Punk Rock 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.

Chicanx people heavily populated these areas and their communities were affected deeply. Due to the economic downsizing and deindustrialization, the punk movement emerged. Punk is an empowering and critical discourse for Chicanx artist and it appeals to working-class Chicanx who experienced racial and economic

American musician and singer-songwriter of the Ramones, Jeffrey Ross Hyman, known to the public as Joey Ramone, once said “To me, punk is about being an individual and going against the grain and standing up and saying 'This is who I am’” (BrainyQuote). Punk has been present in music since the 1960s, where it was starting to form in the garages of starting out musicians that did not have any regulations to follow, simply because of the fact they didn’t know the ‘rules’ of music. Most of this early punk music was unadulterated and often political, showing the thoughts and feelings of the writer (Cooper). Meanwhile, about a decade later in the 1970s, a new style of punk was forming. Combining elements of punk and mainstream music styles established a new genre of music, commonly known today as ‘pop punk’ (B.). While pop punk music branched off of punk, they both have their distinct features of what makes them unique.

Mike Ness is the lead singer and has seen how the “punk rock style” changed from being looked down upon and then slowly became culturally accepted. The “punk rock style” in 2014 is very criticized and looked down upon within our society. In my experiement culture shcok was probably the most prevalent sociological

Most of the original rebellion was directed towards the British class structure. They wanted to express their disapproval of the structure that governed their country. In The Jam’s “Eton Rifles”, the band sarcastically attacks the upper class, calling them arrogant and preaching to them that rugby is the only thing making them strong (Punk 68). The Sex Pistols’ album “God Save The Queen” portrays the Queen of England with a safety pin through her nose on their cover. The reaction to this outburst of shocking rebellion from the mainstream society was a strong, displeased one. American writer Greil Marcus defined punk as, “…refusing the future society has planned for you.” Thousands of social misfits attempted just that. Through the many causes for this rebellious political expression: communism, anarchy, feminism, etc., the punks of England had a focus and a reason. It was this that made the “punk” a valid, yet undesired member of society, and the British public got to see this sociological change first hand (Chamberlain par.8). Although this movement was short lived, its impact was a phenomenon, and its effects were long- lasting, which distinguished this group from previous generations.

“No punk band of the 1990’s has been more influential than Blink-182,” (Caramanica) That sentiment rings true to this day. Blink-182 is one of the most iconic punk rock bands of all time and has shaped the punk scene and many artists in it. Strong contenders in punk rock like Green Day, Sum 41, and The Ramones certainly established the genre and helped create an identity for it; so what makes Blink-182 so special? Unlike the previous, Blink-182 is, in essence, what most suburban American teenagers are; just some awkward kids. They like to skateboard, listen to their music loud, and want to be nothing like their parents when they grow up. Blink-182 is so influential in the genre because they are genuine and relatable; simply put, they are their audience. (Sanneh)

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.

Both were rebellious and revolutionary. However, the British punk has a greater blend of styles, more complexity than the American punk. Sex pistols music was revolutionary. Even though the band lasted two and a half years, they were incredibly influential on popular music, they were treated as the only true representatives of punk style and other bands were considered to be a part of punk phenomenon movement, which was not the same as pure punk. Sex pistols expressed hatred towards monarchy which arouses anarchy among punks in the UK.

Music is the most important aspect of punk. Punk music is called punk rock, sometimes shortened to punk. Punk subcultures often distinguish themselves by having a unique style of punk rock, though not every style of punk rock has its own associated subculture. Most punk rock involves simple arrangements, short songs and lyrics that espouse punk values. Punk rock is usually played in bands, as opposed to solo artists. A variety of dances are popular within

Many argue that the birth of punk music came when the then “newly formed Sex

B. Now when you here the words punk rock or just punk in general you may think negatively and picture things like dark clothing, body piercings, suggestive language and loud aggressive music. Now while most of these things are true to be associated with this genre of music, there is a completely different side of this topic that is often looked over and not mentioned much yet it is probably the most important aspect of punk rock.

Punk, a return to the roots of rock ‘n’ roll, was a revolt against the predictability of disco.

This, in turn, makes it easier for the subculture to thrive. Bands can very easily find shows outside of its area to perform and therefore spread its music to an even wider audience of people. Online sites including Facebook allow punk bands to communicate with one another, as well as with fans. Facebook band profiles are often full of online fliers designed by different bands to promote upcoming shows.

With the economic decline and availability of jobs with upward movement, a culture of youths formed in Britain that challenged the ideals and cultural norms of the generations that came before them. A consistent movement from traditional society through youth subcultures brings light through the eyes of the musicians that describe their generation’s feelings of homelessness in an era filled with unemployment, low wages, and violence. The insurgence of the counterculture movement, poor economic conditions, and the commercialization of previous Rock and Roll music in Britain directly led to the punk subculture because it allowed youths to speak up about their conditions and frustrations through an easily understood and accessible medium while maintaining a different stance than their predecessors.

The punk subculture was one of the influential revolutions on the 20th century, which originated in in the 1970s and spread across countries that included the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia. This subculture was based on a loud, aggressive genre of music called punk rock, and it intended to gain individual freedom for the working class. This essay explains the journey from the evolution and widespread of the punk subculture in the UK in 1980s. As the title suggests, punk fashion has been ruptured, tweaked and re interpreted by individuals and fashion designers over and over again, and its style has been re adapted to juxtapose on contemporary trends.