Chapter 30: Punk
Chapter 30: Punk Rock follows the emergence of punk during the mid-1970s as musicians in New York and Britain rejected the commercialism, complexity, and excess of mainstream rock. Drawing inspiration from garage rock, proto-punk, and early rock and roll, bands such as the Ramones, Patti Smith Group, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and Crass built a do-it-yourself movement centered on raw performance, political confrontation, and artistic independence.
Important Terms
Punk Rock – A rock style emphasizing simplicity, speed, loud volume, raw performance, and rejection of commercial rock conventions.
Proto-Punk – Artists and bands from the 1960s and early 1970s whose music anticipated punk rock.
Garage Rock – A raw style of rock performed by amateur bands, usually featuring simple songs, distorted guitars, and energetic performances.
Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Ethic – An approach emphasizing independent recording, performance, promotion, and distribution without relying on major record labels.
Underground Scene – A community of musicians, fans, clubs, and independent labels operating outside the commercial music industry.
CBGB & OMFUG – New York club that became the center of the American punk scene. The initials stood for "Country, BlueGrass, Blues, and Other Music for Uplifting Gourmandizers."
Max's Kansas City – New York club associated with the Velvet Underground and the early punk movement.
Fanzine – A small independently published magazine created by fans to promote music and underground culture.
Power Chord – A guitar chord emphasizing the root and fifth, widely used in punk because of its aggressive sound and simplicity.
Barre Chord – A movable guitar chord created by pressing one finger across multiple strings.
Downstroke Picking – A guitar technique using only downward pick strokes to produce a fast, percussive sound.
Chainsaw Guitar – Informal term describing Johnny Ramone's heavily distorted, downstroke guitar style.
Drone – A sustained note or chord played beneath changing musical material.
Ostrich Tuning – Guitar tuning in which every string is tuned to the same note in different octaves, creating a droning sound.
Feedback – A sustained sound created when amplified sound repeatedly loops between speakers and pickups.
Electric Viola – An electronically amplified viola used for experimental sounds beyond traditional classical performance.
Avant-Garde – Art or music that intentionally challenges conventional styles and expectations.
Performance Art – Artistic expression combining visual art, theater, music, and live performance.
Anarchism – A political philosophy opposing centralized authority and promoting voluntary cooperation.
White Panther Party – Radical anti-racist organization founded in solidarity with the Black Panther Party.
Skinhead – A youth subculture that originated in Britain during the late 1960s. Early skinheads were influenced by Jamaican ska and working-class culture, although some later factions adopted racist and far-right politics.
New Wave – A style that grew out of punk while incorporating pop melodies, electronic instruments, and broader commercial appeal.
Hardcore Punk – A faster, louder, and more aggressive style of punk that developed in the early 1980s.
Independent Record Label – A record company operating outside the major corporate labels.
Artists Discussed
Fifty Foot Hose – Experimental rock group associated with proto-punk.
The Velvet Underground – Proto-punk band known for avant-garde experimentation.
Lou Reed – Songwriter and guitarist for the Velvet Underground.
John Cale – Multi-instrumentalist, producer, and founding member of the Velvet Underground.
Sterling Morrison – Guitarist for the Velvet Underground.
Maureen Tucker – Drummer for the Velvet Underground.
La Monte Young – Avant-garde composer who influenced John Cale.
Andy Warhol – Artist, producer, and manager associated with the Velvet Underground.
Nico – German singer featured on The Velvet Underground and Nico.
The Exploding Plastic Inevitable – Andy Warhol's multimedia performance project.
Iggy Pop (James Osterberg) – Lead singer of the Stooges.
The Stooges – Proto-punk band known for confrontational live performances.
MC5 (Motor City Five) – Detroit proto-punk band known for political activism.
John Sinclair – Manager of MC5 and founder of the White Panther Party.
Trans-Love Energies – Collective founded by John Sinclair.
Up Against the Wall Motherfucker – Radical activist group associated with MC5.
White Panther Party – Radical organization formed in support of the Black Panther Party.
Bomp! Records – Independent record label associated with punk.
PUNK Magazine – Magazine that helped define the early punk movement.
Television – New York punk band associated with CBGB.
Patti Smith Group – New York punk band combining poetry and rock music.
Patti Smith – Poet, singer, and songwriter.
Lenny Kaye – Guitarist for the Patti Smith Group.
Richard Hell – Punk musician associated with Television and the Voidoids.
Tom Verlaine – Guitarist and singer for Television.
Blondie – New York punk and new wave band.
The Voidoids – Band led by Richard Hell.
New York Dolls – Glam rock band that influenced punk fashion and performance.
The Ramones – New York band widely regarded as the first true punk rock band.
Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Hyman) – Lead singer of the Ramones.
Johnny Ramone (John Cummings) – Guitarist for the Ramones.
Dee Dee Ramone (Douglas Colvin) – Bassist and songwriter for the Ramones.
Tommy Ramone (Tom Erdelyi) – Drummer for the Ramones.
Sex Pistols – British punk band that brought punk into the mainstream.
Malcolm McLaren – Manager of the Sex Pistols and influential punk promoter.
Steve Jones – Guitarist for the Sex Pistols.
Paul Cook – Drummer for the Sex Pistols.
Glen Matlock – Original bassist for the Sex Pistols.
Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) – Lead singer of the Sex Pistols.
Sid Vicious (John Ritchie) – Bassist for the Sex Pistols.
Nancy Spungen – Girlfriend of Sid Vicious.
Vivienne Westwood – Fashion designer associated with the Sex Pistols.
EMI – Record company that briefly signed the Sex Pistols.
A&M Records – Record company that briefly signed the Sex Pistols.
The Clash – British punk band known for political songwriting.
Joe Strummer – Lead singer and guitarist for the Clash.
Mick Jones – Guitarist and songwriter for the Clash..
The Buzzcocks – British punk band led by Pete Shelley.
The Jam – British punk and mod revival band.
Siouxsie and the Banshees – British punk band that helped lay the foundation for gothic rock.
X-Ray Spex – Female-fronted British punk band.
The Slits – Female-fronted British punk band.
Crass – British anarcho-punk collective known for DIY production and political activism.
Songs Referenced
"Dirty Water" – The Standells
"96 Tears" – ? and the Mysterians
"Louie Louie" – The Kingsmen
"You Really Got Me" – The Kinks
"My Generation" – The Who
"Psychotic Reaction" – Count Five
"Red the Sign Post" – Fifty Foot Hose
"Tutti Frutti" – Little Richard
"Venus in Furs" – The Velvet Underground
"Heroin" – The Velvet Underground
"1969" – The Stooges
"I Wanna Be Your Dog" – The Stooges
"Kick Out the Jams" – MC5
"Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)" – MC5
"Motor City Is Burning" – MC5
"Gloria" – Patti Smith Group (adapted from the song by Them)
"Blitzkrieg Bop" – Ramones
"Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" – Ramones
"I Wanna Be Sedated" – Ramones
"Baby, I Love You" – Ramones (cover of the Ronettes)
"I Wanted Everything" – Ramones
"Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" – Ramones
"Anarchy in the U.K." – Sex Pistols
"God Save the Queen" – Sex Pistols
"White Riot" – The Clash
"Hong Kong Garden" – Siouxsie and the Banshees
"White Punks on Hope" – Crass
"Rock and Roll N****r" – Patti Smith Group
Albums
The Velvet Underground and Nico
The Stooges
Kick Out the Jams
Horses
Ramones
Road to Ruin
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
The Clash
Give 'Em Enough Rope
London Calling
Sandinista!
Another Music in a Different Kitchen
Love Bites
In the City
All Mod Cons
Sound Affects
The Scream
Stations of the Crass