Cult punk bands. Punk rock bands: the best punk bands from Rolling Stone

In 1975, she gave her first concert in London at St. Martin's College of Art. group "Sex Pistols", or rather, they performed only five songs, after which a frightened college employee turned off the electricity. From this moment on England started punk revolution– propaganda of personal freedom, anarchy and outrageousness. Strangely dressed boys and girls appeared on the streets, behaved provocatively and drank alcohol in front of everyone. Punk was not only a musical direction - it became a kind of ideology, behavior and fashion style.

Several factors contributed to the emergence of punk culture: in the 1970s, the UK had the highest rate of youth unemployment. A depressive atmosphere of social hopelessness reigned in society. The level of trust in government was rapidly falling. The peace-loving ideology of the hippies did not provide an outlet for the accumulated aggression. Rock, which gradually moved into the musical mainstream, could no longer satisfy the needs of young people to demonstrate protest and rebellious sentiments. Therefore, the emergence of a new subculture became quite logical.

Punks – youth subculture, the main features of which were ideological nihilism, nonconformism, denial of social foundations, a critical attitude towards power, protest against material assets And career growth, shocking behavior, provocative style of clothing. Punk culture originated in the 1960s in the USA, and in the 1970s the UK became its center.

The word “punk” has many meanings: “scum”, “scoundrel”, “rotten”, “dirt”, “scum”. Before the advent of the musical style, it was used as a curse word. Musical term characterized “garage rock”, the word “punk” meaning “rotten” was used as a metaphor in relation to American groups who sang obscene songs and behaved provocatively.

The founder of the punk style in fashion is considered famous designer Vivienne Westwood. Her husband, Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, created the ideology of the punk movement, and she visualized it in fashion. Torn T-shirts with provocative slogans, leather collars, belts and chains, high-platform shoes, leather biker jackets with rivets, ripped jeans, spiked wristbands appealed to young rebel anarchists.

In 1971, Vivienne Westwood opened the Let It Rock boutique, later renamed Sex, which became the fashion center of UK punk culture. All members of the Sex Pistols wore clothes designed by Vivienne. It was she who first began to wear a mohawk, which became an invariable attribute of punk style.

Punk culture has left a significant mark on the history of youth subcultures and still arouses interest to this day. A clear example of this is at the Philadelphia College of Art and Design. Moore.

In the mid-seventies, a new direction within rock music was formed in the States, which was called punk rock. The compositions that foreign punk rock groups create are invariably different fast pace, short duration, simple accompaniment, as well as a cheeky and often aggressive style of singing. The lyrics clearly show nihilism and socio-political issues.

It is noteworthy that all varieties of punk rock are characterized by the presence of their own special biases. Between punk rock and the punk subculture there is unbreakable bond. Moreover, the latter is based on the principles of DIY, outrageousness, hooliganism and general nonconformism.

Punk rock abroad

Even though today there are quite a variety of foreign punk rock bands, the list in general may include the following:

• Green Day;
• The Offspring;
• Bad Religion;
• blink-182;
• Rise Against
• Ramones
• Sum 41;
• NOFX;
• The Clash;
• Billy Talent;
• Alkaline Trio.

• Green Day

If we consider all known this moment punk rock bands are foreign, then Green Day can be put in first place in popularity. This group appeared in the USA and was represented by three members: Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar), Mike Dirnt (bass guitar, backing vocal), Tre Kulom (drums).

Green Day's early days were part of the punk rock scene at 924 Gilman Street, Berkeley, California. Albums with which she started her career creative activity, provided the team a large number of fans. However, the situation changed somewhat at the time of signing a contract with a major label, as a result of which separate part fans lost interest in her. The release of their debut album on Reprise Records allowed them to achieve unprecedented success in 1994. This resulted in the volume of copies sold amounting to 20 million units. This fact led to the fact that the team, along with other representatives of this genre, ensured its popularity in the United States.

Unfortunately, the albums that the group released in subsequent years could not repeat the success of Dookie, although they achieved a certain effect. In 2004, Green Day presented the opera American Idiot to the public, thanks to which the group once again attracted increased attention. Then the volume of sold copies in different countries amounted to 15 million units. If we talk about all the albums that the group has released throughout its history, then their sales volume exceeded 50 million units. Thanks to their successful activities, such groups as Sum 41 and Good Charlotte were able to loudly make themselves known.

• The Offspring

Of course, many punk bands have their own style of performance; the list of foreign bands can be quite large, in which one cannot but include participants who united under called The Offspring.

This team was formed in 1984. Main role Dexter Holland and Greg Krisel, who were in the same class, played in its creation. The very idea of ​​this project came to them after attending the Social Distortion concert.

Although this group is associated with alternative rock, skate punk and punk rock, their work also contains features inherent in styles such as grunge, metal and ska. Most often, the lyrics of their songs reflect notes of sarcasm; they discuss, along with problems of personal relationships, problems of a socio-political nature.

• Bad Religion

If we consider all the bands representing the punk rock style, of which countless numbers appeared in Southern California in the eighties of the twentieth century, then Bad Religion can be included in the list of those few groups that continue to exist to this day. More than twenty years have passed, but they still continue to stick to their chosen course and never create albums in which all the compositions are clones of previously released ones. Moreover, with each new album released, the band’s progress is marked, and already in classic punk you can see a small amount of hard rock, heavy metal, and psychedelia. However, in each case they certainly emphasize the melodicism of their creations.

The appearance of their debut full-length album took place back in 1983, which was called Into the Unknown. It immediately aroused special interest from the local hardcore scene. The release led to some changes that affected the composition of the group. Paul Dedona and Davy Goldman were invited to play the role of the new bassist and drummer.

Their last release, The Process of Belief, took place back in 2002. Now work is in full swing on the creation of a new project, which will use sound, light, space and time in a new way.

Back in 1978, left-wing radical punk anarchists Crass from the English county of Essex uncompromisingly and unequivocally declared in the song “ Punk Is Dead"that punk is supposedly dead and, worse than that, sold out, exchanged the revolution for currency. Nevertheless, just three years later, the charismatic frontman of the Scottish punk band The Exploited, Watty Buchan, proclaimed his slogan in response to them, which became much more popular and replicated in mass consciousness: « Punk's Not Dead ».

One way or another, the debate over whether punk is alive has not subsided since its inception on the streets of London and New York in the 1970s. In this material, we decided, if not to answer this question, then at least to understand how modern European punk rock lives - we tried to be very diverse, so we did not focus on one specific manifestation of punk, but put together a vinaigrette: from dance and rhythmic to atonal and aggressive. The formal reason for this was today's Moscow concert of the young Danish punk band Iceage, whose second album “You"re Nothing” received even more rave reviews from critics than the excellent debut album “New Brigade”.

Terrible Feelings

The Terrible Feelings quartet, led by charming vocalist Manuela Ivansson, was formed in the Swedish city of Malmo in 2010. A year later, they released their first mini-album, Blank Heads. Musical style bands range from garage punk to something like heavy rock 'n' roll. Judging by their latest EP “Backwoods”, released in August of this year, the band’s sound is gradually becoming more pure - they’ve probably grown up. But nevertheless, the essence remains the same: Terrible Feelings is a very cheerful, slightly teenage naive and cheerful punk.

English hardcore punk band Gallows were formed in 2005 in Watford. A year later, they released their first album, Orchestra of Wolves, which was highly praised by reviewers from Kerrang!, NME and other music publications. In 2011, frontman Frank Carter left the band due to “creative differences” and formed with American guitarist Jim Carroll new group Pure Love. Despite this, Gallows released their self-titled third album in 2012 with new vocalist Wade McNeil.

We Are the Physics

Scots We Are the Physics gathered in Glasgow in 2005 and three years later released their debut album Are OK At Music. The guys themselves describe their style as “mutant science punk rock” and say that they are famous for their eccentric shows and B-movie aesthetics. Concerning musical influences, then among them are the cult art-punks Devo, the Japanese Polysics with their “screaming pogo-punk” and even the most famous rock and roll bespectacled Buddy Holly. Mixing all this, we get fashionable dance punk with elements of math rock - this, of course, is not what their compatriots from The Exploited had in mind, but formally it is still punk rock.

The quartet Rue D'la Soif from Rennes, France, includes a very unusual instrument for punk rock - the accordion. Something similar would probably have happened if the famous accordionist Yvette Orner had decided to record with the patriarchs of British punk, The Clash. The group was formed in 2004, in 2008 they released their debut album “Quoi Qu'on En Dise...”, and literally any day now their second album “L'Ardoise” should appear - not so hurricane and cheerful, but much more lyrical, judging by the first singles.

Danish power trio The Movement was founded in Copenhagen in 2002. They play mod-rock with elements of punk and ska, inspired by the work of The Jam, The Who and The Clash, as well as (beware!) Karl Marx and Rosa Luxemburg. Influence British subculture mods are also noticeable in the design of the group’s records, among which are this moment There are already three full-length albums. It’s best to start getting to know the band with their debut album “Move!”, replete with solid ska-punk militants with lyrics about the fight against a hypocritical society, wasted youth, but not lost ideals.

Garage punks The Heartburns came together in the Finnish city of Turku in 2001, and in 2003 they released their first record. After a series of singles, splits and concert tours, the group broke up, only to be revived in Helsinki in 2006 with a new lineup, with only two members of the original, and finally record their debut album “Fucked Up in a Bad Way” with ten songs full of anger , hopelessness and alcohol intoxication. Having released another album in 2008, the band exists to this day, regularly holding concerts and re-releasing their limited legacy on vinyl.

Lendakaris Muertos

Spanish comedy-punk band Lendakaris Muertos was formed in Pamplona in 2004, and their self-titled debut album was released a year later. The guys play “fast orthodox punk” (as they themselves write) with ironic lyrics that ridicule many social and political problems, including the confrontation between Spain and the so-called Basque Country, making unequivocal jokes regarding both sides of the conflict.

Musical style punk rock arose in the very early 1970s. The USA is considered the birthplace of punk. In England this genre gained popularity a little later. Punk's word English language initially had a sharply negative connotation. In slang, this is what girls of easy virtue were called. In America, prisoners were branded with this designation low caste criminal world. Having entered the everyday lexicon, the term acquired the meaning of “dirty”, “rotten”, “garbage waste”.

The era of "garage rock"

At the very end of the 50s, a large number of amateur musical groups and teams. This phenomenon was very simple basis. The popularity of the great Beatles forced young performers to take up musical instruments.

“Garage rock” is also commonly called “proto-punk,” because it became the basis for the future mass movement. It received the name “garage” because the beginning groups rehearsed in ordinary garages using primitive equipment. The music was distinguished by its compositional simplicity, roughness, rigidity and extreme carelessness during performance. There was practically no concept of. The main thing was the desire, not the ability to play. The performers created for themselves and a narrow circle of acquaintances and friends. This is how the first prerequisites for the punk party began to take shape.

The Sonics

The first signs of punk rock

American New York became the center of punk rock in the late 60s. The Ramones are deservedly considered the first real punks in this style. Their music was very simple and had a high tempo. Songs could be no more than 30 seconds long, based on the vocalist shouting just a few phrases under the deafening noise of the instruments.

British punk rock bands of the period were represented by The Damned and the Sex Pistols. It was the latter who laid the foundation for behavior on stage, professing aggression and a cheeky manner of behavior. An interesting phenomenon What happened was that in the USA punk rock remained mostly underground, but in the UK it turned into a broad youth movement.

Sex Pistols

English punk rock music grew into a global protest, speaking out against a wealthy existence, shaking the canons and respectable foundations. A significant social burden demonstrated by the punk rock style was the political background and dissatisfaction with the rules and orders. The lyrics featured social messages and statements.

A huge number of young bands copied the Sex Pistols, finding in this process a completely new coloring and sound. The main ideology remained the idea “ lost generation”, which protests against everyone and everything. The music remained loud, brutal, harsh and simple.

Style development: second wave

The Exploited

A new impetus to punk music was given by the growing post-punk movement in musical circles and alternative rock. Prominent representatives became the Pixies and Sonic Youth.

In the 90s, the most significant can be considered mega popular groups The Offspring and Green Day. The sound of these world-class bands has become more melodic; amateur musicians have been replaced by real professionals in their field. The energy and high tempo of punk rock, the accessibility and simplicity of compositions for the listener were inherited by the bands from the first wave of punks. The main additions can be considered professionalism of performance, high-quality sound of instruments and vocals. The ideas of protest and aggression gave way to unbridled musical fun and complete abandon, receiving the definition of “California punk rock.” The softest branch today can be considered pop-punk.

Punk rock in Russia

Like any other popular world movement, punk rock has been widely represented in the Russian Federation for quite a long time. The story begins in 1979. They presented Russian punk rock groups of the first wave: “Automatic Satisfactory”, “People’s Militia”, “Diogenes” and many others. The Siberian group “ civil defense" A group called the Gas Sector enjoyed wide popularity among Russian punks.

civil defense

Rolling Stone magazine has long been considered an authoritative publication, so its articles, criticism, and praise are taken seriously. They take the ratings of this famous publication no less seriously. In 2011, the magazine published a list of " The best punk rock bands" The results were unexpected, since they depended on the number of visits to the official websites of the groups, where links to voting were posted. This is how those who took first place were determined. It is worth noting that the list did not include Russian punk bands like Korol and Shut or Lumen. Moreover, representatives of only two countries were there.

The best punk rock bands: TOP 10

10th place in the “best” list was taken by the Bad Brains team from Washington. They appeared during the heyday of the punk style in the late 70s and became the founders of hardcore punk.

In front of them were representatives of hot California, Social Distortion. Their work took inspiration from early punk and more old-school bands like the Rolling Stones.

Eighth among the Rolling Stone laureates were the founders of horror punk, The Misfits. They formed in the turbulent 70s in the States. Initially, the band was played by Glenn Danzig, later the founder of the metal band of the same name. After his departure, The Misfits disbanded for a decade, and only in the mid-1990s did the group revive.

Another group that participated in the formation of the hardcore punk style - Black Flag, took an honorable 7th place in the TOP best groups. The group was formed in California and over the eight years of its existence has left a significant mark on the global punk scene.

The second five were opened by the legendary The Stooges, of which the luminary was a member alternative music– Iggy Pop. Formally, the style of this group is defined as a mixture of garage, psychedelic rock with punk and glam. The Stooges formed in 1967, when the world did not know about punk rock and even heavy metal. But one of The songs Stooges is very reminiscent of the riff of a future greatest hit. The group existed intermittently until 1974. Now the team has reconvened and is successfully touring.

Punk Bands: Top 5 Bands

Fifth on the list "" were The Dead Kennedys, who also played hardcore punk with elements of other genres (psychedelic, surf, rockabilly, garage rock) and achieved scandalous fame within ten years. They have been put on trial several times. The charges brought against him included the distribution of immoral materials (including the Frankenchrist album). They were sued by the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), known as the Washington Wives.

The Sex Pistols were fourth - the first non-Americans in the ranking. They are considered the initiators of the punk revolution in England, which was facilitated by the tracks God save the Queen and Anarchy in the UK. The group existed for only 4 years, recorded only 1 album, but left a significant contribution to music. It was in their composition that Sid Vicious became famous.

The British came second again. The Clash was influenced by the Sex Pistols. Throughout their careers, the musicians did not shy away from communicating with fans, achieving low prices for your albums and tickets. The Clash were inducted into the famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (a rarity for a punk band).

Topped the list " best punk rock bands of the world» pop-punk founders Green Day. Of all the groups in the rating, Green Day appeared last. They exist to this day, never scattering. Their album Dookie (1994), which became the platform for their success, and the rock opera American Idiot (2004), which was even staged on Broadway, brought them particular popularity.