The late '80s and early '90s: Punk Is All Across the Boards
In 1989, a band called the Sweet Children made an appearance. They would soon change their name to Green Day, and create a scene for the next wave of pop punk. These bands would include blink-182, MxPx and Australia's the Living End, who would be rolling in full force by 1992.
A growing feeling that punk rock was a male-dominated scene would create a need for the Riot Grrrl movement during this time. Bikini Kill's first appearances in 1990 founded this movement of punk rock feminism.
The old School continued to disappear. The Talking Heads broke up in 1991, and Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls died of an overdose in 1991, to be followed by his former bandmate Jerry Nolan's death of a stroke the next year.
The mid '90s to Present : Punk's Rebirth
In the past 10 years, punk has enjoyed a rebirth in popularity. The popularity of the grunge scene in the early '90s left a spot for pop punk bands, most notably Green Day, to sell platinum albums. The Van's Warped Tour, launched in 1995, created a yearly festival showcasing punk bands of all genres, and created a more wholesome place for American youth to see punk rock. This ultimately brought punk rock from the smoky bars to the light of day.
Although many punk pioneers have passed away in recent years, it continues to be increasingly of natural causes. Significant deaths include:
- Wendy O Williams (Plasmatics) in 1998
- Todd Barnes (TSOL) in 1999
- Dennis Danell (Social Distortion) in 2000
- Joey Ramone in 2001
- Joe Strummer in 2002
- Dee Dee Ramone in 2002
- Johnny Ramone in 2004
- Steve Jensen (Vandals) in 2005
Of these, only Wendy O Williams and Dee Dee Ramone died of other than natural causes. The original wave of punk is aging, but punk rock as whole is gaining acceptance from the parents of suburban America.
Another sign of punk rock's acceptance by the world at large occurred when punk bands began to gain admittance to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The first bands to enter the Hall of Fame were the Talking Heads and Ramones in 2002, followed by the Clash in 2003 and The Sex Pistols in 2006.
What's Next?
It remains to be seen where punk will move toward next, but the fact remains that such a dynamic scene composed of creative and varied individuals isn't going anywhere soon. Odds are, punk rock will continue to grow and change for many years.
