Punk rock

Punk rock (from 'punk', meaning rotten, worthless) was originally used to describe the primitive guitar based rock and roll of '60s bands such as The Seeds[?], and later Detroit bands The Stooges and MC5. "Punk rock" now largely tends to mean the anti-establishment musical movement of the period 1976-80, exemplified by the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Ramones and their descendants.

At least as important as the music, however, was the associated culture, which at the time caused great furor amongst the establishment. Punk fashion revolved around severe haircuts, such as the mohawk, body piercing (often with safety pins[?]) and conversion of items such as bin liners and thrift store remnants into clothing. "Punk chic" has now been largely absorbed by the mainstream.

Punk devotees created a thriving underground press. In the UK Mark Perry[?] produced Sniffin' Glue. In the United States magazines such as Maximum Rock 'n Roll[?], Profane Existence[?] and Flipside were leading a movement of "fanzines". Every "scene" had at least one primitively published magazine with news, gossip, and interviews with local or touring bands. The magazine Factsheet Five chronicled the thousands of underground publications in the 1980s and '90s.

In the late 1970s punk interacted with reggae & ska subcultures, to form the 2 Tone movement that included bands such as The Specials, Madness and The Selecter[?].

Punk has had a lasting influence on all popular music and a thriving subculture can still be found almost anywhere in the United States. Punk rock underwent a brief renaissance in the late 1990s with bands like Rancid, Green Day, The Offspring, NOFX and others.

More extensive lists of relevant bands and so on can be found at the following sub-pages;

• Pre-Punk Bands (ca. 1968-1976)
• Early Punk Bands (ca. 1976-1980)
• Some Later Punk Bands (ca. 1980-present)
• Punk Films
• Punk Cities

• Related genres:

• Anarcho-punk
• Cassette culture
• Emo
• Gothic rock
• Grunge
• Hardcore
• New Wave
• Oi!
• post punk
• Psychobilly
• Pub rock (UK)
• Queercore[?]
• Ska punk
• Skate punk
• Straight edge
• Death punk

External links

• Punk '77! Punk Rock In The UK 1976-1979 (http://www.punk77.co.uk/)
• PunkPage.net (http://www.punkpage.net/)