<< back to music genre list
What
Yeah, what? Good question. Punk has become an umbrella term for many different styles of rock--emo, ska, hardcore, noisecore and lots more...and each branch on the punk family tree has its own distinct personality. But what's the common denominator? It's not the "classic" punk sound--abrasive guitars, short, punchy songs, rebel yell vocals. At the heart of punk is a revolt against conventionality and the social mainstream. However, with the music industry's embrace of it, radio-friendly punk has become pop(ular) music--and as a result, the idea of punk as anti-establishment has become somewhat confused. (You've probably seen those "Punk's Not Dead" T-shirts on sale at the mall.)
Who
The music of Patti Smith, Richard Hell and Iggy Pop helped shape the punk revolution, but the Ramones (R.I.P. Joey!) are considered punk's forefathers, and the Sex Pistols are the granddaddies of the U.K. punk scene. Other seminal first-generation punks are X-Ray Spex, The Slits and X. Today we've got everything from riot grrl (Kathleen Hanna/Bikini Kill) to noisecore (Melt-Banana) to ska punk (Save Ferris) to digital hardcore (Hanin Elias) to emo (Rainer Maria) to experimental punk (The Ex) to grindcore (His Hero Is Gone) to hardcore (Minor Threat) and many more.
When
When punk broke: The Ramones released their self-titled debut in 1976. The Sex Pistols released their debut "Never Mind The Bullocks" in 1977. When punk broke again: Nirvana brought punk, via grunge, into the mainstream with the release of "Nevermind" in 1991.
