Best Punk Albums of All Time
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
How is this not higher? Punk would not exist if it were not for this album. Get the pop-punk fans off here!
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.
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.
The Newcomers
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.
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.
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.
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.
The quintessential hardcore record.
One of the best punk albums ever!
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.
Don't tell me it's not punk. This album evolved from the punk/post-punk/no wave scene of New York, and it is a brilliantly crafted masterpiece. I only wish this band had gone on.
Greatest guitar album of all time, hands down.
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!
This album is dark, aggressive, and raw. Should be top 10 for sure. Who the hell is Green Day? Aren't they the band who do live makeup commercials in stadiums for 100 bucks a ticket?
This album gets my vote. It's punk in its ugliest and truest form.