Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks

Despite only releasing one studio album, the Sex Pistols are one of the most influential and controversial acts in music history. So much so they were fired from 2 record labels, banned from performing in most venues, banned from radio airplay and Bollocks was not stocked in record stores. This only fanned the flames and made them the most famous punk band in the world.

The Clash – London Calling

The thinking man’s punk band. On London Calling The Clash broadened their horizons and included a range of styles including ska and R&B. Instead of raw indirect anger, they focused their rage about things that truly mattered to them, such as unemployment, drugs, the responsibilities of adulthood and life on the streets of London.

The Ramones – Ramones

The Punk movement was like most punk songs; loud and short lived. The band most widely credited with defining the punk sound and influencing the other major bands is the Ramones. Perhaps unsurprisingly their debut was commercially unsuccessful but it sparked one of the most important and divisive movements in rock history.

Death – For the Whole World to See

The original punk band was a band called Death. They started recording what would be their debut album but were dropped from the label for refusing to change the name of their band to something more friendly. The surviving tracks were later released as a testament to the band that created punk several years before the movement kicked off.