Punk & New Wave

Stripped back and sped up: the Ramones, the Sex Pistols and the Clash tear it all down, and new wave rebuilds it with art and synths.

Part of Rock

32 moments in this segment.

1. 1973-02-07 — The Stooges — Search and Destroy. Iggy Pop and the Stooges pre-invented punk's raw nihilism in Detroit.
2. 1975-11-10 — Patti Smith — Gloria. Patti Smith's 1975 Horses fused poetry and punk in New York.
3. 1976-04-23 — Ramones — Blitzkrieg Bop. The Ramones' 1976 debut fired the starting gun for punk.
4. 1976-11-26 — Sex Pistols — Anarchy in the U.K.. The Sex Pistols' 1976 single detonated British punk.
5. 1977-02-08 — Television — Marquee Moon. Television's 1977 guitar interplay made art-punk at CBGB.
6. 1977-03-18 — The Clash — White Riot. The Clash brought politics and fury to punk in 1977.
7. 1977-09-16 — Talking Heads — Psycho Killer. Talking Heads brought art-school nerve to new wave with Psycho Killer in 1977.
8. 1977-10-01 — X-Ray Spex — Oh Bondage Up Yours!. Poly Styrene's X-Ray Spex brought fierce feminist energy to British punk.
9. 1978-04-07 — The Police — Roxanne. The Police fused punk energy, reggae and pop into a new-wave breakthrough.
10. 1978-08-01 — Siouxsie and the Banshees — Hong Kong Garden. Siouxsie helped invent goth out of punk's ashes.
11. 1978-08-25 — Devo — (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. Devo's jerky 1978 deconstruction announced new wave's art-school wing.
12. 1978-09-08 — Buzzcocks — Ever Fallen in Love. The Buzzcocks married punk speed to perfect pop melody in 1978.
13. 1978-09-23 — Blondie — Heart of Glass. Blondie fused punk, disco and pop into a 1978 new-wave landmark.
14. 1979-06-01 — The B-52's — Rock Lobster. The B-52's brought kitsch, surf and party to new wave in 1979.
15. 1979-06-15 — Joy Division — Love Will Tear Us Apart. Joy Division's bleak, beautiful 1980 single defined post-punk.
16. 1979-09-01 — Gang of Four — At Home He's a Tourist. Gang of Four's angular funk-punk shaped decades of alternative rock.
17. 1979-11-01 — The Cure — Boys Don't Cry. The Cure turned post-punk melancholy into enduring art.
18. 1979-12-01 — The Pretenders — Brass in Pocket. Chrissie Hynde led the Pretenders to the top of new wave.
19. 1979-12-14 — The Clash — London Calling. The Clash's 1979 masterpiece burst punk wide open into reggae, rockabilly and more.
20. 1980-01-01 — Dead Kennedys — California Über Alles. Jello Biafra's Dead Kennedys made American hardcore punk sharp and satirical.
21. 1980-10-08 — Talking Heads — Once in a Lifetime. Talking Heads' 1980 Brian Eno collaboration expanded new wave's horizons.
22. 1981-06-01 — Minor Threat — Straight Edge. Ian MacKaye's Minor Threat launched hardcore's straight-edge movement.
23. 1981-12-01 — Black Flag — Rise Above. Black Flag built the template for American hardcore and the DIY touring circuit.
24. 1982-01-01 — The Misfits — Astro Zombies. Glenn Danzig's Misfits invented horror punk.
25. 1983-03-07 — New Order — Blue Monday. Out of Joy Division, New Order fused post-punk and dance into the best-selling 12-inch ever.
26. 1983-07-01 — Talking Heads — Burning Down the House. Talking Heads reached their commercial peak with this 1983 hit.
27. 1984-07-01 — Hüsker Dü — New Day Rising. Hüsker Dü fused hardcore speed and melody, pointing toward alt-rock.
28. 1984-10-01 — The Replacements — I Will Dare. The Replacements' ragged heart made them college rock's beloved underdogs.
29. 1990-06-01 — Fugazi — Waiting Room. Fugazi built a fierce, principled post-hardcore and a DIY ethic to match.
30. 1994-02-01 — Green Day — Basket Case. Green Day's 1994 Dookie brought punk back to the mainstream and launched pop-punk.
31. 1994-04-01 — The Offspring — Self Esteem. The Offspring rode the '90s punk revival to huge success.
32. 1999-06-01 — Blink-182 — What's My Age Again?. Blink-182 made pop-punk the sound of the millennial suburbs.