Punk's Most Influential Albums

The first punk band to come out of Manchester, Buzzcocks formed in early 1975 after witnessing a Sex Pistols performance in London. Their style was fast and frantic, while maintaining a pop influence as well. These pop overtones lead them to be a primary influence on today's pop punk bands.

Like any band with a long history and a pop sensibility, the best way to grasp the hooks of the Buzzcocks is through their singles compilations. Singles Going Steady, released in 1979, is the first Buzzcocks record anyone should own. It captures much of the Buzzcocks' classic sound, including such classics as "Orgasm Addict," "What Do I Get," and "Ever Fallen In Love?"

Another short-lived outfit, Minor Threat's influence on punk music is undeniable. Not only did they create an influential hardcore sound, they inspired the straightedge movement. A song on their first EP, “Straight Edge,” with its anti-drug and alcohol stance, launched a dedicated following that continues today.

In addition to straightedge and hardcore, the band has had a hard, fast influence on the DIY movement, through the creation of Dischord Records, a vehicle for releasing all of the band’s recordings. 1989’s Complete Discography gathers all the band’s music in one package, creating a clear picture of the band that spawned straightedge.

A band that was playing on the same scene at the same time as the MC5, the Stooges were at first more well-known for their onstage energy and antics (specifically those of frontman Iggy Pop) than for their music.

It wasn’t until their third and last (at the time) album, 1973’s Raw Power, that the band really solidified the raw garage sound that would become a foundation for punk rock, especially in the states.

Produced by David Bowie, Raw Power (as well as the band’s prior two albums) was met with little reaction when it came out, and the band broke up shortly after. It would be a few years before the album would really be discovered, when American punk bands would begin to emulate it.

By far the most recent release on this list and the only band from the ‘90s, Bikini Kill -- their music and their politics -- are the impetus behind the Riot Grrl movement and its feminist punk ideals.

Bikini Kill’s music is abrasive, with hooks that are addictive and loose at the same time, and while some elements of their sound may have been derivative of punk bands that came before them, their innovation came from their politics.

Dealing heavily with issues like rape, domestic abuse and female empowerment, Bikini Kill focused on inspiring a girl-powered revolution. Theirs was one of the successful political punk movements, and while they weren’t the first or last women to have a band, they were some of the most vocal and most active.

Taking traditional Irish folk music of their past and blending it with punk rock, the Pogues created an entirely new sound -- Celtic punk.

While If I Should Fall From Grace With God would chart much higher and contain most of their “hits,” the foundation of their sound rests soundly on Rum, Sodomy & the Lash. The album’s opening track, “The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn,” is the quintessential Celtic punk tune, combining the reel of traditional Irish dance music with the energy and attitude of punk rock.

Elsewhere on the record, the band interprets traditional music ("I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day"), protest ballads ("And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda") and drinking tunes (just about everything else).

The best album by the Dead Kennedys, one of the founders of American political hardcore punk, Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables is a timeless primer for anyone looking for advice on raging against the machine.

While its specific political namedropping dates it firmly in the Reagan era, the attitude, anger and sarcasm expressed on tunes like "Kill the Poor,” “Let's Lynch the Landlord,” “California Über Alles” and “Holiday in Cambodia” keep this record relevant, and frontman Jello Biafra’s delivery keeps this record enjoyable.

Lifting the sound of early rockabilly and surf musicians, speeding it up, distorting it and combining it with campy, trashy themes was the forte of the Cramps, who can be credited with creating the oft-imitated psychobilly sound.

Like the Misfits, the Cramps loved B-grade science fiction and horror. This was already evident on this, their debut album, with song titles like “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” and "Zombie Dance.”

Formed from the remains of another legendary group, Rocket From The Tombs, Cleveland’s The Dead Boys, were influenced by Iggy Pop’s legendary live performances and sought to outdo them. A typical performance by the band included lewdness intended to provoke the audience and self-mutilation by band members (frontman Stiv Bators was known for slashing his stomach on the mic stand). As such, the band paved the way for performers that were more about violent shocking performances than about the music.

Even so, a listen to 1977’s Young, Loud and Snotty quickly points out that they were musically talented and influential as well. Just one listen to the album’s opener, “Sonic Reducer,” points out the necessity of this album being on this list.

Known more for being a glam outfit, the Dolls avoided the punk moniker simply because they were a few years too early. They shared all of the same influences and in-your-face live aggression as the first punk bands.

The band was even briefly one of Malcolm McLaren’s “projects.” Using the same sort of stunts he later used for the Sex Pistols, McLaren dressed the band in red leather and Communist imagery. It flopped.

Their self-titled debut offers up a glimpse of what punk was about to be. With one foot in the past and one in the future, tunes like “Trash” and “Personality Crisis” are innovative for their time, making this an album that is historically important, as well as one one that warrants heavy rotation on your stereo now.