Pioneers of Punk

So you dig Good Charlotte, Blink-182 and all those other kickin' punk tunes? Think that knowing the lyrics to every Sum 41 song makes you a punk rock connoisseur? Think again. Chances are that your 'rents were grooving to punk long before they were shuttling you to soccer practice. So check out these old-skool punk bands that you need to know about.

*Heads Up* If you plan on picking up a few of these albums you should know that some of the songs, on a few of the albums, may contain the occasional naughty word. We're not talking about Eminem-style trash talking, but you'll want to check with your 'rents before blaring this stuff in the living room. Remind your folks that this is the music of their generation, maybe it'll help!

Punk Music - The Clash

This British punk band did more than rock out - they had an agenda. Their songs raged against racism, police brutality and the establishment in general. The Clash refused to become stereotypical punk - they combined their rock style with funk, reggae, and rap to create their unique sound.

Punk Music - The Ramones

If you don't know who the Ramones are then you don't know what punk is. In the late '70s, these guys were pretty much responsible for the birth of punk as we know it. Songs like I Wanna Be Sedated and Blitzkrieg Bop are as pure punk as Britney is pure pop.

Punk Music - Misfits

Marilyn Manson has said that he's inspired by these guys. Hey, if it's good enough for the King of Weirdness, then it's good enough for you, right? Don't let the Manson thing throw you off if you're not into his music - the Misfits' stuff is a lot more fast-paced punk than typical goth stuff.

Punk Music - Pennywise

This stuff isn't as old-skool as the other bands (your older sibs might even have a Pennywise CD lying around). These guys make the cut cuz they play classic SoCal punk. It's fast-paced, hard hitting yet upbeat and catchy as heck. Pennywise is summer music at its best.

Punk Music - Fat Wreck Chords

Okay, so this isn't a band - it's a record label but it makes the list for two reasons:
1) A ton of really great punk bands are on this label.
2) You can pick up great compilation CDs, like the Survival of the Fattest series, for super cheap.
So what kind of bands are we talking about here? NOFX, Lagwagon, Anti-Flag, Face to Face and a ton more. Cheap, yet rockin' punk - what more could ya ask for?

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