Best Punk Albums of All Time
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Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols
I am from London and was 15 in 1977. The backlash from the media at the time was harsh - anti-Pistols, anti-punk.
This really is the Bollocks. Interestingly, the first vinyl pressings had the word blacked out until a court decision determined it was not a swear word. The point is, the Pistols were loved by punks and hated by the mainstream. No other album was so divisive in Britain's history. Don't believe me? Just listen and Google it. It was so ahead of its time, one of the most controversial albums ever. Yet, it sounds powerful and fresh even today. It remains relevant, reflecting the state of the UK back then and even now.
A brilliant album and a brilliant act that spawned many other punk bands.
Without the Sex Pistols, there would have been no Clash, The Damned, UK Subs, Ruts, 999, etc. The MC5, Iggy and The Stooges, New York Dolls, and The Ramones helped spawn the American punk movement, including The Dead Kennedys and the Misfits. But in the UK, the Pistols were second to none.
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Ramones - The Ramones
Inventors of punk rock? Come on, guys! This is one of the best albums of all time. And London Calling by The Clash or Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols are both not on the list? Are you kidding me? Do you even know punk?
They are the best punk band ever, and this album has their greatest song, "Blitzkrieg Bop." They were the band who created punk!
The record that started it all. It was my first true punk studio album. I instantly became a fan and couldn't stop bopping. I love this record!
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Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - Dead Kennedys
Punks, wherever you are, please vote this into the Top 5 where it belongs. "If the kids are united." Sadly, the new kids have no idea what punk really means.
While not as good as their later albums, this album still is one of the most well-known and most badass US hardcore albums out there.
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The Clash - The Clash
They made the best punk album with "The Clash" and the best rock album with "London Calling." Pure Class of '77 punk sound with elements of reggae, 50s rockabilly, and ska. A masterpiece. Also, I am biased... This album changed my life.
Far better than London Calling and definitely equal to Never Mind the Bollocks.
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London Calling - The Clash
Let's remember what punk rock is. Punk rock is not only bringing rock back to the basics but also being a punk. The main reason I picked this over Never Mind the Bollocks is because of the album cover. It's an imitation of Elvis Presley's album, but instead of a happy guy with a guitar, it's a punk smashing his guitar. Come on, isn't that punk-ish?
One of the greatest albums of all time. The best punk album ever made! And I'm not the only one saying it. Rolling Stone magazine placed it at #7 in its 500 greatest albums of all time list. I know Rolling Stone is often wrong, but even so, this album is pure punk brilliance!
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Dookie - Green Day
What the hell?! Insomniac is number 1, but Dookie is number 5. This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest albums ever made. I could listen to it on repeat all day and still be in awe.
This album literally saved punk rock from grunge. Songs like Longview and Basket Case are what define punk. It is about doing things your own damn way.
This, in my opinion, is the greatest album ever made. Every song on it is nowhere near bad or repetitive, and I can pop this in my CD player any day.
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Damned Damned Damned - The Damned
Green Day is not punk. F off, you bunch of disco freaks. This album was released 9 months before the Sex Pistols' NMTB. It is faster, and they can play better than the Pistols. NMTB almost sounds like heavy metal compared to DDD.
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Raw Power - Iggy & the Stooges
THIS is the first punk album ever! Not the Ramones' debut, not the Clash's debut, not the Sex Pistols, but this album. This is pure rock and roll and needs to be in the top 5, if not number 1.
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Insomniac - Green Day
I'm alright with people calling Dookie pop punk because it was mostly pop punk (with exceptions of Longview, FOD, Sassafras Roots, etc.), but Insomniac is a full-on punk album. It has a much darker, meaner tone. Just listen to Geek Stink Breath, Jaded, '86, and Armatage Shanks.
The album never really had any big hits, maybe because it's a punk album, and punk rock has always been so underrated. I don't care if this is number 1 or number 17. I just want people to stop calling it a pop album and to stop trashing Green Day for being pop-punk. I call them punk rock/pop punk or simply alternative because that's a hybrid genre. This album saved punk and probably brought it back to the mainstream, but it was completely overshadowed by Dookie.
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Inflammable Material - Stiff Little Fingers
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First Two Seven Inches - Minor Threat
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Operation Ivy - Operation Ivy
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Static Age - Misfits
This album is so damn good! Danzig's voice is unique, and his clear inspiration from Elvis Presley makes his voice sound almost bluesy. Some songs may be somewhat forgettable (T.V. Casualty, Return of the Fly, etc.), but the others are amazing! Hybrid Moments, Bullet, Last Caress, We Are 138, Come Back, and Attitude are all great tracks that stick in your head from the first listen.
I'm more of a Walk Among Us guy, but this album is still amazing. The Misfits belong in at least the top 10.
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...And Out Come the Wolves - Rancid
"New York City! Well, I wish I was on the highway. Back to Olympia." Best it gets, folks. Punk music is about whatever you make it. ...And Out Come the Wolves is earnest, driven, and punk as flummery. This is culture.
One of the best of all time. It sounds like a greatest hits album. Closely followed by Let the Dominoes Fall.
Great album, and the guys are still going strong today. Absolutely superb!
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Rocket to Russia - The Ramones
This album is like the Beach Boys on steroids! Fast, cool, and 30 minutes of pure punk pandemonium. It inspired countless musicians and is considered a must-have for punk.
Road to Ruin is my personal favorite, but Rocket to Russia is a close second. Should be in the top 3.
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Walk Among Us - Misfits
How is there not a single Misfits album on this list?!
Should be way higher. This album is amazing.
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Rattus Norvegicus - The Stranglers
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American Idiot - Green Day
Although it's not as "punk" as some of the other contenders, or even other Green Day albums at that, American Idiot was arguably the greatest achievement in modern rock. Blending other genres like alternative and emo into Green Day's previously established signature tone, as well as Armstrong's simple story that he tells throughout, American Idiot is an epic that can make you feel all sorts of things with its runtime.
I'm a Republican, and I still think this should be in the top ten. The storyline is beautiful, as are the lyrics and instruments. Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool really know how to be a great band and touch the hearts of many. American Idiot is my favorite album of all time. This should really be higher.
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Milo Goes to College - The Descendents
One of the most influential punk records of the '80s, if you ask me.
Almost ready, almost there. Almost the best punk album ever.
Should be first. Second, Sex Pistols.
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Sing Loud, Sing Proud! - Dropkick Murphys
One of the best punk albums ever!
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Damaged - Black Flag
The quintessential hardcore record.
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Smash - The Offspring
What? Smash was the best-selling album ever on an independent label. Isn't the whole independent label thing what makes punk what it is?
Awesome album! The Offspring's best album!
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Pink Flag - Wire
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Punk in Drublic - NOFX
Fantastic record, fantastic band. Amazing. NOFX deserves to be number one, and Green Day does not belong on this list at all. Green Day is lame.
Just another fantastic record, which influenced many ska and skate punk bands.
It's not even their best album, but it deserves to be in the top 10 of this list.
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A Brand New Age - UK Subs
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Something Better Change - D.O.A.
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Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing - Discharge
