Understanding The Punk Movement of the 70s
What happened when the world was ready to move on from the “give peace a chance” narrative?
BY: CLAUDIA MINARDI
The Ramones / Picture by Roberta Bayley via Rolling Stone
Long before the term “punk” was a negative nickname given to teens and young adults, it was a revolutionary movement.
1970s New York was the birthplace of punk thanks to bands such as the Ramones and the New York Dolls. They turned heads and increased in popularity thanks to their signature style: jeans, leather jackets, and shirts with rips, tears, frayed ends, and countless holes. They refused to buy new clothing and instead wore their scuffed outfits with pride.
This became the unofficial uniform of punk rockers.
Upon New York Dolls’ manager Malcolm McLaren’s return to England, the punk fever began to spread across the ocean and soon, the rest of the world. From there, adjustments were made to the punk look, including spiked and coloured hair, studded clothing elements, and safety pins to hold together any rips or tears.
In addition to the fashion, the punk movement had a soundtrack: the music from the bands forming at the time. A few of the most influential and renowned punk bands include the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Misfits, Souxie and the Banshees, and many many others (along with the previously mentioned Ramones and New York Dolls).
As YouTube channel Trash Theory puts it, “punk, at its absolute essence, is rock ‘n’ roll boiled down to its bare bones.”
Punk music cuts out all the long and flowery guitar solos. They commonly used power chords in quick bursts, created straightforward yet catchy riffs, and their vocals were left unpolished.
I think the goal of punk music was to be recognizable and break away from the “love one another” energy from the 60s.
The Punk Culture in 1970s London / Photo by Ted Polhemus via Red Bull
Punk songs have a sound with raw lyrics charged with political, societal, or economic criticism.
A sound that is unhinged and chaotic in nature, loose and less put together, employing distorted guitar tones.
A sound that is, most importantly, loud.
Jonathan Richman, singer of the early punk band Modern Lovers, has an unconventional voice, one that isn’t typically seen in the professional music scene. It’s been described as “untrained and off-key. He didn’t have a standard voice. He just wanted to show the world that anyone can do it. All you had to have is feeling.”
In terms of the various ideologies the punk movement fought for, they varied. The most common ones were self-expression, individuality and nonconformity, humanitarianism, and anti-establishment/anti-capitalism.
The Punk Culture in 1980’s France / Photo via CVLT Nation
However, not everyone at the time stood for the same causes. In fact, the punk movement can be broken down into various subcultures, each with its own altered look and original agendas.
For example, there was the “socialist punk” culture, in which bands sang about the various inequalities and problems in society. The song “Know your Rights” by The Clash would be considered a socialist punk song since the lyrics call out the injustices the band had seen.
One thing all punks had was a shared importance for their philosophies. If you dressed the part and listened to the music but rejected their ideologies, you weren't considered a punk, but a poser.
The New York Dolls / Photo by Roberta Bayley via Huckmag
The movement was strong until the 1980s, when “new wave” and other post-punk subgenres took the center stage. Then “grunge” and “riot grrl” bands stepped onto the scene. I wouldn’t say that punk disappeared altogether or even fizzled out, but it evolved into different genres. It would be impossible for punk to last forever. Eventually, the world had to move on.
However, in the late 90s, there was a rebirth of punk thanks to bands like Green Day, Blink-182, and The Offspring. These artists brought back the angry sound, political lyrics, and spikey hair. Their music sounded very similar to their 70s influences and before long, punk was considered mainstream. This revitalization of the genre paved the way for alternative rock, pop-punk, and emo bands.
Green Day in the early 90s / Photo via AltPress
As we continue down modern times, we are still learning more about the legendary movement. The band Pure Hell, cited as “America’s first black punk band,” performed for and later moved in with The New York Dolls. They greatly contributed to the scene, breaking down the barriers of a predominantly white movement, and captivating audiences with their unique sound and stage presence. In fact, Pure Hell arrived quite early into the punk movement, around 1975, a year before The Ramones’ culture-changing debut album even dropped.
Unfortunately, Pure Hell’s influence was poorly documented and the band’s name faded in comparison to the other acts the 1970s birthed. However, thanks to the internet, Pure Hell has been rediscovered and are starting to receive the credit they deserve.
The band Pure Hell via Dazeddigital
The influential movement happened half a century ago, so is punk still alive today? To figure this out, I spoke to the one person I knew would have the answers: my sister, Maria.
As a child, we were raised on the classics like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Queen. It wasn’t until my sister and I started our personal musical journeys that we discovered new bands that spoke to us. I found myself falling down the grunge and hard rock rabbit hole while Maria dove into punk.
She listens to a wide spectrum of punk bands, including the legendary Ramones (her personal favourites), The Clash, and the more modern ones such as Blink-182 and Green Day.
When asked what she liked about the music, she immediately ran off a never-ending list. “The songs have this quick, catchy nature about them,” she told me. “Each song is guaranteed to have a really captivating guitar riff. And the lyrics are either discussing real issues or they are anthems that make the listener feel powerful.”
“I also want to point out their image,” she said. “The leather jackets, band t-shirts, and ripped jeans make such a statement. It’s an iconic look and it’s actually what made me intrigued to begin with.”
Maria mentioned how other modern bands she listens to, such as The Strokes, are heavily influenced by punk bands and their style. She’s able to compare the newer music with that of 50 years ago, and realize that they are more similar than one would initially guess.
Ramones via Ultimate Classic Rock
A distinct attribute of the punk movement was their distaste for “selling out,” when a band becomes really popular and changes their sound to become more mainstream and appeal to a wider audience, usually in an attempt to make more money. Bands accused of selling out are also said to have “become soft,” especially in terms of hard rock bands.
“That’s the one part of punk that I don’t agree with,” Maria said. “It’s not fair how punk bands aren’t allowed to change their sound without facing backlash. The Ramones did that for their album “Road to Ruin'' and since it was less punk-ish than their previous records, many people didn’t like it. But all the while their image stayed the same. Their sound was different, of course, but that didn't change how they portrayed themselves.”
Although punk may not be completely dead, it’s barely breathing.
An ironic aspect about the culture is that it prides itself on individuality and standing out from the crowd. At the same time, if everyone became punk, there wouldn’t be any room to be unique.
Brightly dyed hair is becoming a norm, another tiktok trend and reason us Gen Zs won’t get hired. Thrifted clothing is back in fashion, both for sustainability purposes and for the chance to have a DIY project. The very things that made the punk movement look different are simply part of modern life.
Is there even room for punk in 2021?
My sister once again had the answer, “the clothing and music alone didn’t create the punk movement. It certainly helped bring people together, but in the end, to be a punk means self-expression, being true to who you are, and not caring what others think.”