American Punk 1973-82 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ramones

From the debut album "The Ramones" (1976). Joey Ramone sadly died from cancer in 2001. I rate this band the best punk rock band ever.

Answer: Richard Hell & The Voidoids

From the debut album "Blank Generation" (1977). Richard Hell was one of the first men on the scene when punk rock first began to emerge in NYC. He was an early member of both Television and The Heartbreakers.

Answer: Blondie

From the debut album "Blondie" (1976). This was actually the first of their many hits; it charted in Australia. The rest is the history of the most commercially successful band to emerge from the punk/new wave scene.

Answer: Suicide

From the debut album "Suicide" (1977). Note: The groupīs second album (1980) has the same title. Suicide was one of the most successful punk/new wave band to use keyboards/synthesizers. They inspired a large number of more commercial synth-bands in England.

Answer: Dead Boys

From the debut album "Young, Loud & Snotty" (1977).These guys are from Cleveland and this is one of the more filthy, British-sounding US punk bands. By the way, another of my favourites is "I Need Lunch" with the memorable chorus: "I donīt really want to dance, I just wanna get in your pants."

Answer: Television

From the debut album "Marquee Moon" (1977). This is one of the more subtle, should one say "intellectual" US punk/new wave bands. "Marquee Moon" is one of the best guitar rock albums ever. Tom Verlaine pursued a solo career after the break-up. So did Richard Lloyd.

Answer: Dead Kennedys

From the debut album "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables" (1980). This band merged revolutionary politics with hard core punks. Playing in this manner, they had more in common with the British bands (Sex Pistols, The Clash) than with the more fun and noise-orientated US bands.

Answer: Patti Smith Group

From the debut album "Horses" (1975). This album was one of the most influential inspirators of the punk revolution to come. The band played in the CBGB in New York along with other punk/new wave bands. Patti Smith is herself a strong poet.

Answer: The Modern Lovers

From the debut album "Modern Lovers" (1976). This is the band of Jonathan Richman, one of rockīs eccentric cult figures. This is one of the more naivistic punk rock bands, but still raw and powerful. Richman pursued a solo career after the disbanding of The Modern Lovers.

Answer: The Heartbreakers

From the debut album "L.A.M.F." (1977). This is of course the band of Johnny Thunders, who had earlier played with the New York Dolls. He died in 1991 after years of drugs abuse.

Answer: Black Flag

From the debut album "Damaged" (1982). This is in many ways the definitive Los Angeles hardcore punk band.

Answer: Flipper

From the debut album "Album - Generic Flipper" (1982). Another hardcore punk band, this one is from San Francisco.

Answer: Pere Ubu

From the debut album "The Modern Dance" (1978). This band from Cleveland was a really influential art-punk band. Frontman David Thomas also pursued a solo career.

Answer: Talking Heads

From the debut album "Talking Heads: 77" (1977). This band and its frontman David Byrne is a classic act, also commercially successful. Maybe the most famous of New Yorks's new wave bands. Experimental, clever and intellectual.

Answer: Devo

From the debut album "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!" (1978). From Akron, Ohio. This is one of the synth pop/punk bands.

Answer: The Motels

From their third album "All 4 One" (1982). The Motels, led by the charismatic Martha Davis, was a successful pop punk band.

Answer: The Dils

From their second album "The Dils" (1990). (The first one was a live album in 1987). This band played short, aggressive songs with political lyrics.

The song was originally a single in 1977.

Answer: The Zeros

From their album "Donīt Push Me Around", recorded in 1977 but released in 1991.

Answer: X

From their second album "Wild Gift" (1981). This is an L.A. band. Their debut album was called "Los Angeles". Lead singer Exene Cervenka pursued a solo career.

Answer: The Plugz

I guess this latino band is completely unknown even in the US, but I have always loved their melancholic album "Better Luck" (1981) and especially "Blue Sofa" with its irresistible chorus "Iīm still an idiot, Iīm still in love".

Answer: New York Dolls

This band played punk long before the term was invented, and this classic is from the debut album "The New York Dolls" (1973).

Answer: The Stooges

Another proto punk masterpiece from the days before the term "punk" was invented. This song from Iggy and the Stooges is taken from the album "Raw Power" (1973).

Answer: The Dictators

This is also a band from the pre-punk era, but the music is punkish enough. The song is from the debut album called "The Dictators Go Girl Crazy" (1975).

Answer: The Germs

This is another sadly overlooked band. "Forming" is a single from 1977. The band also released the great album "(GI)" in 1979.

Answer: The Avengers

This song is from their only album, "Avengers", recorded in 1977-78 but released in 1983. "All Music Guide to Rock" writes: "Dozens of bands came in their wake, but few could recapture the excitement and ferocity of their sound." Right, and this is what punk is all about.