2020 COVID-19 Top 50 Punk Songs List

[Dr. Medulla]

20. Wire—Reuters

Funny, you picked the song off Pink Flag that I often invoke to make the argument that it's not a punk album but a post-punk one. May your days be haunted by Death Cab records …

I totally agree, but it's such a damn great song. Here we are, discussing what's punk again!

It'd be my favourite off the first album if not for "Pink Flag" itself. I never thought too much about "Pink Flag" until the band revitalized it around 2000 or 2001, and turned it into "Ancestor of Drill."

[Kory]

20. Wire—Reuters

Funny, you picked the song off Pink Flag that I often invoke to make the argument that it's not a punk album but a post-punk one. May your days be haunted by Death Cab records …

I totally agree, but it's such a damn great song. Here we are, discussing what's punk again!

It'd be my favourite off the first album if not for "Pink Flag" itself. I never thought too much about "Pink Flag" until the band revitalized it around 2000 or 2001, and turned it into "Ancestor of Drill."

Agreed, it went way up in my estimation after hearing some of those live performances. I really like Lowdown, too. It's got a funky little dystopian rhythm to it.

[Marky Dread]

I'm going to *try* and keep it one song per artist. These are all pretty obvious, but they are so for a reason. Here we go (in no particular order):

1. Judy is a Punk - Ramones
2. Complete Control - The Clash
3. Blank Generation - Richard Hell and the Voidoids
4. Teenage Kicks - The Undertones
5. Marquee Moon - Television
6. Let's Submerge - X Ray Spex
7. Johnny Hit and Run Pauline - X
8. California Uber Alles - Dead Kennedys
9. Sob Story - Minor Threat
10. Anarchy in the UK - Sex Pistols
11. New Rose - The Damned
12. What Do I Get? - Buzzcocks
13. Mother - Babes in Toyland
14. Gary Gilmore's Eyes - Adverts
15. Gordon is a Moron - Jilted John
16. Add it Up - Violent Femmes
17. Nervous Breakdown - Black Flag
18. X Offender - Blondie
19. I Wanna be your Dog - Stooges
20. Celebrated Summer - Husker Du

JB track 15 is just called "Jilted John".

[Dr. Medulla]

20. Wire—Reuters

Funny, you picked the song off Pink Flag that I often invoke to make the argument that it's not a punk album but a post-punk one. May your days be haunted by Death Cab records …

I totally agree, but it's such a damn great song. Here we are, discussing what's punk again!

It'd be my favourite off the first album if not for "Pink Flag" itself. I never thought too much about "Pink Flag" until the band revitalized it around 2000 or 2001, and turned it into "Ancestor of Drill."

Agreed, it went way up in my estimation after hearing some of those live performances. I really like Lowdown, too. It's got a funky little dystopian rhythm to it.

I don't want to derail this thread or nothing, but I do genuinely believe that thinking about Pink Flag as part of the post-punk perspective makes it a far more interesting album than lumping it in with punk. Certainly no slight on all those fantastic punk records that changed my life, but pretty much from the start, Wire had their eyes and ears elsewhere.

[Marky Dread]

Funny, you picked the song off Pink Flag that I often invoke to make the argument that it's not a punk album but a post-punk one. May your days be haunted by Death Cab records …

I totally agree, but it's such a damn great song. Here we are, discussing what's punk again!

It'd be my favourite off the first album if not for "Pink Flag" itself. I never thought too much about "Pink Flag" until the band revitalized it around 2000 or 2001, and turned it into "Ancestor of Drill."

Agreed, it went way up in my estimation after hearing some of those live performances. I really like Lowdown, too. It's got a funky little dystopian rhythm to it.

I don't want to derail this thread or nothing, but I do genuinely believe that thinking about Pink Flag as part of the post-punk perspective makes it a far more interesting album than lumping it in with punk. Certainly no slight on all those fantastic punk records that changed my life, but pretty much from the start, Wire had their eyes and ears elsewhere.

Not from the start they didn't as the early demos attest. From the first recorded to vinyl possibly more so.

[gkbill]

Hello,

Blitzkreig Bop - the Ramones
Anarchy - the Sex Pistols
Livin' Downtown - the AD's
Complete Control - the Clash
This is the Modern World - the Jam
Neat Neat Neat - the Damned
Oh Bondage -X-Ray Spex
Blank Generation - Richard Hell & the Voidoids
Homicide - 999
Sonic Reducer - the Dead Boys
I Believe - the Buzzcocks
Suspect Device - Stiff Little Fingers
To Hell with Poverty - Gang of Four
No Fun - Iggy & the Stooges
Personality Crisis - the New York Dolls
Punch Me Harder - Superchunk
Born to Lose - Johnny Thunders
Chinese Rocks - Husker Du (lots of choices for this one)
This Perfect Day - the Saints
Addicts of Communication - Randy

I limited myself to one song/band (very hard - Gang of Four, Clash, Ramones, Jam) and if one goes by a time frame, it may have a few outliers - but a fun process.

[Heston]

I really should have had a Conflict song in there. Maybe Increase the Pressure or The Serenade Is Dead.

[Marky Dread]

God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols
Complete Control - The Clash
Smash It Up - The Damned
Harmony in My Head - Buzzcocks
Babylon's Burning - The Ruts
Homicide - 999
Rock 'n' Roll Radio - Ramones
Germfree Adolescents - X-ray Spex
Gotta Gettaway - Stiff Little Fingers
You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?) - The Undertones
Born to Lose - The Heartbreakers
Love Comes in Spurts - Richard Hell & The Voidoids
Into the Valley - The Skids
King Rocker - Generation X
Christine - Siouxsie & The Banshees
Lucky Number - Lene Lovich
Teenage Warning - Angelic Upstarts
Sound of the Suburbs - The Members
Another Girl Another Planet - The Only Ones
This Perfect Day - The Saints


Way too many left of my list could've easily have done a top 50. No Subway Sect/Lurkers/Stranglers/XTC/ Vibrators/U.K. Subs THE list goes on. Took mine from post 1976. Could easily do a great top 20 from pre 1976.

[Dr. Medulla]

I totally agree, but it's such a damn great song. Here we are, discussing what's punk again!

It'd be my favourite off the first album if not for "Pink Flag" itself. I never thought too much about "Pink Flag" until the band revitalized it around 2000 or 2001, and turned it into "Ancestor of Drill."

Agreed, it went way up in my estimation after hearing some of those live performances. I really like Lowdown, too. It's got a funky little dystopian rhythm to it.

I don't want to derail this thread or nothing, but I do genuinely believe that thinking about Pink Flag as part of the post-punk perspective makes it a far more interesting album than lumping it in with punk. Certainly no slight on all those fantastic punk records that changed my life, but pretty much from the start, Wire had their eyes and ears elsewhere.

Not from the start they didn't as the early demos attest. From the first recorded to vinyl possibly more so.

Fair point. But I think their minds were racing a lot more than most and were thinking about going forward, to what comes next, more than about the past. In that respect, maybe Mike Thorne deserves more credit than he's usually accorded for getting the group to think progressively. But I have a hard time thinking, given their backgrounds, that either Colin or Bruce were interested in being in a punk group (i.e., a more pure rock n roll group). Graham perhaps, and maybe even Robert, but Colin and Bruce, for all their clashing of purpose, came from "artier" influences that made more sensitive to a post-punk perspective that punk.

[Dr. Medulla]

I like how much variety we've demonstrated with Buzzcocks. Maybe they're our hidden punkest of punk bands.

[Marky Dread]

It'd be my favourite off the first album if not for "Pink Flag" itself. I never thought too much about "Pink Flag" until the band revitalized it around 2000 or 2001, and turned it into "Ancestor of Drill."

Agreed, it went way up in my estimation after hearing some of those live performances. I really like Lowdown, too. It's got a funky little dystopian rhythm to it.

I don't want to derail this thread or nothing, but I do genuinely believe that thinking about Pink Flag as part of the post-punk perspective makes it a far more interesting album than lumping it in with punk. Certainly no slight on all those fantastic punk records that changed my life, but pretty much from the start, Wire had their eyes and ears elsewhere.

Not from the start they didn't as the early demos attest. From the first recorded to vinyl possibly more so.

Fair point. But I think their minds were racing a lot more than most and were thinking about going forward, to what comes next, more than about the past. In that respect, maybe Mike Thorne deserves more credit than he's usually accorded for getting the group to think progressively. But I have a hard time thinking, given their backgrounds, that either Colin or Bruce were interested in being in a punk group (i.e., a more pure rock n roll group). Graham perhaps, and maybe even Robert, but Colin and Bruce, for all their clashing of purpose, came from "artier" influences that made more sensitive to a post-punk perspective that punk.

I would suggest they were looking to New York and the artier US bands and not London for inspiration. I think listening to the very early stuff like urrrgh "Mary Is a Dyke" they were contenting themselves to a Ramones simplicity due to ability. But I feel they may also have been inspired by other stuff like Throbbing Gristle not as in the sonic sound but in the attitude to forge a different music to the very much 1234 punk straight jacket as was becoming the norm.

Here is my saying about Wire.

Wire were less Chuck Berry and more chuck it away.

[Marky Dread]

I like how much variety we've demonstrated with Buzzcocks. Maybe they're our hidden punkest of punk bands.

No Elvis, Buzzcocks or the Ramones in 2077.

[Heston]

God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols
Complete Control - The Clash
Smash It Up - The Damned
Harmony in My Head - Buzzcocks
Babylon's Burning - The Ruts
Homicide - 999
Rock 'n' Roll Radio - Ramones
Germfree Adolescents - X-ray Spex
Gotta Gettaway - Stiff Little Fingers
You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?) - The Undertones
Born to Lose - The Heartbreakers
Love Comes in Spurts - Richard Hell & The Voidoids
Into the Valley - The Skids
King Rocker - Generation X
Christine - Siouxsie & The Banshees
Lucky Number - Lene Lovich
Teenage Warning - Angelic Upstarts
Sound of the Suburbs - The Members
Another Girl Another Planet - The Only Ones
This Perfect Day - The Saints


Way too many left of my list could've easily have done a top 50. No Subway Sect/Lurkers/Stranglers/XTC/ Vibrators/U.K. Subs THE list goes on. Took mine from post 1976. Could easily do a great top 20 from pre 1976.

Arrrgggh, I forgot the Only Ones!

[Marky Dread]

God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols
Complete Control - The Clash
Smash It Up - The Damned
Harmony in My Head - Buzzcocks
Babylon's Burning - The Ruts
Homicide - 999
Rock 'n' Roll Radio - Ramones
Germfree Adolescents - X-ray Spex
Gotta Gettaway - Stiff Little Fingers
You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?) - The Undertones
Born to Lose - The Heartbreakers
Love Comes in Spurts - Richard Hell & The Voidoids
Into the Valley - The Skids
King Rocker - Generation X
Christine - Siouxsie & The Banshees
Lucky Number - Lene Lovich
Teenage Warning - Angelic Upstarts
Sound of the Suburbs - The Members
Another Girl Another Planet - The Only Ones
This Perfect Day - The Saints


Way too many left of my list could've easily have done a top 50. No Subway Sect/Lurkers/Stranglers/XTC/ Vibrators/U.K. Subs THE list goes on. Took mine from post 1976. Could easily do a great top 20 from pre 1976.

Arrrgggh, I forgot the Only Ones!

To be honest these lists regarding what is and isn't punk never work for me. I dig all the new wave stuff like Squeeze / The Boomtown Rats / The Vapors and so on. I didn't even find a space for Elvis Costello or Ian Dury on my list and I like them more than some I have picked. My fave Clash single WM(iHP) wasn't chosen because wait for it (blasphemy) I'm not so sure I consider it punk.

[Heston]

God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols
Complete Control - The Clash
Smash It Up - The Damned
Harmony in My Head - Buzzcocks
Babylon's Burning - The Ruts
Homicide - 999
Rock 'n' Roll Radio - Ramones
Germfree Adolescents - X-ray Spex
Gotta Gettaway - Stiff Little Fingers
You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?) - The Undertones
Born to Lose - The Heartbreakers
Love Comes in Spurts - Richard Hell & The Voidoids
Into the Valley - The Skids
King Rocker - Generation X
Christine - Siouxsie & The Banshees
Lucky Number - Lene Lovich
Teenage Warning - Angelic Upstarts
Sound of the Suburbs - The Members
Another Girl Another Planet - The Only Ones
This Perfect Day - The Saints


Way too many left of my list could've easily have done a top 50. No Subway Sect/Lurkers/Stranglers/XTC/ Vibrators/U.K. Subs THE list goes on. Took mine from post 1976. Could easily do a great top 20 from pre 1976.

Arrrgggh, I forgot the Only Ones!

To be honest these lists regarding what is and isn't punk never work for me. I dig all the new wave stuff like Squeeze / The Boomtown Rats / The Vapors and so on. I didn't even find a space for Elvis Costello or Ian Dury on my list and I like them more than some I have picked. My fave Clash single WM(iHP) wasn't chosen because wait for it (blasphemy) I'm not so sure I consider it punk.

Yeah, that's why I chose a "punkier" Jam song even though it's not my favourite song by them. It's a tricky one.