What was the first punk rock band?

Senior Moments

I think the Ramones were the first punk band and before you ask LOTRluver - no I don't According to http://www.geocities.com/dazzlingdisplay/punkrockersguide_howto_bands.html The Ramones -- Joey, Dee Dee, Johnny, and Tommy Ramone started their band in 1974. The Ramones were the first punk band ever. They started it all. Their songs were short, simple, and often stupid, but they were still the single most influential and one of the best bands ever to be in the punk genre. The band went through several lineup changes, and unfortunately disbanded in 1996. On an even sadder note, Joey Ramone passed away in 2001 from lymphoma, and Dee Dee died in 2002 of an overdose. [Moved from Q#21157 - Duplicate question - McG] Mar 25 03, 10:13 PM

Andy

There is a long standing debate over whether the Sex Pistols, the New York Dolls, or the Ramones were the first punk rock band. Out of the three, the New York Dolls were formed first, in December of 1971. However, most regard tham as a glam band, not a punk rock band. Although the sound of their music was edgy, their transvestite image blurred the line of punk rock. The Ramones formed in 1974 and were the first punk band to get a recording contract. However, they too are controversial as to whether they were a rock band. Although they had the looks of a rock star down pat, their sound is generally not regarded as punk rock. And although the Sex Pistols were the last of these to form in 1976, there was no mistaking the fact that they had completely embraced the punk rock lifestyle. They had the looks, the sound, and all the drugs, booze, and women to go with it. It really depends on your point of view as to what criteria you need to be a rock star. If you're looking for the sound element of punk rock, then the New York Dolls win out. If image is important, then there is no question the Ramones were the first rock band. However, if you believe that both sound and image play a role, then the Sex Pistols hold the title. Mar 26 03, 5:15 PM

MonkeyOnALeash

Upon reading the Wikipedia article (not that it is any authority) I will have to conclude that the Monks never got into the spirit of punk music until 1994 (Middle Class Revolt). Punk rock is as much about the attitude as it is the lyrics. The New York Dolls were a Glam/Rock/Bluesy band that edged on punk. The Ramones founded American punk. The Sex Pistols defined punk. Jul 14 07, 7:30 PM

bhouse93

I heard it was Iggy Pop and the Stooges. I know they've been around longer than The New York Dolls. They started in 1968, so that narrows it down a lot if you can find any earlier than that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iggy_Pop [Added reference link - McG] Dec 16 07, 12:28 AM

Autonomy87

My definition of punk music is attitude. Yes, bands in the late 70s like the Buzzcocks, Television, the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Ramones made a whole new scene for punk music but there are so many different roots. I think that the garage rock sound of the late 50s and early 60s started the influence of punk with the Kingsmen and Paul Revere & the Raiders (with the Raiders' early stuff.) The Kinks define early punk music with 'All Day and All of the Night'. The Who were another early influence. The Doors did not have the sound for punk but Jim Morrison's persona was a huge influence to every frontman of the punk movement in my eyes, of course Iggy Pop and the Stooges, MC5, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and the Velvet Underground. The New York Dolls have to give a lot of respect to him, as well as Richard Hell and the Voidoids. But if I really had to pinpoint who I feel is the true godfather of punk rock in its purest form, it would have to be Iggy Pop and the Stooges. Feb 26 08, 5:22 PM

xero_bebop

It's not documented, but highly disputed. If you look at the history of the genre, there were many bands leading up to the Pistols (the premiere UK punk band) and the Ramones (the first band to be called punk.) The term Punk comes from a 1974 magazine from the same name. It was a fanzine for Iggy Pop, the Dolls, and Lou Reed. The first band associated with the magazine and dubbed a Punk magazine band was the Ramones. You can argue that they were the first with the name punk, but nobody can say they were the first with the sound. The sound can be traced back to the Dictators, who were a mid-late 60's band that got absolutely no recognition for anything, but ended up inspiring the Velvets, who in turn started the shock effect craze that lead into punk. Punk in the US predated punk in the UK, since the one that introduced punk to the UK came from New York and managed the Stooges before he went to collect the Sex Pistols. Simply, there is no one-band answer. You can say the Dictators, the Velvet Underground, the MC5, the Stooges, among many others. May 04 08, 9:54 PM

Kroth

Okay guys, i quoted thoose lines from http://punkmusic.about.com/od/punk101/a/punktimeline.htm It´s Ryan´s Cooper Blog Go Punk, in my opinion he knowns what he´s talking about soo here it is. "Whether or not they intended to, and even when they had no idea they were doing so, many punk bands have created music and caused events that would shape the face of music. Here are some of the more important events. 1964-1969: It's All About Detroit (And A Little Bit About New York) In the mid to late '60s, Detroit and New York were laying the groundwork for punk rock with the formation of the MC5 and The Stooges in Detroit, and the Velvet Underground in New York. The Velvet Underground and Nico was released in 1967 and The Stooges' self-titled album and the MC5's Kick Out the Jams both hit the streets in 1969. The three bands combined supplied future punk musicians with a mix of experimental noise and explosive passionate rock. This is what the first punk bands would build on. 1971: The New York Dolls Hit the Scene 1971 is the year that a rock band named Actress hooked up with a new singer named David Johansen, and they formed the New York Dolls. A blend of trashy glam rock and high-energy noise, they begin to catch everyone's attention. They would eventually become Malcolm McClaren's first project. Years later, David Johansen will become better known as Buster Poindexter. 1972: The Strand A few guys get together and begin playing together under the name of the Strand. They are pretty unremarkable, but two of the members, Paul Cook and Steve Jones, would go on to become half of the Sex Pistols. 1974: The New York Punk Scene Takes Off 1974 is the year that The Ramones, Blondie and the Talking Heads appeared on the New York Scene, playing in classic punk clubs like CBGB and Max's Kansas City. 1975: The Sex Pistols Play Out The Sex Pistols make their first live appearance, and people are interested. They quickly take off from there. The band they open for is called Bazooka Joe. Bazooka Joe will fade away, but one of their members, Stuart Goddard, will go on to become Adam Ant. 1976: The Sex Pistols Spark the London Movement A group of young punks inspired by the Sex Pistols will decide to start their own bands, and 1975 will see punk rock explode in London. Some of the bands that are forming up in this year are punk pioneers like The Buzzcocks, The Clash, The Slits, The Dead Boys, The Damned, The Jam, Siouxsie and the Banshees and X-Ray Spex. The Sex Pistols launched their first tour, with The Clash and The Damned. The Anarchy Tour will be be ill-fated; most clubs, fearing violence, will cancel the tour dates. 1977-1979: The Appearance of American Hardcore Inspired by the British Punk Scene, American hardcore punk bands will emerge. In a relatively short amount of time The Misfits, Black Flag, Bad Brains, The Dead Kennedys and a score of other American punk bands will make their debut. This same span also covers the entire career of one of the most notorious figures in punk history. In 1977, Sid Vicious joined the Sex Pistols. By the end of 1978, the Sex Pistols had dissolved, and Sid Vicious was found dead from a heroin overdose in New York on February 1, 1979. 1980: American Hardcore's First Peak and Decline 1980 is the year that Penelope Spheeris made and released The Decline of Western Civilization, a documentary on American hardcore, featuring performance and interviews with Black Flag, Fear, The Circle Jerks and The Germs. This was also the year that Darby Crash of the Germs would commit suicide on December 8, 1980, the day before John Lennon was killed. While Crash's death wasn't a direct factor, American Hardcore would begin to wane in popularity as the new tide of bands hit the scene. The 1980s: '80s Pop Blurs the Boundaries In the '80s, alternative music and '80s pop became the next wave of music. New wave and postpunk bands became the craze, and punk would take the back seat for a while. Punk bands did continue to thrive on a smaller scale, though, and the '80s would still allow for several important bands to start their careers. In 1984, the appearance of NOFX, as well as the Offspring in 1985, signaled the beginning of a boom in pop punk. While hardcore moved along a bit with Henry Rollins joining Black Flag in 1981 and the appearance of the Vandals in 1982, the face of punk was definitely changing. Mick Jones was kicked out of the Clash in 1983, and the Clash and Black Flag would both break up in 1986. There was a definite new class of bands moving in. By 1988, American Hardcore was fading rapidly. It's salvation came with the formation of Epitaph records. Epitaph provided a new home for American Hardcore bands to release records, and ultimately, other hardcore labels would follow." Many Thanks To Ryan Cooper, i repeat i quoted this from his blog, if you are interessed on more punk history or band reviews check his blog at: http://punkmusic.about.com/mbiopage.htm Sep 02 08, 11:01 PM

hellabolt

1974 saw The Ramones hit NYC 1975 was the year for the formation of Sex Pistols In 1976, The Clash formed. New York Dolls are considered Proto-Punk along with bands like The Fugs, the Stooges, and the Velvet Underground. So the first punk band that fits the DIY, quick, hard, edgy, politically charged style of the genre would be... ... Death. Death formed in 1971 in Detroit by 3 black brothers who were Jehovah's Witnesses. Jul 06 09, 9:54 AM

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