The Punk Hundred by rockaction - The Countdown Of My Favorite Hundred Punk Songs By A Hundred Different Bands (3 Viewers)

[rockaction]

67. Suicide – Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider motorcycle hero
Hey, baby, baby, baby he's screamin' the truth
America, America's killin' its youth

Avant-garde punks (they were the first New York city act to use the word “punk” to describe themselves) that were really electronica pioneers in search of an audience. Using drone and other guitar sounds, the two members, Alan Vega and Martin Rev, cut an influential first album and continued to be experimental wonders until the death of Vega in 2016. Many heavy hitters cite their landmark work as influential to their own sounds and careers. Homages from LCD Soundsystem and M.I.A. can be found in works adjacent to their own (samples and covers).

 

[otb_lifer]

67. Suicide – Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider motorcycle hero
Hey, baby, baby, baby he's screamin' the truth
America, America's killin' its youth

Avant-garde punks (they were the first New York city act to use the word “punk” to describe themselves) that were really electronica pioneers in search of an audience. Using drone and other guitar sounds, the two members, Alan Vega and Martin Rev, cut an influential first album and continued to be experimental wonders until the death of Vega in 2016. Many heavy hitters cite their landmark work as influential to their own sounds and careers. Homages from LCD Soundsystem and M.I.A. can be found in works adjacent to their own (samples and covers).

more punk than a gob drenched, rusty safety pin stuck in Hank Rollins jumbly sack. 

 

[rockaction]

66. Vivian Girls – When I’m Gone

When everything goes wrong
Will you sit around and miss me when I’m gone?

More noise allowances because of historical definitions of punk. Cassie Ramone, Katy Goodman, and the various drummers of the Vivian Girls shone brightly in the apocalyptically hipster-laden borough of Brooklyn in the late aughts. Described by some as lo-fi noise rock, described by many as punk. Rough execution, beautiful harmonies, squalling guitars, and a rolling bass line are the things of note in this track, destined to become an earworm near you.

 

[scorchy]

Thanks for the Marked Men comment! I loved them in the late aughts/early teens of this century (feels weird to post that). Great band from Denton, TX, on Dirtnap Records, an indie king back then. 

They had nothing on the Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton (long live Cyrus and Jeff).

There'll be more bands that Hold Steady mentions and namechecks! One makes the top twenty!

Really hoping that Rocco Siffredi has an awesome punk band that I somehow never heard.

 

[scorchy]

67. Suicide – Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider motorcycle hero
Hey, baby, baby, baby he's screamin' the truth
America, America's killin' its youth

Avant-garde punks (they were the first New York city act to use the word “punk” to describe themselves) that were really electronica pioneers in search of an audience. Using drone and other guitar sounds, the two members, Alan Vega and Martin Rev, cut an influential first album and continued to be experimental wonders until the death of Vega in 2016. Many heavy hitters cite their landmark work as influential to their own sounds and careers. Homages from LCD Soundsystem and M.I.A. can be found in works adjacent to their own (samples and covers).

When I was doing the post-punk jawn, Suicide was one of two great bands I left out because I just couldn't decide whether they fit.  Great to see them here.

 

[rockaction]

They had nothing on the Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton (long live Cyrus and Jeff).

Well that just introduced me to an interesting song and act. 

 

[rockaction]

Really hoping that Rocco Siffredi has an awesome punk band that I somehow never heard.

No, but you *can* rhyme his name with The Hold Steady. I had to look up who Rocco was/is. Guess who's getting unfortunately targeted ads later on today (or now, even). 

 

[rockaction]

Mountain Goats doing a cover of Jawbreaker's "Boxcar" for the A.V. Club. 

https://youtu.be/xPRE35kjOcI?t=36

A band I'd only heard of in passing performing a cover of a band I never really got. In fairness, I just never really dug Jawbreaker and only heard them in passing, too. There might have been a time in life I would have loved them and their lyrics, but I didn't listen to it when I would have been simpatico with it. Anyway, the cover comes out good. 

Jawbreaker will unfortunately not be on the countdown. We have a bias against other cities' bands by way of the Bay Area. 

Hmmm...

 

[rockaction]

And because all the Bay Area people will start throwing fruit and screaming at me about the greatness that is/was Jawbreaker, I'll leave another Bay Area band here who I actually think might surprisingly have a songwriter at the helm as effective as Blake Schwarzenbach. It took me a decade or even two to realize how penetrating and evocative Johnny Bonnel's writing is. 

65. $wingin' Utter$ - No Eager Men 

She wore a bright red dress/and always looked half undressed
And she stuck by his side like glue
She gave him perfect eyes/smiled at him every time
And when she spoke it was the truth 

Requisite blurb: Very underrated songwriter and band produce a slightly familiar, Clash-sounding output but with lyrics that address personal situations and life introspection rather than heaving from political crosses to bear. Still a working class/Oi band at heart if in main part for the personal solidarity flowing from their lyrical topics of choice. 

 

[scorchy]

66. Vivian Girls – When I’m Gone

When everything goes wrong
Will you sit around and miss me when I’m gone?

More noise allowances because of historical definitions of punk. Cassie Ramone, Katy Goodman, and the various drummers of the Vivian Girls shone brightly in the apocalyptically hipster-laden borough of Brooklyn in the late aughts. Described by some as lo-fi noise rock, described by many as punk. Rough execution, beautiful harmonies, squalling guitars, and a rolling bass line are the things of note in this track, destined to become an earworm near you.

Always like Vivian Girls.  Saw them a few times when they swung through Baltimore a while back [just looked it up, was it really more than 10 years ago?].  Won't spotlight, but there were a bunch of decent all-female punk outfits in that general timeframe, but VG were definitely one of the best.

 

[rockaction]

Always like Vivian Girls.  Saw them a few times when they swung through Baltimore a while back [just looked it up, was it really more than 10 years ago?].  Won't spotlight, but there were a bunch of decent all-female punk outfits in that general timeframe, but VG were definitely one of the best.

You can spotlight because I'm pretty sure that there won't be any more, especially bordering the indie/noise realm. There's The Babies, but they didn't put out enough music to really qualify. I'm curious about who else. I know if you're talking Baltimore you're talking indie kings Wye Oak as a female-fronted band. And there's Cayetana from Philly that didn't make the countdown unfortunately (probably because I didn't think of them) and a few more, but I always considered those acts more indie than punk. Dum Dum Girls and Best Coast would be two other bands at the time fronted or with significant female influence but they didn't make it either. 

 

[rockaction]

64. Red Dons – My Life In Exile

If you see me tonight/well I hope you'll pass me by
'Cause if you saw me tonight/you'd know I wasn't right
And I miss you tonight

Portland, OR, punks bash out an anthemic song from 2010 off of the highly-acclaimed Fake Meets Failure. Addressing alienation, loneliness, and longing for human contact (one of the members was a foreign exchange student in Jordan for a good chunk of time in the aughts, and it shows in the lyrics and artwork layout of the band), the Red Dons mix intelligence with chugging post-punk rhythms and melodic leanings. Deftly mixing the indie aspect of slight angularity with the bliss of pure pop, they attempt to redefine tradition by remaining outré and self-exiled while staying firmly ensconced in readily accessible and historical sensibilities.

 

[plinko]

Always like Vivian Girls.  Saw them a few times when they swung through Baltimore a while back [just looked it up, was it really more than 10 years ago?].  Won't spotlight, but there were a bunch of decent all-female punk outfits in that general timeframe, but VG were definitely one of the best.

Connected to Dum Dum Girls?

 

[plinko]

  Jawbreaker dump forthcoming

 

[scorchy]

You can spotlight because I'm pretty sure that there won't be any more, especially bordering the indie/noise realm. There's The Babies, but they didn't put out enough music to really qualify. I'm curious about who else. I know if you're talking Baltimore you're talking indie kings Wye Oak as a female-fronted band. And there's Cayetana from Philly that didn't make the countdown unfortunately (probably because I didn't think of them) and a few more, but I always considered those acts more indie than punk. Dum Dum Girls and Best Coast would be two other bands at the time fronted or with significant female influence but they didn't make it either. 

Yeah, love Best Coast and Dum Dum Girls, but wasn't talking about them.  And with maybe one exception, I don't think any of the bands listed below deserve to be included in a top 100, so just linking for fun.  I realize now that I was also using "general timeframe" quite loosely.

Sahara Hotnights - Fire Alarm

Visqueen - Crush on Radio

The Donnas - Take It Off

The Coathangers - Make It Right

Detroit Cobras - Shout Bama Lama (definitely more on the garage side).

If you can't tell, I have a thing for this thing.

 

[plinko]

Connected to Dum Dum Girls?

Never mind.

 

[plinko]

Shield Your Eyes, early demo 1987-88

Busy 1989

With Or Without U2   

Donatello my jam off Bivouac.. why all the talking BS all over this album, BS?

 OK I'm good.. ty for indulging

 

[plinko]

78. Crime - Hot Wire My Heart

I hate it and then I love it.  Punk rock!

77. The Eat - Communist Radio

This is all getting generally better so I approve of your rankings

Okay, not Sonic Youth. Here's one otb will dig. 

75. G.B.H. - City Baby Attacked By Rats

I might like this one best so far, as far as stuff I never heard of

 

[rockaction]

Yeah, love Best Coast and Dum Dum Girls, but wasn't talking about them.  And with maybe one exception, I don't think any of the bands listed below deserve to be included in a top 100, so just linking for fun.  I realize now that I was also using "general timeframe" quite loosely.

Sahara Hotnights - Fire Alarm

Visqueen - Crush on Radio

The Donnas - Take It Off

The Coathangers - Make It Right

Detroit Cobras - Shout Bama Lama (definitely more on the garage side).

If you can't tell, I have a thing for this thing.

Cobras and Coathangers are certainly worthy of mention. Thanks for that. Cobras are covers, though, and this countdown has no covers that aren’t completely transformative. Donnas are metal in my estimation, or they’d be here. They wanted to be Judas Priest, so let ‘em rock and roll. 
 

Sahara Hotnights I did not care for upon first listens, so they’re in the dustbin. Visqueen I’ll check out. 

 

[scorchy]

Cobras and Coathangers are certainly worthy of mention. Thanks for that. Cobras are covers, though, and this countdown has no covers that aren’t completely transformative.

Cobras were one of my favorite live bands back in those days - always played all-out and Rachel had a ton of charisma.  Was bummed to see she passed away earlier this year.

 

[rockaction]

Cobras were one of my favorite live bands back in those days - always played all-out and Rachel had a ton of charisma.  Was bummed to see she passed away earlier this year.

I missed that. RIP. 

 

[rockaction]

63. The Humpers – Drunk Tank

Goin down to the corner to get myself a pinch
Everybody in this tank’s gonna take a schniff

Proto-punk aficionados from Long Beach, CA, bring the muscle with this track that lets you in on their Friday night shenanigans. From 1993’s Positively Sick On 4th Street, which was put out by the label Sympathy For The Music Industry, the song’s lyrics are not going to move sociological mountains, but the track burns.

 

[SayChowda]

69. Bouncing Souls - Here We Go

New Jersey fun punks/serious bros Bouncing Souls check in with "Here We Go," an homage to being on the road in a punk rock band. Shouts out the Sonic Iguana, famous punk studio in the Midwest manned by Mass Giorgini, famed pop/punk producer. 

Definitely seen these guys 10-15 times. Their live shows are quite fun. I play True Believers for my little kids often in the car. 

 

[rockaction]

Definitely seen these guys 10-15 times. Their live shows are quite fun. I play True Believers for my little kids often in the car. 

Nice. I have not had the pleasure of witness. That said, I can believe their shows are fun and good on ya for playing them for your kids. 

Who's gonna pick up four punks in Indiana on Sunday? 

 

[rockaction]

Whoops. Falling down on the job here. 

62. The Urinals – I’m A Bug

Southern California goes punk/pop in this classic single. Covered often, but rarely replicated authentically, the tinny urinal sounds make it a tasty baked cake to smile at (or pee on). Simply put, an interesting song by The Urinals.

 

[plinko]

65. $wingin' Utter$ - No Eager Men 

64. Red Dons – My Life In Exile

I was tripping along for a few tracks but then these two 

Turned my OK signs into smilies but that will do

ETA also.. I know practically 0 of this stuff , really digging it and glad I have some time to.  Another vote for Coathangers!

 

[rockaction]

61. Zero Boys – Civilization’s Dying

From the Pope to the President
To the big rock star who made a lot of money
All got one thing in common/they know it ain’t no fun/to get shot with a gun

Nihilistic and bleak proclamations can garner attention in the punk rock world. This song ensured that the Zero Boys, from Indianapolis, IN, would forever be mentioned in a serious punk’s legacy of the history of that world, Part I. A song about the apocalypse and civilization dying makes the hardcore rounds, but sounds like deliverance with that guitar riffage.

 

[rockaction]

ETA also.. I know practically 0 of this stuff , really digging it and glad I have some time to.  Another vote for Coathangers!

If I may return the compliment, you've been an absolute boon to the thread and a welcome contributor, plinko. Awesome that you're following along!

 

[rockaction]

60. Agent Orange – Bloodstains

Blood stains, speed kills
Fast cars, cheap thrills
Rich girls, fine wine
I've lost my sense, I've lost control, I've lost my mind

Punks from Placentia, CA, noted for their surf rock/punk rock fusion, cut this track in 1980. Noted for appearing on Rodney Bingenheimer’s Rodney on the ROQ compilation, the song would cement itself as a modern punk classic due to its retro surf guitar sound and tempo.

 

[rockaction]

59. Propagandhi – …And We Thought That Nation-States Were A Bad Idea

Publicly subsidized/privately profitable
The anthem of the upper-tier puppeteer untouchable…

Thus begins Propagandhi’s sing-a-long introduction to Fat Wreck Chord's greatest (or worst, depending on your point of view) political anthem (yes, greater by far than The Decline) to date. Propagandhi hail from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and feature typically progressive left-wing politics to either the chagrin or delight of many. What seemed quite radical twenty years ago became the norm, and their anarchist laments are all like a fish in water for the most part if you’re a man or woman in lockstep with the left. Still a good song regardless. Chugging guitars, slick leads, a little math rock thrown in. Go for it! 

 

[plinko]

If I may return the compliment, you've been an absolute boon to the thread and a welcome contributor, plinko. Awesome that you're following along!

Cheers ... good soundtrack on a drive today, along with some of my own stuff I was looking back through, wondering what will turn up

Very subjective stuff.  I get weary when I try to wade through the annals of punk rock the way that I can with all things metal.  So it's cool to just get somebody else's take.   Plus I need to drum up support for my next project coming July 1.

 

[plinko]

Can we get a little Old Skull

 

[rockaction]

Looks like interest in this has flagged. I'm not going to beat a dead horse or take up people's time with countdowns that don't work for the demographic, so tomorrow or the next day, I'll just post the list and add to to the Spotify list. It'll take a little while, but it'll be there. 

Peace, guys! Thanks to those who followed along!

 

[rockaction]

In order, only in reverse, #1 was God Save The Queen. My favorite little touch were the three X's from 34-32. One band's name, one band's second name, one song. 

Toulouse, fellas! 

1) Sex Pistols – God Save The Queen
2) The Damned – New Rose  
3) Ramones – Judy Is A Punk
4) Wire - Mannequin
5) Mission Of Burma – That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate
6) Buzzcocks – Ever Fallen In Love?
7) New Bomb Turks – Born Toulouse-Lautrec
The Dils – You’re Not Blank (So Baby We’re Through)
9) Heartbreakers – Pirate Love
10) Dead Boys – All This And More
11) The Clash – Complete Control
12) Circle Jerks – Operation
13) The Jam – Away From The Numbers
14) Green Day – Going To Pasalacqua
15) Stiff Little Fingers – Suspect Device
16) Minutemen – Corona
17) Dead Kennedys – I Am The Owl
18) Dillinger Four – The Great American Going Out Of Business Sale
19) Descendents – Bikeage
20) Bad Brains – Rock For Light  
21) The Distillers – I Am A Revenant
22) The Zeros – Beat Your Heart Out
23) The Dancing French Liberals of ’48 – The Spaghetti Song/U.K. Subs – Down On The Farm
24) Misfits – Hybrid Moments
25) Bad Religion – Drastic Actions
26) Black Flag – Rise Above
27) Rancid – Old Friend
28) Suicidal Tendencies – Institutionalized  
29) The Saints – I’m Stranded    
30) The Queers as told by The New Bomb Turks – This Place Sucks
31) ####ed Up – Crusades
32) Blondie – X Offender
33) Generation X – Ready, Steady, Go
34) X – We’re Desperate
35) Clowns – Not Coping
36) Underground Railroad To Candyland – Livin’ In A Staw (In The Summer Of Fraud)
37) Japandroids – Wet Hair
38) Patti Smith – Gloria: In Excelsis Deo  
39) The Mr. T Experience – Sackcloth and Ashes
40) Minor Threat – Filler
41) Exploding Hearts – Modern Kicks
42) NOFX – Linoleum
43) The Wipers – Romeo
44) Slits – Typical Girls 
45) Krupted Peasant Farmerz – Piano Song From Hell/Titus Andronicus – A More Perfect Union
46) Bikini Kill – Rebel Girl  
47) Adolescents – Kids Of The Black Hole   
48) Husker Dü – Statues
49) Social Distortion – Mommy’s Little Monster
50) The Rip Offs – Zodiac/Hooked On Phonics  
51) Angry Samoans – Right Side Of My Mind
52) Operation Ivy – Bombshell
53) X-Ray Spex – Oh Bondage, Up Yours!
54) The Rezillos – Top Of The Pops 
55) Refused – The Deadly Rhythm  
56) Against Me! – Turn Those Clapping Hands Into Angry Balled Fists
57) Devil Dogs – Once Around The Block
58) The Dickies – Give It Back   

 

[scorchy]

56) Against Me! – Turn Those Clapping Hands Into Angry Balled Fists
 

Not really sure how to parse out any comments but I'll make a go out of hippling this in between work meetings.

First up, Against Me! is one of my favorite bands despite the wildly uneven output,  Laura Jane's weird diction can really get in the way sometimes too and the songs often sound way better live than on record.  Always a huge sense of community at their shows.  My two favorites:

Sink, Florida, Sink (Live) - the sheer joy in this performance is everything you could ever want in a show.  The singalong starting at 1:20 makes me well up a little.  

Black Me Out - 180 degrees.  Pure pain and anger.

 

[scorchy]

53) X-Ray Spex – Oh Bondage, Up Yours!
 

I was late to the Poly Styrene game.  I had a g/f in grad school that loved classic punk and would always play an X-Ray Spex tape on our road trips.  Man did I hate it at first, but somehow grew to love it.  An all-timer for sure.

 

[scorchy]

32) Blondie – X Offender
33) Generation X – Ready, Steady, Go
34) X – We’re Desperate
 

Pretty much impossible to get a better three-song run than this.  Along with X's music, John Doe had a pretty prolific acting side-hustle.  Never quite realized the extent until I saw him pop up in a Law & Order rerun a few weeks back and check out his IMDB page.

 

[scorchy]

30) The Queers as told by The New Bomb Turks – This Place Sucks
 

I felt the need to go see The New Bomb Turks in early 90s only because they were named after a character in my dad's favorite movie - Hollywood Knights.  Totally worth the price of admission.

OK, gonna stop for awhile.

 

[rockaction]

Thanks again, guys (scorchy, plinko, otb) for reading and contributing. You pulled the major weight in the thread, and I didn't want you guys to feel obligated to check in when there was stuff going on. 

As for the list, I think it gets really strong around the Wipers portion of the countdown. I can't count many questionable ones after that aside from maybe Patti Smith and Clowns, but Patti Smith belongs on the countdown and the Clowns song is worth the price of admission (which has been free!). 

So peace, and if you guys want to keep commenting and talking, I'll be here. 

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Thanks RA!  Sorry I haven't been around for a couple of weeks - out on vacation and didn't take my phone or laptop.  Great and fun stuff here!

 

[foxco]

This was a humbling thread for me, as I knew very very little and would have thought I'd have heard of a decent amount, but nope, like John Snow, I know nothing. Was psyched to see Bad Religion represented, have always had a soft spot for them. Same with Suicidal Tendencies & Social Distorion. Think I skew to the heavier side a bit on the punk spectrum. 

Definately psyched to check out the Spotify list and give these a whirl. Much appreciated. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I was late to the Poly Styrene game.  I had a g/f in grad school that loved classic punk and would always play an X-Ray Spex tape on our road trips.  Man did I hate it at first, but somehow grew to love it.  An all-timer for sure.

IMO one of the funniest experiences I've ever had listening to music was the first time I heard this song when Poly screams the title for the first time. It just comes out of nowhere! 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Pretty much impossible to get a better three-song run than this.  Along with X's music, John Doe had a pretty prolific acting side-hustle.  Never quite realized the extent until I saw him pop up in a Law & Order rerun a few weeks back and check out his IMDB page.

Did he group them all together because they all had X in the band name or song title? 

 

[Barry]

nice work RA.

I'll be using this thread as a guide to find some bands that are new to me. 

Did I miss why the Stooges aren't listed?

 

[rockaction]

Did I miss why the Stooges aren't listed

Sure thing, Barry. 

No proto-punk. otb_lifer had indicated a desire to do a proto countdown so I left it alone. Plus, it was easier that way. Once you say "no proto-punk," you take care of a lot of questions about the progenitors of punk. 

This list was punk as defined by punk at the time, post-'75, really. 

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Since they moved away from punk fairly early, I can kind of see why Magazine wasn't represented. However I think this early song could qualify.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-ul_vTkwgs4

 

[HellToupee]

Mission Of Burma

 

[HellToupee]

Since they moved away from punk fairly early, I can kind of see why Magazine wasn't represented. However I think this early song could qualify.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-ul_vTkwgs4

Post punk

 

[scorchy]

46) Bikini Kill – Rebel Girl  

My comments are all out-of-order...

I wrote about my complicated feelings on Kathleen Hanna (unreciprocated) somewhere in here or another thread.  Rebel Girl is good enough, and hugely important/influential, so definitely belongs as the exemplar of the whole Riot Grrrl (is that the corrects number of rs? r's? grrrr) thing.  But as future 90s countdowns may show, there's a few other bands/songs that got me going a lot more.

As for Kathleen Hanna though, my personal favorite:

Le Tigre - Deceptacon

Or maybe this:

The Julie Ruin - Oh Come On

 

[scorchy]

48) Husker Dü – Statues
 

She said Husker Du got huge, but they started in St, Paul
Do you remember "Makes No Sense At All"?

or is it 

"Do you remember" makes no sense at all

So clever, that Craig Finn guy...