There is a lot of uncertainty about where punk rock started. The US album Ramones mentioned below is arguably the first punk album but only became really known as that after the punk movement had taken off in the UK where mainstream rock was tending to move away from its raw roots into big production rock typified by the likes of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Punk was a reaction against that and was a way of young teenage musicians expressing themselves.
As the movement grew, record companies leapt onto the bandwagon and started signing any young band that had some claims to be in the punk style. The result was the release of a lot of bad records but also some excellent classic, basic rock that became the foundation of the punk movement.
Every fan of this era will have their own favourite top ten but the albums listed below undoubtedly played a major part in the growth of the movement and typify its energy.
Never Mind the Bollocks – Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were the band that really made punk take off after the infamous live TV show with Bill Grundy resulted in the front page headlines that grew into a general media attack on punk rock and led to rebellious teenagers flocking to the movement. This 1977 album was the band’s only studio album and its title continued the controversy. Some record shops showed their uncertainty about the record by having it as the main window display but putting pieces of paper over the offending word on the cover.
The album contained the singles “God Save the Queen”, “Anarchy in the UK”, “Pretty Vacant” and “Holidays in the Sun”.
Germfree Adolescents – X-Ray Spex
This band headed up by Poly Styrene was formed in 1976 and released only five singles in the 1970s and this 1978 album, but what an album it was. The title track is regarded by many as one of the best punk tracks of all time and “The Day the World Turned Day-Glo” was also a hit. A more recent CD release of the album added extra tracks including their first single “Oh Bondage, Up Yours”.
The Clash – The Clash
The Clash were one of the original British punk bands and were formed in 1976. The following year they released this debut album. Tracks such as “White Riot” and “London’s Burning” became punk classics.
New Boots and Panties – Ian Dury
This album was written a year before its release in 1977 but Ian Dury found difficulty finding a record label but eventually it was taken on by Stiff Records, who had offices in the same building an Ian Dury’s manager Blackhill Management. It included tracks such as “Sweet Gene Vincent” and “Billericay Dickie”. Later releases of the album also included “Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll”.
A Bunch of Stiff Records – Various Artists
This 1977 release was Stiff’s way of introducing some of its new signings to the world with tracks from the likes of Elvis Costello, Wreckless Eric and Nick Lowe. The record label was new and was signing pub bands and artists. Established artist Dave Edmunds (who had a Christmas number one in 1970) also had a track on the album.
Yachts – Yachts
This Liverpool band became known to the punk world after supporting the Sex Pistols. The 1979 album Yachts was released in the USA as SOS and contained the singles “Yachting Types”, “Love You, Love You” and “Box 202”.
Blondie – Blondie
The American rock band Blondie headed by lead singer Debbie Harry released its debut album in 1976 and its raw energetic rock style slotted well into the growing punk movement in Britain. Though the band later grew into a more commercial pop band, in the late 1970s tracks such as “X Offender”, “Little Girl Lies”, “In the Flesh” and “Rip Her to Shreds” firmly placed them in the new wave music genre.
Crossing the Red Sea – The Adverts
This short lived British punk band became best known for the single “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” but the punk community were already aware of the band from this 1978 album that included the group’s first single “One Chord Wonders” that was a comment on how the media was portraying punk at the time. All the tracks were written by TV Smith and the band had Gaye Advert on bass; she was one of if not the first female punk star.
Damned, Damned, Damned – The Damned
This debut album from The Damned was released in 1977 by Stiff Records, included the single “New Rose” and was the first full length album released by a British punk band. Nick Lowe was the producer. They grew into one of the best known punk bands.
Ramones – The Ramones
And finishing where arguably it all started in 1976 and the American punk band The Ramones, who many regard as the original punk band. Though not an initial success and both singles – “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “53rd and 3rd” – from the album flopped, it grew in importance as the punk movement itself grew.
Top Ten Albums and New Wave Music
Punk rock and new wave music continued past the 1970s and many bands that grew up in that era became part of the mainstream, bands such as the Boomtown Rats and Police. Blondie, as mentioned, became a major pop rock band. There was a bit of a punk revival in the 1990s though it had never really gone away in the sense that there will always be young musicians joining together to play basic rock music. That is the true legacy of punk and long may it continue.
Steve Rogerson - Steve Rogerson is a UK-based writer specialising in television, technology, sports and beer.
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