A History Of Punk Research Paper

Punk rock music has been used for decades to express dissatisfaction with society, government, or any idea common in mainstream media. Yet punk rock is not simply a tangent of the mainstream, it is a dynamic and fluid genre with many distinct songs. Don Letts, a mainstay in the London punk scene during the 70’s and 80’s, went as far to say that hip-hop was essentially “black” punk. While punk and hip-hop music are stylistically different, the fundamental tone of the two genres is the same. Even throughout the decades, hip-hop has sang the same issues as punk, including the plight of the lower class, police brutality, and gang violence.

The information that has been provided about the subcultures of Hip Hop and Punk shows there are many differences between Hip Hop and Punk and several contributing factors that shape these subcultures but ultimately each one’s existence serves a similar purpose: a form of escape and expression. Prior to research, I was an outsider looking in on the two subcultures. Assumed no similarity at all, but I learned, when you take a deeper look and explore the pages they are different books carrying the same message.

Punk rock is also played by small bands. It was sometimes played by a solo artist but not usually. In a punk rock band there is one vocalist who does most of or all the singing, two electric guitarists, an electric bassist, and one drummer. When the musicians of the band do lend backup vocals, they are main just shouting slogans or choruses. When the punk subculture first came about, most of its members were in the lower economic class. They had become tired and jealous of the wealth of those who dedicated themselves to popular rock during these times. What they did to combat this was publish their own music or sign with small independent labels, in hopes to receive some wealth as well in what they saw as a money hungry music industry. Due to the use of drugs, immoral sex, and deep and sometimes violent power struggles, most early punk rock bands were short-lived. Though these punk rock bands were short-lived, their respective popularity evolved punk rock into a lifestyle and a movement.

The attitude common in the subculture is the resistance to selling out, which means abandoning one’s values and changing in musical style toward pop to embrace anything that’s mainstream capitalist culture in the exchange for money, status, or power. Punk rocks’ common thinking wasn’t only anti-authoritarism, and not selling out but also non-conformity, direct action, and a DIY ethic. The DIY attitude was pointed towards stepping forward and speaking without any restraint. To fight with warrior qualities to achieve what you were striving for. The kind of thinking and motives for punk rock subjects was to not settle for what society made acceptable and standard but to think and work outside of the box that was holding them in.

“He [Pearson’s father] would freak out when he read the song titles to the cassettes that my friends and I would shoplift from the mall…He was certain that I’d become a Junkie if I listened to that kind of music. But with an alcoholic wife-beater father who didn’t give a shit about his son I was bound to avoid the cliched, nihilist aspects of punk culture” (Pearson 12).

     Anti-conformity has always been a prominent thread running through punk. The unofficial creed has always been that to truly define yourself you can’t be like your parents or your friends. You have to be yourself and to cut yourself out of stone. Each punk band you ever encounter will be slightly different from all the others. Some bands are lyrically different for their song lyrics, some for their guitar chords, and some for the theme of their music. But whatever the music is about, you can always be assured that it will be high energy, raw, and honest. The

As a teenager growing up in 1970s Washington D.C. one might rise out of bed in the morning, squeeze into their bell bottoms and skin-tight t-shirts, not expecting that that would be the day they ran into a group of kids dawned in black with clothes pins in their shirts, who called themselves punks and were looking to make a change in DC music history. In a time where the country was divided by political beliefs, a raging war, and racial tensions, smack dab in the center of Washington D.C. came the punk scene. It was said that the hippie scene majorly influenced the punk scene, some would say that the hippies were “the real punks”(Punk: Attitude, 3:12). The punk scene consisted of kids who opposed hippies, so in retrospect the hippies are what

Punk is one of the most written and talked about music and political movements of the twentieth century. What perhaps makes punk special is the way a generation incorporated the attitudes and practices of the music into an entire subculture. In her book Punks: A Guide to an American Subculture, author Sharon M .Hannon argues that "there is no universally accepted definition for punk ."To some, punk mean rebellions against conformity or against parents, school, work, and society at large"(2).Punk means different things to different people depending on whom you ask. One thing that everyone can agree on is that the punk subculture was not just about the music, it was a way of self-expression and undoubtedly a way of life. Punks used their bodies as a way of self-expression. They shaved and styled their hair in unnatural ways. Clothing was often ripped and many used patches of their favorite bands to adorn it. Most were also tattooed and had various facial piercings. Perhaps one of the most significant things in the punk subculture was punk rock, which mostly consisted of loud instruments, hard vocals, and political lyrics.

Some of the main punk values are personal freedom, disorder, and disrespect for tradition and authority. Disorder is demonstrated in the film because many of the activities that punk rockers participate in are very spur of the moment and unorganized. For example, when a punk rock band goes on tour, almost all of them go without making plans for a place to sleep or how they will feed themselves. These bands often depend on others to offer accommodations at the last minute for food and sleep. The fact that these bands do not rent out venues also represents the value of disorder. They usually play in the basement of someone's house. The movie also demonstrates disrespect for authority. In the documentary, Kyle and Justin from a band called Insurgent decided to have a kickoff show before going on tour behind a printing shop in a strip mall. Although many understand that it is illegal to use electricity from a business without permission, these band members decided to do so anyway until the cops caught them. This is definitely considered rebelling against authority because it would be frowned upon to jack power from an outlet in hopes of getting away with it. Overall, the main value that is shown throughout the film is personal freedom. For example, many of the punks have an attitude that basing their lives on punk rock and promoting it is more beneficial than going to college to make money. Another great example of both personal freedom and rebellion against authority is the lyrics from one of the songs in the movie, "No government is free government. I don't need you, no. I won't rule you, we can both be free." Those lyrics basically explain the perception punk rockers have on

Thesis: The punk rock culture is something that you all have probably been exposed to, but may not know much about.

Despite the internal turmoil in the punk movement, punk rock made several things clear to international audiences. Punk Rock, in its subculture, managed to break down many barriers of expression and language. It made an indentation in the commercial music industry. It provided a fresh alternative to a boring, stagnant music scene. But most of all, punk's legacy lies in its introduction of self employment and activism, most essential to Britain at the time. It illustrated that anyone can do it themselves, without reliance on the commercial media or the luxury of having financial abundance. Against the backdrop of mass consumer conformity, the punk rock movement made a statement of individuality that was heard worldwide. Through the words

     Punk music has gone through an evolution ever since the punk explosion in the late seventies. Although today’s punk music retains most of the ideology and sound that defines the punk genre, there are some distinct differences between Nineties and Seventies punk. Most of the punk bands to emerge and gain popularity in the nineties mostly hailed from California (Green Day, the Offspring, etc.). Punk vanguards from the seventies hailed from the East Coast and from Great Britain (the Ramones, the Clash, etc.). The Sex Pistols’ "Liar" and Blink182’s "What’s My Age Again?" demonstrates how conditions — social, political, and physical — are reflected in the nature of the music

i. I’ve been listening to punk since as early as the 5th grade. “Punk” (make quote sign) is a term applied to a child or teenager who acts in an antisocial way. Punk music is a form of rebellion, and it turned against all other musical forms and influences at its time of creation. Punk music is as much cultural as it is musical. It is anarchic, against society, and against everything in established order.

Although punks are frequently categorised as having left-wing or progressive views, punk politics cover the entire political spectrum. Punk-related ideologies are mostly concerned with individual freedom and anti-establishment views. Common

Stemming from English bands such as The Sex Pistols, Black Sabbath and The Clash, the idea of using punk music as a platform for social justice was one adopted by many American bands. Inspired by their messages of social responsibility, American musicians like Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Bad Religion, Stick to Your Guns and Anti-Flag followed suit and made music to demand change. These bands would go on to make music expressing political views, encouraging the teens and young adults listening to think for themselves rather than accept the status quo of their government systems.