Punk

Debate rages about where the foundations for what is today called ‘punk rock’ were laid. Inspired by the raw power of US garage bands like The Stooges and MC5, some say it began in Brisbane, Australia, when The Saints played shows in their Petrie Terrace share house. Others consider the movement started with the likes of the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Damned, who gathered serious energy during UK Prime Minister Jim Callaghan's "Winter of Discontent” (1978-79) when Britain was crippled by strikes, industrial disputes and a declining economy. Perhaps punk exploded from the bowels of New York's legendary CBGBs in the form of The Ramones, Johnny Thunders, Patti Smith and Richard Hell & The Voidoids.

Flipping a middle finger at slick, over-produced, corporate-controlled mainstream music, punk bands usually expressed themselves via short, fast-paced songs with a minimalist sound. Lyrical concerns covered the usual rock bases of love (and hate) but also expanded to include social and political themes. Punk rock subculture has spread worldwide, maintaining an urgency and influence that is still vital today.