Punk rock is a perfect example of how music can so powerfully reflect an artist’s freedom of expression. But what is punk and what classifies music to be punk? More than simply a musical genre, punk is an attitude; it represents an individual’s everyday struggle and his reaction to it.
Punk has used multiple costumes, hair styles, and distinctive sounds and has gone through many transformations. I created this list not to point out the best punk bands or my favorites, but to provide a sort of history that shows examples of bands that were and continue to be major contributors to the formation of today’s music.
50. No Use for a Name
A west side 90’s melodic punk band that had more of a skater punk style in their earlier years.
49. Total Chaos
This street punk band comes out of California with a hardcore, in-your-face style and brings great old school sound into the new age.
48. Storm Troopers of Death (aka S.O.D.)
New York hardcore punk band with a metal-influenced sound and controversial lyrics.
47. Face to Face
A trendy band out of California whose biggest success comes from the mid-1990s.
46. Screeching Weasel
Chicago band that really made a name for itself in the early ’90s with a new-age Ramones sound.
45. The Vandals
California punk band that brought more of a fun and humor concept to their music.
44. Big D and the Kids Table
Boston area band that blends ska and punk beautifully.
43. Down by Law
A solid band with lyrics about everyday pain and loneliness.
42. The Dead Milkmen
Snotty punk band with a sense of humor hailing from my hometown of Philadelphia.
41. Husker Du
This underground band had screaming hardcore vocals that eventually shifted to a more alternative rock style; they influenced a lot of the late ’90s grudge and alternative bands.
40. Propagandhi
A Canadian punk band that is, well, anti-everything, but brings a vicious skate style all its own.
39. Sick of It All
New York band that started out as punk. Now more of a hardcore sound.
38. Lagwagon
With albums like “Duh” and “Trashed”, this Fat Wreck Chords label band turned out to be one of the best punk rock bands of the 1990s.
37. Rancid
Created by the former members of Operation Ivy, Rancid helped steer punk in a new direction in the mid-1990s.
36. Stiff Little Fingers
This Northern Ireland act started out classic rock and eventually turned punk.
35. D.I.
A Southern California punk band that delivered a darker side to punk rock.
34. The Germs
LA punk rock band that only survived together long enough to make one great album (“GI”).
33. D.O.A.
A Vancouver punk band that is known for one of the first hardcore punk sounds.
32. Dag Nasty
Founded by the former guitarist of Minor Threat, this band delivers a more melodic and slower sound, later referred to as “emo-core”.
31. Circle Jerks
The original lead singer of Black Flag formed this punk band; their style is less raw but similar to his former act.
30. T.S.O.L
A horror punk band out of California with a sick, dark style.
29. Reagan Youth
Left-winged hardcore punk band out of Queens, NY, that helped establish the New York hardcore scene.
28. Agent Orange
Launching the “surf punk” sound, Agent Orange became a success among the skate-core scene.
27. Social Distortion
Big part of the hardcore punk 80’s explosion that later turned rockabilly.
26. Angry Samoans
With offensive lyrics and raw edge they forced their way into the greats of hardcore punk rock.
25. Fear
One of the original LA punk bands, Fear is credited for helping developt the American punk sound.
24. D.R.I.
Starting out punk then later crossing over to trash metal, this Texas band influenced many of the greats.
23. Subhumans
Formed in 1980, one of the best hardcore punk bands ever out of the UK.
22. Operation Ivy
A ska-core band that was short-lived but managed to make a superb record, “Energy”.
21. Damned
One of the first UK bands to tour the United States, the Damned were also leaders of the Gothic punk sound.
20. Pennywise
These California natives have a similar style to Bad Religion but they are definitely unmistakable.
19. NOFX
Established in the mid-80s and blowing up in the ’90s, this skate punk rock band used all its earlier influences to create a unique sound.
18. The Stooges
Out of Michigan, best know for Iggy Pop’s onstage antics.
17. Suicidal Tendencies
Leading the crossover to thrash, this band didn’t stay punk for long but were great while they were.
16. 7 Seconds
The band of brothers out of Nevada emerged with their own sound and message. They inspired many to the straight edge movement.
15. Agnostic Front
This New York act combined a hardcore street punk sound with lyrics from everyday upsets and contributed heavily to the local hardcore scene.
14. The Exploited
This Scottish punk band is true to the scene. It started off “oi’” and later evolved into one of the greatest hardcore punk bands off all time.
13. Descendents
Part of the California greats that brought a unique style with unique lyrics.
12. Bad Brains
A hardcore punk band with a fusion of reggae and jazz that came out of Washington D.C. They are definitely one of the pioneers of the American hardcore genre.
11. Adolescents
This is one of the most influential on this list, a big part of the ’80s punk revolt. Their debut album is one of the top selling punk records of all time.
10. Crass
A pioneer of punk music and the anarcho-punk movement, this English punk band advocated anti-hate and direct action messages.
9. Bad Religion
The best lyrics in the business for attacking social and political issues, this Southern California band put the harmonies and hooks into punk rock music.
8. Black Flag
This west coast band took the Ramones’s style and turned it into what many regard as the first hardcore punk rock sound. The first four years were good, but it’s not until Henry Rollins joined the band that they went from good to great.
7. The Misfits
Glen Danzig’s first and best band, the Misfits’s totally unique sound is often referred to as horror punk. The Misfits is another important key to the hardcore punk genre and nobody matches their sound.
6. Minor Threat
This Washington D.C. punk band is the definitive “straight edge” band. Their ultra fast short songs became revolutionary in the punk scene; unfortunately, the band’s existence was just as ultra short.
5. Sex Pistols
The originators of the UK punk movement, the Sex Pistols inspired many to be punk rock despite only lasting 2 1/2 years and producing only 1 studio album.
4. Dead Kennedys
DK built the bridge for crossing over the oceans in hardcore punk rock. They took sarcastic lyrics to a whole new level, while attacking social and political issues that paved the way for the punk revolt.
3. The Clash
What can we say? This seminal UK punk band is not afraid to to experiment with their sound. Their 3rd album, “London Calling”, is widely recognized as one of the greatest in any genre.
2. Ramones
At number 2, the Godfathers of punk rock practically invented the power chord. The importance of this band on rock’n'roll is nearly indescribable and earned their place in the Hall Of Fame.
1. The Sonics
The Sonics were the first true punk band from way back in the ’60s. They never really received much recognition by the mainstream, even though their innovative sound had a little bit of everything blended together. What stands out the most is their ’50s-style blues shouting, raunchy grit, groovy rhythms, and disturbing lyrics. This is the band that started it all a decade before any of the first contemporary punk acts even picked up a guitar.