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Punk RockPunk rock is a music genre that came to prominence in the 1970s, particularly in New York, London, and Los Angeles. The music was inspired by scrappy, countercultural 1960s rock bands, such as the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, and was popularized by acts like Patti Smith, the Ramones, and the Clash. By the early 1980s, punk rock had splintered into several subgenres, including post-punk, hardcore, second-wave ska, and new wave. It had also evolved into a vibrant subculture that valued anticommercialism, radical self-expression, and a do-it-yourself ethos. The music became particularly popular in the 1990s with Nirvana's "Nevermind," an album indebted to punk that improbably topped Billboard's album chart and realigned popular culture. Although contemporary punk rock might sound different from its 1970s figureheads, the music (and its aesthetics and ethics) is still thriving, inspiring countless artists along the way.Explore Punk Rock

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Witness the birth of punk rock through the archives of an influential music magazineTrouser Press magazine (originally Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press) was an influential publication that operated from 1974 to 1984. During that time, they ran cover stories on emerging acts like the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and others, offering contemporary readers a window into how punk was understood as it evolved. Trouser Press In 1977, Iggy Pop said 'punk rock' was a term used by 'heartless manipulators'Although he's often called 'the Godfather of Punk,' Iggy Pop was over punk by 1977, just as the term was entering the mainstream. "It's a term that's based in fashion, style, elitism, Satanism, and everything that's rotten about rock 'n' roll," Pop told Canadian TV host Peter Gzowski. CBC Music Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys were an influence on early punk rockThe Beach Boys' sunny sound profoundly influenced early punk acts, such as the Ramones, who took Brian Wilson's sugary hooks and ramped up the tempo. In the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, California pop-punk acts such as the Descendents, Green Day and Blink-182 continued the tradition. Stereogum The first known use of 'punk rock' was in 1971When Creem Magazine's Dave Marsh wrote about seeing '60s garage rockers ? and the Mysterians perform, he remarked it would be unthinkable "to miss such a landmark exposition of punk-rock." The band isn't considered a punk band, but Marsh's description would go on to define other scrappy, back-to-basics acts. 60s70sVintageRock The Velvet Underground is often considered a starting point for punk rockThe band blended Warhol’s Pop Art with Beat poetry, early rock ‘n’ roll and the European avant-garde, creating a sound that was often chaotic, noisy and abrasive. The band’s debut album, “The Velvet Underground and Nico,” sold poorly, but (supposedly) everyone who purchased a copy started a band. The Velvet Underground Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys were an influence on early punk rockThe Beach Boys' sunny sound profoundly influenced early punk acts like the Ramones, who took Brian Wilson's sugary hooks and ramped up the tempo. Stereogum Why one country legend embraced punk rockDwight Yoakam was among the most popular country music acts of the 1980s, praised for his upbeat rockabilly and neo-Bakersfield sound. In this interview, Yoakam explains why he left the Midwest for California and began playing in punk clubs, including with an iteration of the legendary LA punk outfit X. PBS SoCal Browse over 300 issues of influential music magazine The New Musical ExpressThe British publication was responsible for some of the best coverage of spunky punk and rock. This treasure trove collects issues from 1969 - 1983, offering you a fascinating window into how legendary acts like the Clash and Talking Heads were being discussed before they were considered legends. Internet Archive 'Grunge' was initially used as an insultThe first known use of "grunge" to describe music is believed to be by Mark Arm, a Seattle scenester, who mocked his own band by writing, "Pure grunge! Pure noise! Pure shit!" By 1987, it'd caught on as a more earnest descriptor for a sludgy mix of punk and metal: Sub Pop Records cofounder Bruce Pavitt described the band Green River as "ultra-loose grunge that destroyed the morals of a generation." Revolution Come and Gone The news feature that broke grungeThe Sub Pop label paid for journalist Everett True, then writing for Melody Maker, to fly to the sleepy northwestern city to check out the scene, which was breeding a curious mix of punk rock and heavy metal. The gambit worked. "The most vibrant, kicking music scene encompassed in one city for at least 10 years," Everett wrote. Archived Music Press Long before grunge, Hüsker Dü blended pop's melodies and punk's speedThe Minneapolis trio began as a lightning-fast hardcore band, but they slowly became more melodic than many of their early '80s peers without sacrificing their punk edge. That combination would eventually be called a mess of names: college rock, alternative, indie, and, eventually, grunge. Trash Theory Exploring Wipers, the band Kurt Cobain said invented grungeWipers began in Portland, Oregon, in 1977, playing a form of punk rock that sounded darker and heavier than their contemporaries in New York, California, and England. The band remained an underground secret for years, influencing countless artists, including Nirvana's Kurt Cobain. "What more can I say about them?" he said in an interview. "They started Seattle grunge rock in Portland 1977." MANIC MEDIA Prince pioneered what would come to be known as 'the Minneapolis Sound'Inspired by eclectic artists like Sly and the Family Stone, as well as lesser-known mentors and peers in the Twin Cities, Prince blended R&B, rock, pop, new wave, soul, funk, punk, and more, creating a sound that defied easy categorization. Minnesota Historical Society Cult classics are often defined by their polarizationFilms that reach cult status are far from universally beloved. In fact, fans of cult movies often become such passionate supporters because a title has been lambasted by mainstream audiences. Stat Significant breaks down some of the most polarizing films of all time based on the data behind audience scores. It should come as no surprise that many in the top 10 are considered cult franchises. Stat Significant Richard Hell is one of punk's most accomplished writersRichard Hell is punk royalty, known for his work with Television, the Heartbreakers, and the Voidoids. He's also a well-traveled poet, novelist, critic, and memoirist, as this detailed profile from Poetry Foundation's Andrew Marzoni shows. The Poetry Foundation By 2030, experts estimate a 1 in 1000 chance of a plane being hit by space debrisAs more satellites and spacecraft are launched, the rate of space debris re-entering Earth's atmosphere, including those that do not burn up completely, increases. International space agencies and air traffic control systems will need to coordinate to develop standardized methods and technical solutions to prevent and minimize future crisis scenarios. Space.com The best album covers of all timeRock 'n' roll has defined the style of several generations, and much of that is the result of iconic album covers. This Billboard list breaks down the best of the best, ranking generation-defining images from Pink Floyd, Cyndi Lauper, Nirvana, and more. Billboard 'New wave' was coined for listeners put off by punk's ethosThe term was a reference to New Wave cinema, an iconoclastic, largely French form. Sire Records' Seymour Stein is believed to have pushed to use it to describe the label's bands, many of which came from the CBGB's scene, to avoid the negative associations with "punk rock." Sire ran a promotional campaign named "Don't Call It Punk" that made that message clear. That Devil Music Hockey romance novels have become an unexpected sensationThe combination was not an obvious hit, but books like "Hockey With Benefits," "Body Check," and "Puck and Prejudice" (a Jane Austen fan fiction) have grown popular thanks to a romance novel boom and an interest on TikTok. Now, HBO and Amazon are taking note with streaming adaptations. (Some readers may experience a paywall.) The Wall Street Journal The Buzzcocks' 1975 self-released EP inspired a DIY ethos for punkPunk sought to dismantle the self-importance of mainstream rock, favoring simple arrangements, short songs, and raw passion over sophistication or expertise. When the Buzzcocks struggled to find a label to release their debut record, “Spiral Scratch,” they took that do-it-yourself approach and applied it to business by releasing it themselves. Paste CBGB, the breeding ground for punk, was intended to be a country barRamones, Talking Heads, Television, Blondie, and many other bands got their start at CBGB. But its owner, Hillel “Hilly” Kristal, didn’t intend for it to be a punk rock venue. CBGB stood for “Country Bluegrass Blues,” though he included “OMFUG” (for “Other Music For Uplifting Gourmandizers”) on the venue’s marquee. New York Times Patti Smith's 'Horses' was the first album from the CBGB sceneThe poet’s debut album, released in 1975, blended literature and the early New York punk sound. Smith called the combination “three chords merged with the power of the word.” Throughout the album, she references and repurposes earlier rock hits (including Them’s “Gloria” and Chris Kenner’s “Land of 1,000 Dances”). Pitchfork Death, early innovators of punk, were unknown for decadesThe band of three brothers from Detroit recorded a 1974 demo that predicted the punk explosion arriving just a few years later with the Ramones and the Sex Pistols. However, Death was mostly unknown until their original recordings were remastered and rereleased in 2009. Now Dig This Peru’s Los Saicos were early punk pioneersThe group often goes unmentioned in the history of punk rock, but its early 1960s records—featuring growling vocals, rudimentary guitars and a straight-ahead backbeat—foresaw the genre. Look no further than the 1964 track “Demolición.” Los Saicos Oficial The Stooges were a stark contrast to the hippie movementThe Detroit band is often considered “proto-punk” because their loud, dark, and distorted music helped establish a template for the punk explosion that came later. In 1970, rock writer Lester Bangs even used the word “punk” to describe the band’s frontman, Iggy Pop. The Stooges Experimental duo Suicide used the word 'punk' to describe their music in 1970The New York act was inspired by free jazz, electronic music, and performance art, playing loud, frenetic, and often abrasive music that reckoned with the horrors of the Vietnam War. On the hand-drawn poster for their first gig, they described the sound with four words: “Punk Music by Suicide.” Electronic Sound Space trash could be cleaned up using a giant inflatable bag California-based TransAstra has developed and tested a device called Capture Bag, intended to catch anything from small rocks to house-sized boulders. The company claims its system could also be adapted for asteroid capture and mining. CNN Gary Panter's punk art defined the '70s and '80s countercultureThe artist got his start providing fliers and logos for early Los Angeles punk bands, but later took his psychedelic, Pop Art-vision to designing on "Pee-Wee's Playhouse," for which he won three Emmy Awards. I Need Art and Coffee 'Nebraska' was a sharp pivot inspired by proto-punk band SuicideAfter "Born to Run," Springsteen's songwriting turned darker on subsequent albums "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and "The River," as he began exploring the harsher realities of adulthood and working-class life, but "Nebraska" was his most gothic, featuring haunted songs partially inspired by the abrasive proto-punk duo Suicide. Treble The 1973 ‘back to school jam’ was the night hip-hop was bornHip-hop began in New York’s Bronx borough with the “back to school jam,” an August 1973 dance party hosted by Cindy Campbell and her brother, DJ Kool Herc, in their apartment building’s recreation room. BBC DJ Kool Herc pioneered the use of breakbeats for hip-hopInspired by Jamaican dancehall culture and Manhattan's disco scene, Herc used a new style that used two turntables, seamlessly mixing and looping "breakbeats"—isolated drum breaks from funk, soul, and rock records—that kept dancers at the "back to school jam" moving. Herc's technique would be the basis for modern sampling and hip-hop's first few decades. GoodStuff79 The 50 weirdest roadside attractionsA summer road trip isn’t complete without stopping at a few bizarre roadside attractions. This list collects the strangest from every state, including a martini-drinking pink elephant in Indiana, a potato hotel in Idaho, and a giant tire in Michigan. Fifty Grande Watch Daft Punk's legendary setCoachella’s main stage is known for spectacular, attention-grabbing sets, but one of the festival’s most consequential performances was on the smaller Sahara stage. That’s where Daft Punk brought their enormous LED pyramids and played an inventive mix of their past hits. The result was a reimagining of dance music’s approach to live performances and a realignment of pop music’s definition of a rock star. DanVidiot

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