Punk rock (or simply "
punk") is a
rock music genre that developed in the early to mid-1970s in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in 1960s
garage rock and other forms of what is now known as "
proto-punk" music, punk rock bands rejected perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. Punk bands typically produced short or fast-paced songs, with hard-edged melodies and singing styles, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political,
anti-establishment lyrics. Punk embraces a
DIY ethic; many bands self-produce recordings and distribute them through informal channels.
The term "punk" was first used in relation to rock music by some American critics in the early 1970s, to describe garage bands and their devotees. By late 1976, bands such as the
New York Dolls,
Television, and the
Ramones in
New York City, and the
Sex Pistols,
the Clash, and
the Damned in
London were recognized as the vanguard of a new musical movement. The following year saw punk rock spreading around the world, and it became a major cultural phenomenon in the United Kingdom. For the most part, punk took root in local scenes that tended to reject association with the
mainstream. An associated
punk subculture emerged, expressing youthful rebellion and characterized by distinctive
styles of clothing and adornment (ranging from deliberately offensive T-shirts, leather jackets, spike bands and other studded or spiked jewelry to bondage and S&M clothes) and a variety of
anti-authoritarian ideologies.
Punk rock bands often emulate the bare musical structures and arrangements of 1960s
garage rock.
[17] Typical punk rock instrumentation includes one or two electric guitars, an electric bass, and a drum kit, along with vocals. Songs tend to be shorter than those of other popular genres. Punk songs were played at fast, "breakneck" tempos, an approach influenced by
The Ramones.
[18] Most early punk rock songs retained a traditional rock 'n' roll
verse-chorus form and 4/4
time signature. However, later bands have often broken from this format. In critic
Steven Blush's description, "The Sex Pistols were still rock'n'roll ... like the craziest version of
Chuck Berry.
Hardcore was a radical departure from that. It wasn't verse-chorus rock. It dispelled any notion of what songwriting is supposed to be. It's its own form."
[19]
Punk rock vocals sometimes sound nasal,
[20] and lyrics are often shouted instead of sung in a conventional sense, particularly in hardcore styles.
[21] Shifts in pitch, volume, or intonational style are relatively infrequent.
[22] Punk rock's "hoarse, rasping" vocals and chanting were a sharp contrast to the "melodic and sleeker" singing in mainstream rock.
[23] Early punk vocals had an "arrogant snarl".
[24] Complicated
guitar solos are considered self-indulgent and unnecessary, although basic guitar breaks are common.
[25] Guitar parts tend to include highly
distorted power chords or
barre chords, creating a characteristic sound described by Christgau as a "buzzsaw drone".
[26] Some punk rock bands take a
surf rock approach with a lighter, twangier guitar tone. Others, such as
Robert Quine, lead guitarist of
the Voidoids, have employed a wild, "
gonzo" attack, a style that stretches back through
the Velvet Underground to the 1950s' recordings of
Ike Turner.
[27] Bass guitar lines are often uncomplicated; the quintessential approach is a relentless, repetitive "forced rhythm",
[28] although some punk rock bass players—such as
Mike Watt of
the Minutemen and
Firehose—emphasize more technical bass lines. Bassists often use a
pick due to the rapid succession of notes, which makes
fingerpicking impractical. Drums typically sound heavy and dry, and often have a minimal set-up. Compared to other forms of rock,
syncopation is much less the rule.
[29] Hardcore drumming tends to be especially fast.
[21] Production tends to be minimalistic, with tracks sometimes laid down on home tape recorders
[30] or simple four-track portastudios. The typical objective is to have the recording sound unmanipulated and real, reflecting the commitment and authenticity of a live performance.
[31]
