Punk Rock is a musical genre that was so immense, important and influential that it gave rise to its own world known as simply Punk.
To understand Punk Rock we have to know the context in which the genre was generated and born. During the 70s, genres such as Progressive Rock and Pop Rock were the musical hegemony of the time; one of the most important aspects of these genres was that they required a certain sophistication, musical knowledge and technicality, which made them difficult to interpret for people who did not have access to this technicality and sophistication, and there were also people who were not interested in making such complex and sophisticated music, added to the thought that several people both from music critics and common people had which was that the more technical and difficult the song, the better it is.
Once we understand the context in which Punk Rock is generated, we have to go into the musical background of the genre:
Garage Rock: Garage Rock during the 60s was, if we wanted to sum it up very simply, Punk before Punk. It was a genre that encompassed tremendously wild and violent artists with a very big edge when it came to guitar playing.Power Pop: Power Pop was one of the few Rock genres of the 70s that decided to go against sophistication and technicality; it was to make Pop Rock without the compositional addition; the idea was to obtain the direct and melodic character of Pop Rock but to make it more aggressive, direct and without the instrumental segments and musical ambition of Pop Rock.
As we have already covered the context and background, it is time to get into Punk Rock itself.
By '77 onwards we start talking about Punk Rock. It is mainly developed in England and America.
The essence of Punk Rock is to take the most energetic and wild Rock sounds and make a more radical version of them; it is characterized by musical simplicity, with short, direct songs, not very complex in the compositional and technical aspects, chords almost always with 5th and 8th chords and songs built around them, lack of lead guitars and instrumental sections; rhythmically fast, simple and direct; vocally melodic and "poppy", coupled with an aggression and rejection of "singing well"; lyrically it is diverse, with political, humorous and Pop Rock-like bands of the time.
Recommended albums to understand 70s Punk Rock:
Ramones - Rocket To RussiaThe Damned - Damned Damned DamnedThe Clash - The ClashSex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex PistolsBuzzcocks - Another Music In A Different KitchenX-Ray Spex - Germfree AdolescentsDead Boys - Young Loud and SnottyThe Saints - (I'm) StrandedJohnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F. - The Lost '77 Mixes
Due to the fact that Punk Rock started as such in 77, in the 80s there is only an extension of the initial decade; because of this, much of the "explosiveness" of the 70s remains.
Something that characterizes the decade of the 80s is that Punk Rock is no longer the wildest musical style, since during this decade Hardcore Punk begins to emerge; then this new generation of Punk Rock is generated, trying to match the aggression of Hardcore Punk, along with other groups that try to explore more within Punk Rock, especially in the rhythmic and in the influences of other genres.
Recommended albums to understand the Punk Rock of the 80s:
X - Los AngelesSocial Distortion - Mommy's Little MonsterThe Adicts - Songs of PraiseAgent Orange - Living In DarknessStiff Little Fingers - Nobody's HeroesThe Celibate Rifles - SideroxylonThe Crucifucks - The CrucifucksPlasmatics - Beyond The Valley Of 1984 / Metal PriestessUK Subs - Brand New Age
Upon reaching the 90s, Punk Rock is in a world of Punk much more diverse and broad, having very influential genres such as Pop Punk, Skate Punk, Melodic Hardcore, among others, which sought to explore more melody.
This generation is very important because it generated many classics for its high diversity, being the decade of the 90's one of the most diverse in Punk. This search to make Punk Rock heavier, edgier and more aggressive is maintained, as in all the decades of the genre.
This decade proves that Punk Rock is one of the most creative genres in the Punk world due to its versatility.
Recommended albums to understand the Punk Rock of the 90s:
Rancid - ...And Out Come The WolvesLeatherface - MushThe Gits - Frenching the BullyThe Bouncing Souls - Hopeless RomanticDidjits - Hornet PiñataThe Living End - The Living EndAmerican Steel - Rogue's MarchSwingin' Utters - Five Lessons LearnedU.S. Bombs - War Birth
In the 2000s, as always, there is a rise in aggression, but it is also a decade with a lot of diversity where there were extremely aggressive projects and others that mixed Punk Rock with genres farther away from Punk.
What makes this decade stand out is that there is a much more notable female representation than in previous decades. It can also be said that this decade is the most lyrically elaborated of Punk Rock.
Recommended albums to understand the Punk Rock of the 00s:
Against Me! - As The Eternal CowboyThe Distillers - Coral FangThe Lawrence Arms - The Greatest Story Ever ToldDillinger Four - Versus GodBeatsteaks - Smack SmashThe Bellrays - Have a Little FaithThe Marked Men - Fix My BrainRandy - The Human Atom BombsAnti-Flag - The Terror State
The 2010s are notable for trying to do something more difficult, artistically innovative and revolutionary. As is the norm, in this decade there is a noticeable rise in aggressiveness, intensity and also precision. This decade is similar to the previous one due to the high diversity of sounds and bands. It is in this decade when the most violent and aggressive Punk Rock takes place, with influences of Garage Punk and even Noise Rock. What most characterizes this era is that it is one of the most vocally diverse, with a greater female representation, as in the previous decade. There is also a lot of variety in the overall aesthetics and production.
Recommended albums to understand the Punk Rock of the 10s:
White Lung - SorryThe Menzingers - On The Impossible PastDestroy Boys - Make RoomRed City Radio - The Dangers of Standing StillCrusades - The Sun Is Down and the Night Is Riding inMean Jeans - Tight New DimensionNight Birds - Born to Die in SuburbiaToys That Kill - Fambly 42Red Dons - Fake Meets Failure
Now a list of certain albums that did not appear on the wiki and the reasons.
The Undertones - The Undertones: This is a classic band from the 70s and 80s very iconic and innovative. They were basically the first Pop Punk band in the history of Punk.Green Day - Dookie: An album that mixes very well all the best of Punk Rock and Pop Punk, so it is difficult to put it in any of the two genres.AFI - The Art of Drowning: They are a band that in the 90s made a mix between Punk Rock and Melodic Hardcore, so it is also complicated to put it in one of the two genres.Jawbreaker - Dear You: They were a band that during the 90s mixed Punk Rock with Midwest Emo and Emotional Hardcore (Emocore) sounds; basically the most emotional and confessional sounds of the time, so they are also very intersectional to put into a genre.
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