3 Songs To Learn if You Want To Start a Punk Band

Punk is now several generations old. And as is the case with most genres, its sound and aesthetic can be far-ranging and diverse. But if you are starting a punk band, you may want to study the movement’s pioneers. While rock and roll continues to feature a rebellious spirit, punk’s anti-establishment attitude remains central.

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Far beyond its first wave in the 1970s, the influence of punk’s earliest bands continues to be heard in the modern era. Here are three songs that shaped the future of punk and may help guide your new band, too.

“I Wanna Be Sedated” by Ramones

Out of all the first-wave giants, the Ramones, for me, should be the North Star for any aspiring punk. With brash, high-speed riffs and bubblegum pop melodies, the Ramones left a blueprint for future punk bands like Green Day to follow. Moreover, singer Joey Ramone, inspired by 1960s girl groups, led his band of pseudo-adopted siblings with sing-song hooks and slacker anthems. And the Ramones’ influence has reached much farther than a single genre. You can spot their DNA in everyone from Guns N’ Roses to The Strokes.

“God Save The Queen” by Sex Pistols

Opposite the Ramones minimalist uniform of leather jackets and torn jeans was the Sex Pistols’ defining look, designed by Vivienne Westwood. Westwood, along with the band’s manager Malcolm McLaren, used safety pins, frayed T-shirts, and bondage gear to create what is now standard punk attire. It was striking and outrageous in the 1970s, matched only by the Sex Pistols unhinged behavior and legendary (and only) studio album. Sex Pistols helped bring subculture to mainstream culture, and few groups in history have so successfully upset the status quo. Though the band self-imploded as quickly as they started, echoes of Johnny Rotten’s sneering vocal have endured for generations—as has the Sex Pistols’ groundbreaking debut.

“London Calling” by The Clash

On paper, writing pop hits as a punk band seems like the antithesis of the movement. But most bands with an enduring legacy have written great tunes. The Clash may have raged against the machine politically, but songs like “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” and “Rock The Casbah” are pure earworms. Meanwhile, the classic lineup of Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon expanded the sound of punk. They incorporated reggae, dub, and R&B, and London Calling, along with Sex Pistols’ Never Mind The Bollocks, utterly transformed rock history.

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