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25 Greatest Punk Rock Albums 1977-2001
Greatest punk albums in history - always sure to be a controversial subject. This list of punk rock's all-time best albums is a bit different though, being based on a poll of our magazine's editors. We put it together for our "25 Years Of Punk" special issue in 2001 and it seems to have held up pretty well over the years.
The Clash - s/t (1977)
No other punk band was able to express powerful ideas as eloquently as the Clash. No other punk outfit was able to assimilate and utilize as relevant and fascinating a collection of influences. On their eponymous debut they take Junior Murvin's superlative reggae hit "Police and Theives" and transform it into a punk classic. Their most popular tune, "Complete Control" was produced by Jamaican studio genius Lee "Scratch" Perry, and is one of the most brilliant recordings ever made. In their remarkable statement of purpose, "Clash City Rockers", they tack on an ending paying tribute to stars of both reggae and glam, while incorporating "Bells of Rhymney", a folk song about labor unrest in Welsh coal mines in the 1920's! A punk band with lyrics to rival Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs - it seems incredible. Note - the American and British versions of the album have different song lineups.
Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks (1977)
The Pistols were the leaders of the '76 UK punk scene. Their nihilistic antics garnered them more press than all the other bands combined. They didn't disappoint with "Anarchy In the UK", a molotov cocktail of a debut single. The Pistols took that hit record with them when they jumped (or were pushed) from EMI to Virgin, for inclusion on "Bollocks", their only real studio album. Two other seminal hits taken from Pistols singles, "Pretty Vacant" and "God Save the Queen", helped make "Bollocks" the classic it is. "God Save the Queen" was a body blow to the spirit of the Silver Jubilee, the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Only politics denied it #1 on the charts. Johnny Rotten's superb vocals on "Bollocks" are his lasting achievement. Steve Jones guitar sound was heavily reverbed, with massive overdubbing. Also overdubbed to dizzying heights were the vocal choruses. All the overdubs turned the Pistols into a punk rock army with 10 singers and 10 guitars. When the clock struck 1978 the Silver Jubilee was over and so were the Pistols, who self-destructed after a brief American tour in January. They came out of nowhere, exceeded the hype and didn't linger!
Misfits - Walk Among Us (1982)
Take a look at eBay and see what this thing goes for if it's an original pressing. It will give you an idea just how essential this is to both punk history and its influence on other bands, well after they had broken up, which is when most of their fame came. This New Jersey band's album was released at a time when many thought punk was dead and gone, this record melded melodic hardcore with horror, love of the dead, decapitation, and plenty of other songs to create zombies by. Misfits also made the skull on a t-shirt something that was fashionable for someone who wasn't a Deadhead.
Ramones - Leave Home (1977)
The second band we discussed at our meeting to put this list together, and we really got into it on just which (and how many) Ramones albums to include. David and I won out on this, because it's simply our favorite Ramones' record. It's got my favorite Ramones song on it, "Oh Oh I Love Her So", along with other classics like "Glad To See You Go" and the achingly beautiful "I Remember You".
Wire - Pink Flag (1977)
In the age of the bloated prog rock opera with the 20-minute guitar solo, what could be more punk than minimalism and the 90-second song with the abrupt ending? This album set a new standard: say what you have to say, preferably taking as little time as possible to say it, and then move on. The songs here are stripped down to their essence and as focused as a laser beam, all the while never sacrificing inventiveness or sheer quality for brevity.
Damned - Damned Damned Damned (1977)
In a scene where Malcolm McLaren, the Clash, and every band slinging guitars and sporting fashionable ripped clothing and safety pins was trying to get their record out and one-up the other guy, the Damned produced all the "firsts". This was the first punk album released in the UK, the first album released by the legendary Stiff Records, and Damned were also the first to tour America. Produced by Nick Lowe, this record is the only studio album that includes the full original line up. Less political than most of the most other UK punk bands at the time, the focus here was on sneering vocals, great guitars and monster "hits" like "New Rose" and "Neat Neat Neat". They showed that you could just have fun playing songs you loved, and that the message didn't have to be meaningful, which was somewhat of a rarity among the first British punk bands.
Jam - Setting Sons (1979)
Originally conceived as a concept album about surviving a nuclear war, the idea was scrapped, but the emotional sentiment still comes through loud and clear. By 1979, many of the first wave of punk bands had already broken up, and the form was starting to expand musically. Paul Weller's soul and reggae tastes were showing through in the songs. Jam had more traditional "British" influences than other bands, and even used keyboards, with song length often expanded from the "gotta be under 3 minutes" rule. There are classic tracks on this, like "Saturday's Kids", but it's the depth of the songwriting that makes this LP shine. Desperation, desolation, but all done with a sense of melodic ear candy.
X-Ray Spex - Germfree Adolescents (1978)
The classic LP cover featuring the band members trapped in test tubes, and song titles such as "The Day The World Turned Day-Glo", "Identity", "Art-I-fical" perfectly reflected lyrics directed towards the artificiality and ultimate sterility of the consumerist society Poly Stryene and company found themselves immersed in, and the pigeonholes said society tries to force you to accept. This is also one of the very few times you'd hear a complimenting sax used so well in punk outside of any ska/jazz hybrids.
Saints - I'm Stranded (1977)
The Saints were from Australia, but sounded like they were from Detroit. They had a couple big pluses; Chris Bailey's edgey voice and a fine collection of rockin' melodic tunes. Much of the Saints tunes will remind you of "Raw Power" Iggy, with a faster tempo. Their slow one, the six minute long "Messin' With The Kid" is one of this, or any album's highlights, sounding like a garageband version of the Rolling Stones circa "Black and Blue".
Jawbreaker - Unfun (1990)
How can anyone listen to a song like "Want" and not feel the longing in Blake's voice? Blake's voice churns from too many cigarettes and a whole lot of angst. This baby rocks from beginning to end, the playing is perfect. Chris and Adam made up the most formidable rhythm section in American punk. Jawbreaker's debut powerfully demonstrated that you didn't have to sacrifice melody to put across strong emotions.
Albums 11-25
To read our full comments on albums 11-25, check out the article in SP #10.