So, how many of you started listening to punk rock at an early age? Many people still celebrate the genre from the mid-70s to this day. Today, we want to introduce you to a few punk rock songs that really stand for the genre and represent it best.
The punk subculture arose from the rejection of the establishment. Punk stands for the rebellion against a system and this rebellion is often reflected in the stylistics of the music as well. Many tracks consist of only three chords. In terms of subjects, fans are confronted with political and philosophical topics most of the time.
We hope that you like our compilation and invite you to take a stroll down the memory lane with us! It definitely wasn’t easy to narrow it down to ten songs.
1 Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK (1977)
The Sex Pistols played a decisive part in the foundation of punk rock. Founded in the second half of the 70s, they started with their first (and only!) studio album Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols right away. The song is the core of the record and a banger up to this day!
1 Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop (1976)
It’s one of the most well-known songs by the Ramones and has pretty much nothing to do with war. “Bop” means a party where the people do just that - party - until the mood suddenly shifts. With this one, the Ramones dropped a track that even those who don’t usually listen to punk rock should know .
3 The Clash - Complete Control (1977)
Here we got yet another classic of punk rock. The song itself is about the band signing a contract that took complete control over their own music away from them. The song was first published under the title “Remote Control” - without the agreement of the band members!
4 Misfits - Where Eagles Dare (1979)
The inspiration for the title of this punk rock song was the movie “Where Eagles Dare” with Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton. Usually, songs by the Misfits are based on horror movies, but this time they chose an action movie with a plot during the Second World War. Those who love punk rock will quickly add this song to their playlist!
5 Green Day - Welcome To Paradise (1994)
This song is about the band members moving out of their family home and into a run-down house in Oakland, California. They lived there with many other people for some time without paying rent. Pretty punk rock, right?
6 - Dead Kennedys - Holiday in Cambodia (1980)
“Holiday in Cambodia” is regarded as a political punk song - a part of the punk scene that wants to draw attention to social and political problems as a protest movement. In this case the track offers criticism to American students, who supposedly had no sense for the reality of the world. In Cambodia the students would eventually realize how bad things really are around the world.
7 The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog (1969)
The catchy guitar riff is characteristic for the song by the American band and consists of only three chords. The song was published a short time before punk rock became a big genre. Because of that, the track is regarded as a pioneer of the punk rock sound. The only band member of The Stooges that is still alive is Iggy Pop, who was given a place in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.
8 Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl (1992)
The band Bikini Kill was regarded as a co-founder of the Riot grrrl movement, a feminist punk movement at the beginning of the 90s. Appropriately enough, Bikini Kill mainly consisted of women as well. The subject were heteronormative values in pop music from the viewpoint of a lesbian.
9 The Damned - New Rose (1977)
“New Rose” was the very first single by the British band The Damned, who were initially founded as a punk band. In the beginning they were known for their three chord punk and actually the first British punk band that published studio material. The song reached great popularity in the music industry.
10 Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun (1983)
This last punk rock song is another classic of the genre. The Violent Femmes are regarded as the founders of the so-called folk punk: a mixture of punk and folk rock elements. Band member Gordon Gano said that he wrote the song with the thought in mind that his wife was singing it. He still likes to play the song, since the fans enjoy it to this day.
Have fun listening to the greatest punk rock songs of all time! You can find a wide range of Punk Merchandise in our shop, including bands such as Misfits, The Offspring or Rise Against.
