I can fucking think”, voicing the anger and division between straight-edge kids and the non-edger’s in the punk scene. All in all, his song was hugely important just for its influence in creating a ‘straight edge’ scene and really demonstrating Mackaye’s legacy throughout punk music. In fact, Out of Step is an album all with any interest in punk should have listened to at least once.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUaEPQ_hvUw?rel=0]
Words by Christos Makarounas.
Who doesn’t love an anti-hero? Batman, Bucky Barnes, the Doctor – and if music had an anti-hero, it’d be the Punk genre. So what could be better than a song about anti-heroes sung by an anti-hero band? The 1997 eponymous track ‘No More Heroes’ (I’m going to stop saying “hero” now) regularly makes albums dedicated to the best of classic Punk, and for good reason too. The song is written in the fashion of an elegy and lists a number of dead cultural icons such as Leon Trotsky, Lenny Bruce and Elmyr de Hory; although the mentioned celebrities seem to have no connection, it is thought that they all held meaning to the co-writer and guitarist Hugh Cornwell (who appears to have excellent taste in icons).
The song itself radiates with all the best features of a Punk track: a demanding rhythm, an attention-stealing guitar intro, a slightly offbeat melody, and a rebellious mantra, in this case “No more heroes any more”. This is a thoroughly enjoyable classic track throughout.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzh_Fe08oNI?rel=0]
Words by Charlotte Ginger Jones
Of the most well known punk bands that sprang up in the UK towards the end of the 1970’s, the majority hailed from London. The Sex Pistols sang about nihilism and anarchy, The Clash about being on the dole and white rioting, and The Damned and Siouxsie and the Banshees had middle class at school anthems sprinkled with what would become the basis for ‘goth.’ Stiff Little Fingers, on the other hand, had to contend with living in Belfast during The Troubles. Formed in 1977, at the peak of The Troubles from an old high school hard rock covers band, ‘Alternative Ulster’ was one of their first singles released in 1978 prior to their debut album Inflammable Material. The song is a rallying cry for the everyday citizens of Ulster. It makes a bold stance by condemning every faction involved in the fighting, from the provisional IRA, to the RUC. to the British Army.
Besides its grim context, it has one of the catchiest riffs and one of the most unique vocal delivery styles ever. Singer and guitarist Jake Burns sounds like a rabid dog barking with a gravelly throat. Not to mention the incredibly clever play on words at the end of the chorus – ‘Alter your native land.’ ‘Alternative Ulster’ is one of, if not, the most quintessential punk song ever written. In fact, the whole Inflammable Material album is flawless from start to finish. Seriously – go buy it, listen, love it, listen again and love it even more.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLo7z50Tt2g?rel=0]
Words by Joe Gray
When the term Punk comes up in conversation, you’d think my mind would immediately go towards the famous British Punk scene of the 1970s, with bands such as The Sex Pistols or The Clash heralding the airwaves. Instead, my mind instantly drives towards the seminal yet overshadowed American Hardcore Punk scene. Specifically,that of the Washington D.C. scene, most often referred to as DC Hardcore.
The Virginia suburbs during the 80s were alive with aggressive guitars and pounding drums, giving the youth of DC something to live for. Bands like Bad Brains, Teen Idles, Minor Threat and Iron Cross came out of this scene. But it was one band that is rarely mentioned that really opened my eyes to the scene and blew me away. Scream weren’t one of the most famous bands to originate in DC Hardcore, but they were definitely one of the most influential. They released five studio albums over the span of their career, their most significant being ‘This Side Up’. The track ‘Bet You Never Thought’ opens the record with such a defining and defiant raw power that leaves you breathless. It’s not the heaviest song in Scream’s arsenal, but it’s a shining example of how Hardcore Punk left a seminal imprint on the music community with its reggae roots and abrasive sound.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Aa1Rj1o7W0?rel=0]
Words by Sophie McEvoy.
“Is she really going out with him?”
The opening line of ‘New Rose’ pays homage to 60s girl band the Shangri-Las, before immediately introducing the pounding drum beat and crunchy guitar intro. Lead singer David Vanian – usually clad in vampiric suits with a chalk-white face – screams, and the song kicks off in true pogo-inducing punk style. ‘New Rose’ was the first single by a British punk rock group, released on Stiff Records in October 1976, five weeks before even the Sex Pistols had released ‘Anarchy in the UK’. Nothing says ‘punk’ like the drummer’s choice of name ‘Rat Scabies’. Guitarist Brian James’ lyrics epitomise punk simplicity. No obscure hidden meanings, no bullshit – they ‘can’t stop to mess around’ – and that’s what many iconic punk songs are like; raw, simple, passionate, and cut-to-the-chase. The Damned’s first single was the precursor to the British punk scene, catalyzing a wave of new bands and paving the way for the years of punk ahead.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jLYyP3axQo?rel=0]
Words by Zia Larty-Healy
In a similar fashion to virtually everything else Henry Rollins touches, it’s easy for many to dismiss ‘Rise Above’ as a testosterone fuelled volley of vitriolic whining. And maybe that’s the case for many songs by a group of acts now hailed as the torch bearers that lit the path for the hardcore punk movement in all its furious, dissatisfied, ‘the venue is a 10 people cap but we’re bringing 50′ glory. But for many, this introductory whirlwind comes rampaging through the silence with a sonic battery so imperative that literally millions of aspiring hardcore bands since the 80’s have frantically smashed at six strings and snare drums in a Black Flag inspired frenzy.
To this day, very few have come close to emulating anywhere near the raw intensity that ‘Damaged’ invokes in the angsty teen. Scornful invectives against ‘jealous cowards’ and the call to ‘rise above’ unite the vexed, the disillusioned and the just plain Punk with a sense of unity in the face of vehement disparity. The righteous message behind the song juxtaposes the often preconceived tarring of the album as simplistic punk whining and Rollins makes a powerful lyrical case that exhaustion from ‘abuse’, coupled with the desperate longing to ‘have your chance’ are after all some of our most profound desires. With institutional injustice rife across societies, with political and social maladies reported in abundance, Ginn’s amplified inferno accompanied by Rollins’ monosyllabic rage against the machine should remind us of the metaphorical balls we’ve collectively lost. Every utterance of this spite driven anthem implores us find them, and maybe we’d do well to pay attention.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHR-rzUjCzU?rel=0]
Words by Aiden Kearns
1978 – that’s when Southern California punk rockers Social Distortion first formed. Despite frequent member shuffles, hiatuses due to drugs and prison stints, and long gaps between releases, the band as fronted by its founder and nucleus Mike Ness still remains and performs triumphant, 37 years later. Their sound, influenced by hardcore and rockabilly among others, over time, has always been grounded in lively, rollicking guitars and the gravely vocals of eternal punk icon Ness, across seven records. Their classic track ‘Sick Boys’, from their 1990 self titled LP, epitomizes this.
Melodious for punk, especially in its “Oh, eh, oh” refrain, ‘Sick Boys’ lyrically tackles some of Social D’s favorite motifs – motorbikes, leather jackets and generally badass-ery, with an autobiographical touch on the part of Ness. It tells the story of a “Sick boy” with “tattoos up and down his arms” who “likes to get into fights”, among other things, and does so with classic measured drum beats and guitars that emphasize the ‘rock‘ in punk rock. Social Distortion’s long, influential career is a testament to keeping the punk spirit alive through thick and thin, and they make the annals of music history as one of the pioneering forces of American side of the genre.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7vBONoZEAU?rel=0]
Words by Nana Gongadze
[Feature compiled by Nana Gongadze]