Years before Sex Pistols and The Ramones, a few garage rock acts, many fronted by teens, dropped songs in 1965 that basically predicted the eventual emergence of punk rock. The following three songs fit that bill perfectly, in my opinion. And I’m surprised that their mere existence didn’t kick off punk rock earlier than expected.
“Psycho” by The Sonics from ‘Here Are The Sonics’
This cut from Here Are The Sonics is unmistakably proto-punk. In fact, the whole of the album is a perfect blend of then-timely garage rock and futuristic proto-punk. I recommend listening to the record from front to back if you get the chance. But “Psycho”, specifically, really captures the vibe I’m talking about. And decades before grunge took over the Pacific Northwest, The Sonics were showing the world how forward-thinking rock music sounded in Seattle in 1965.
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“Demolición” by Los Saicos from ‘Wild Teen-Punk From Peru 1965’
A world away from Seattle in Peru, a band of young musicians got together to form Los Saicos. This enormously underrated garage rock band are considered pioneers of both punk rock and Latin beat, and their music wrapped up nicely with a touch of surf rock. Years later, the band’s single “Demolición” remains their most famous international work. If you don’t speak Spanish, take a look at the English translation of the lyrics. They are unmistakably anarchistic and punk rock to the core.
“Dirty Water” by The Standells from ‘Dirty Water’
If you were a young garage rock fan in 1965, this entry on our list of proto-punk songs from that year might just ring a bell. “Dirty Water” by The Standells is a sarcastic ode of sorts to Boston, Massachusetts, and it specifically (awkwardly) brings up the city’s then-polluted harbor. The whole song, both lyrically and musically, sounds like the early inklings of punk rock as we know it. And within just a few months, “Dirty Water” made it all the way to No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Today, ironically, the song is played by Boston-area sports teams after celebrating victories.
Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
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