"Punk is musical freedom. It's saying, doing and playing what you want. In Webster's terms, 'nirvana' means freedom from pain, suffering and the external world, and that's pretty close to my definition of Punk Rock."
-Kurt Cobain
-Kurt Cobain
by mchelclford May 21, 2015
Music which, contrary to popular belief, does not need to be loud, nor fast to fit under the said moniker. Rooted in the avant-garde of The Velvet Underground, who despite drawing influences from free jazz and swing-- elements that would later be thrown out of the mix when "punk" came to full rise-- laid the blueprint for the aesthetic of what is now considered the "punk" mentality; defying rock conventions and creating music that was messy, unpolished, and primitive. VU's experimentalism carried into their live performances, in which they would commonly improvise songs (an art predocessors, and fellow New Yorkers Television would incorperate into live shows), as well as create feedback and distortion noises.
After VU, The Stooges, a Michigan-based proto-punk band, formed and followed the same philosophy. Led by the infamous Iggy Pop, The Stooges may have "rocked" far harder than VU, but nontheless had VU's flare for being controversial; not only did they follow in VU's footsteps by writing lyrics that blatantly reference drugs and sex, but putting on bizarre live shows, in which Pop would perform shirtless and cut himself, as well as cover his body in peanut butter. While VU managed to gain slight acclaim with their ties to artist Andy Warhol, at the time of their existence, The Stooges enjoyed virtually no success, and barely sold any records at all.
Shortly after The Stooges, The New York Dolls formed, not only adding to the blueprint for what would shortly thereafter become punk rock, but doing the same for "glam" rock; dressing in drag, drawing influence from the likes of David Bowie, and playing 'Stones-inspired songs that would eventually influence the likes of Motley Crue and Poison. However, like VU and The Stooges before them, they never broke through to the mainstream audience, and disbanded in the early seventies.
Now the year was 1974; bands like The Ramones, Talking Heads, and Television began to form. The Ramones, whose music was influenced by bubble gum and girl pop as much as it was by the likes of the Rolling Stones, played fast, catchy, simplistic three-chord rock songs, and became the first punk band to play regularly at CBGB's. Talking Heads, whose music was more diverse and pop-sounding, soon followed suit, as did Television, whose music was more complex and jazzy, as well as having featured revolutionary, dueling guitars. Richard Hell & the Voidoids were also key players in what is now considered the CBGB's New York punk scene.
While The Ramones and Talking Heads would enjoy lasting careers, and, in the case of Talking Heads, critical acclaim and mainstream success, Television self-destructed after two studio albums, including the classic "Marquee Moon." While similar fate struck many other New York punk bands, their influence nontheless managed to stretch across the pond, hitting England. Bands like The Buzzcocks, The Clash, Evlis Costello & the Attractions, and The Sex Pistols began sprouting up, and the punk rock scene reached it's height between 1977 and 1978.
While The Clash and Elvis Costello both managed successful careers well into the eighties, the death of Sid Vicious essentially marked the end of punk, and as bands like Joy Division, and Echo & the Bunnymen began what would become the post-punk movement.
So when you kids are trashing The Strokes for being overhyped and trendy, despite taking a page from the likes of VU and Television, who had more to do with punk rock than Operation Ivy ever did, and when you're calling New Found Glory "too soft," when Talking Heads seldom used distortion, just remember-- none of the bullshit you listen to is punk rock, so it doesn't matter!
After VU, The Stooges, a Michigan-based proto-punk band, formed and followed the same philosophy. Led by the infamous Iggy Pop, The Stooges may have "rocked" far harder than VU, but nontheless had VU's flare for being controversial; not only did they follow in VU's footsteps by writing lyrics that blatantly reference drugs and sex, but putting on bizarre live shows, in which Pop would perform shirtless and cut himself, as well as cover his body in peanut butter. While VU managed to gain slight acclaim with their ties to artist Andy Warhol, at the time of their existence, The Stooges enjoyed virtually no success, and barely sold any records at all.
Shortly after The Stooges, The New York Dolls formed, not only adding to the blueprint for what would shortly thereafter become punk rock, but doing the same for "glam" rock; dressing in drag, drawing influence from the likes of David Bowie, and playing 'Stones-inspired songs that would eventually influence the likes of Motley Crue and Poison. However, like VU and The Stooges before them, they never broke through to the mainstream audience, and disbanded in the early seventies.
Now the year was 1974; bands like The Ramones, Talking Heads, and Television began to form. The Ramones, whose music was influenced by bubble gum and girl pop as much as it was by the likes of the Rolling Stones, played fast, catchy, simplistic three-chord rock songs, and became the first punk band to play regularly at CBGB's. Talking Heads, whose music was more diverse and pop-sounding, soon followed suit, as did Television, whose music was more complex and jazzy, as well as having featured revolutionary, dueling guitars. Richard Hell & the Voidoids were also key players in what is now considered the CBGB's New York punk scene.
While The Ramones and Talking Heads would enjoy lasting careers, and, in the case of Talking Heads, critical acclaim and mainstream success, Television self-destructed after two studio albums, including the classic "Marquee Moon." While similar fate struck many other New York punk bands, their influence nontheless managed to stretch across the pond, hitting England. Bands like The Buzzcocks, The Clash, Evlis Costello & the Attractions, and The Sex Pistols began sprouting up, and the punk rock scene reached it's height between 1977 and 1978.
While The Clash and Elvis Costello both managed successful careers well into the eighties, the death of Sid Vicious essentially marked the end of punk, and as bands like Joy Division, and Echo & the Bunnymen began what would become the post-punk movement.
So when you kids are trashing The Strokes for being overhyped and trendy, despite taking a page from the likes of VU and Television, who had more to do with punk rock than Operation Ivy ever did, and when you're calling New Found Glory "too soft," when Talking Heads seldom used distortion, just remember-- none of the bullshit you listen to is punk rock, so it doesn't matter!
by :-* June 9, 2004
Well, the first guy said the Biafra quote, Punk aint no religious cult, punk is thinking for yourself...and so therefore, if you like GC Sum or Blink or MXPX or something...be yourself...think for yourself and stop trying to be punk and be you.
YOU POP PUNK PRICK! YOU LISTEN TO BLINK182!
Reply: You are just listening to shit to be cool so let me be myself and do whatever the fuck i want. Its about the music, not whose a sellout or whos whatever. The most punk rock thing in the world was going against whats punk rock. THINK FOR YOURSELF
Reply: You are just listening to shit to be cool so let me be myself and do whatever the fuck i want. Its about the music, not whose a sellout or whos whatever. The most punk rock thing in the world was going against whats punk rock. THINK FOR YOURSELF
by Mike Rotch December 21, 2004
Rock music with deliberately offensive lyrics expressing anger and social alienation; in part a reaction against progressive rock. Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement that began about 1976, exemplified by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols and The Clash. The term is also used to describe subsequent music scenes that share key characteristics with those first-generation "punks". The term is sometimes also applied to the fashions or the irreverent "DIY" ("do it yourself") attitude associated with this musical movement. Punks and punk rock were once denigrated by the overwhelming majority of the population, including young people. To be a punk rocker and play punk rock music was to ostracize yourself from your peers and be the subject of scorn. Today it is relatively socially acceptable to be punk and play punk rock music. Thus, some maintain that the punk scene has lost the very heart of its former nature as one of explosive creativity, rebellion, anger, hate, and individualism and that it has become a mere caricature of what once was.
by L053R May 20, 2005
Rock music in a style of the late 1970's, characterized by offensive lyrics and agressive performance. -punk rocker
by idifferfromyou2005 October 15, 2005
A genre of music that died around 1996, contrary to what any blue haired fifteen yr old will tell you.
Punk Rock originally had a three chord sound. Everyone knew that the music was not important as the message. Sid Vicious was never known as the best player of the 70s or of any era, but everyone knew who the Sex Pistols were.
True punk rock bands include (but are not limited to): Sex Pistols, Black Flag, Ramones, Youth Brigade, Bad Brains, DK (pre-1987), Descendents, Minor Threat, Fugazi, 7 Seconds, Bad Religion, Sub Society, and Teen Idols.
Examples of "punk" rock, only by record label classification: Good Charlotte, Blink 182, Simple Plan, Avril Lavigne, No Doubt (yes, I once had someone tell me they are punk. Yes, you may laugh too), 311, and The All American Rejects.
Punk Rock originally had a three chord sound. Everyone knew that the music was not important as the message. Sid Vicious was never known as the best player of the 70s or of any era, but everyone knew who the Sex Pistols were.
True punk rock bands include (but are not limited to): Sex Pistols, Black Flag, Ramones, Youth Brigade, Bad Brains, DK (pre-1987), Descendents, Minor Threat, Fugazi, 7 Seconds, Bad Religion, Sub Society, and Teen Idols.
Examples of "punk" rock, only by record label classification: Good Charlotte, Blink 182, Simple Plan, Avril Lavigne, No Doubt (yes, I once had someone tell me they are punk. Yes, you may laugh too), 311, and The All American Rejects.
Kid1: Dude, I am so punk because I wear a Good Charlotte wordhoodie/word, a mesh wordtrucker hat/word that I bought at the mall and have every Blink 182 CD, including the bootlegs.
Kid2: No, that makes you a fucking tool.
Kid1: But I want to be punk. How can I be punk?
Kid2: In the words of Jello: "Punk ain't no religious cult,punk means thinking for yourself. You ain't hardcore cause you spike your hair, when a jock still lives inside your head."
To paraphrase: Mall punks, mall punks, mall punks.....fuck off!
Kid2: No, that makes you a fucking tool.
Kid1: But I want to be punk. How can I be punk?
Kid2: In the words of Jello: "Punk ain't no religious cult,punk means thinking for yourself. You ain't hardcore cause you spike your hair, when a jock still lives inside your head."
To paraphrase: Mall punks, mall punks, mall punks.....fuck off!
by Ricky Roma January 30, 2004
Freedom rebellion. Not a stereotype to a certain type of clothes or hairstyle. Unless you know you are punk, that is considered hypocritical. It's an inside feeling, a way one sees the world, to explore it freely and express yourself within it and the punk rock music. Even crossing boundaries to different genres, because, of course, without punk rock... all music wouldn't be the same today. You might be punk if you don't care what others think of yourself, under any circumstances.
Punk rock is what I say it is! You think you are so cool by criticizing me? I don't have to listen to what you say, no one ever had to. I'm not going to change for anyone, and that including you. Instead, I'll take problems, like you for example and scream about them in a loud manner, so that the whole world knows.
by What'sup12 April 25, 2011