The Clash was one of the first and most important British punk bands. In the 1970s, they were the Beatles to the Sex Pistols' Stones, and went on to incorporate elements from all the roots music they loved--reggae, rockabilly, soul, blues--without ev…

Along with the Clash, the Sex Pistols gave birth to the U.K. punk movement that forever changed music the world over. Inspired by New Yorkers like the Ramones and the New York Dolls, the Pistols crafted a hard-hitting, primal sound whose blazing guit…

One of the finest, most distinctive American punk bands of the late 1970s/early '80s, the Dead Kennedys combined righteous political anger with a biting sense of satire. Wildman Jello Biafra's high-pitched yelp and East Bay Ray's twangy, surf-influen…

In 1976, the Ramones almost single-handedly invented punk rock and taught the likes of the Sex Pistols and the Clash how it was done. They combined a love of '60s pop melodies with a predilection for short, fast, loud songs and thick, chugging guitar…

US ska/punk cultish legends Operation Ivy were formed in 1987 by Tim "Lint" Armstrong (guitar, vocals), Matt Freeman aka Matt McCall (bass), Dave Mello (drums) and Jesse Michaels (vocals). Inspired equally by Britain's first wave of punk bands and th…

It's widely asserted that the Damned were the first UK punk band to record, beating both the Clash and the Pistols to the punch. For as big an impact as their work had on the punk movement, they always stood somewhat outside the scene. Their quirky f…

With an intelligent and witty take on typical punk-rock subject matter--alienation, parents, fast food, boredom--and a blazing yet catchy approach, the Descendents, from Manhattan Beach, California, became one of the most beloved bands to emerge from…

In a relatively brief career that began in 1979 and ended in 1987, Husker Du left an indelible mark, making a great impact on subsequent rock trends including grunge, alternative, and emo. The Minneapolis trio had its first major success on the fable…

Along with Bad Religion and the Descendents, Huntington Beach surf punks the Vandals were one of the key bands in the development of the highly influential SoCal punk sound. Originally one of the most violent bands in the nascent L.A. hardcore scene …

NOFX formed in 1983, but these goofy California punk rockers didn't make their first full-length album until 1988, when Bad Religion's Brett Gurewitz offered to record the band. More musically adventurous than many of their peers, NOFX and their humo…

One half of the short-lived yet influential Long Island, NY rap duo K.M.D., MF Doom, then Zevlove X, was m.i.a. for several years following the tragic death of his brother (K.M.D. DJ Sub Roc) in 1993. Doom reemerged in the early 2000s as an MC posses…

They may have started out as another early-'80s, Ramones-influenced Cal-punk band, but before long Social Distortion was incorporating a distinct C&W influence into their jackhammer drive. In a sandpaper rasp, singer Mike Ness told tales of drugs, ja…

They never achieved the status of punk peers the Sex Pistols and the Clash, but the Buzzcocks are one of the most influential rock bands of the latter 20th century. With a blazing guitar attack, bratty singing, and riff-happy songs built around a few…

Formed in New Jersey in 1977, the Misfits combined the aggressive charge of punk rock with an outlandish sci-fi/horror-movie aesthetic. With their signature "Fiend" skull mascot, bizarrely sculpted "devilock" hairstyles, and songs about zombies and s…

When the dust clears, it's quite possible that Jawbreaker will be viewed as one of the most influential punk bands ever. Contemporaries of Green Day prior to that band's ascendency to mega-stardom, Jawbreaker and its enigmatic frontman Blake Schwarze…

The seeds of Rancid were in the influential early-'90s Californian punk-ska outfit Operation Ivy. Two members of Ivy persevered to form a band that more explicitly nodded to their roots in vintage punk. Heavily influenced by the Clash, Rancid took th…

A zany eight-piece or more ska unit from the bleached-out California coast Aquabats earned respect for an energized new wave of ska-punk from figures ranging from Courtney Love to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Squirrel Nut Zippers Apparently led by…

James Osterberg began his musical career in 1964, playing in various Detroit bands but most famously in the Iguanas, where he acquired the nickname Iggy Pop. Inspired by the dirty sound of Chicago blues, a Doors live performance, and garage-band aest…

Coming out of the grass-roots Gilman St. punk scene of the early-1990s Bay Area, Green Day exploded into the mainstream with their third album, 1994's DOOKIE. The trio's punk energy and pop hooks, influenced by first-generation punks like the Buzzcoc…