Editing Punk rock (section)

== Characteristics ==
{{See also|Punk subculture}}
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===Outlook===
The first wave of punk rock was "aggressively modern" and differed from what came before.<ref name="RMB">Robb (2006), p. xi.</ref> According to [[Ramones]] drummer [[Tommy Ramone]], "In its initial form, a lot of 1960s stuff was innovative and exciting. Unfortunately, what happens is that people who could not hold a candle to the likes of [[Jimi Hendrix|Hendrix]] started noodling away. Soon you had endless [[Guitar solo|solos]] that went nowhere. By 1973, I knew that what was needed was some pure, stripped down, no bullshit rock 'n' roll."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Ramone |first=Tommy |title=Fight Club |magazine=[[UNCUT (magazine)|Uncut]] |date=January 2007}}</ref> [[John Holmstrom]], founding editor of ''[[Punk (magazine)|Punk]]'' magazine, recalls feeling "punk rock had to come along because the rock scene had become so tame that [acts] like [[Billy Joel]] and [[Simon and Garfunkel]] were being called rock and roll, when to me and other fans, rock and roll meant this wild and rebellious music."<ref name="MM">{{cite web |last=McLaren |first=Malcolm |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5263364.stm |title=Punk Celebrates 30 Years of Subversion |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115073013/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5263364.stm |archive-date=January 15, 2020 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=August 18, 2006 |access-date=January 17, 2007}}</ref> According to [[Robert Christgau]], punk "scornfully rejected the political idealism and Californian flower-power silliness of [[hippie]] myth."<ref>{{cite news |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bkrev/mcneil-nyt.php |title="Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain" (review) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020182250/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bkrev/mcneil-nyt.php |archive-date=October 20, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] Book Review |date=1996 |access-date=January 17, 2007}}</ref>

{{quote box|quoted=1|quote=Hippies were rainbow extremists; punks are romantics of black-and-white. Hippies forced warmth; punks cultivate [[cool (aesthetic)|cool]]. Hippies kidded themselves about [[free love]]; punks pretend that [[s&m]] is our condition. As symbols of protest, swastikas are no less fatuous than flowers.|source=—[[Robert Christgau]] in ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|Christgau's Record Guide]]'' (1981)<ref>{{cite book |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |year=1981 |title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies |publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]] |isbn=978-0899190266 |chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: S |chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=S&bk=70 |access-date=February 21, 2019|title-link=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies |archive-date=April 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413002147/https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=S&bk=70 |url-status=live}}</ref>|width=20%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}

Technical accessibility and a [[do it yourself]] (DIY) spirit are prized in punk rock. [[UK pub rock]] from 1972 to 1975 contributed to the emergence of punk rock by developing a network of small venues, such as pubs, where non-mainstream bands could play.<ref name="Laing, Dave 2015. p. 18">{{cite book |last=Laing |first=Dave |title=One Chord Wonders: Power and Meaning in Punk Rock |publisher=[[PM Press]] |date=2015 |page=18}}</ref> Pub rock also introduced the idea of [[independent record label]]s, such as [[Stiff Records]], which put out basic, low-cost records.<ref name="Laing, Dave 2015. p. 18"/> Pub rock bands organized their own small venue tours and put out small pressings of their records. In the early days of punk rock, this DIY ethic stood in marked contrast to what those in the scene regarded as the ostentatious musical effects and technological demands of many mainstream rock bands.<ref>Rodel (2004), p. 237; Bennett (2001), pp. 49–50.</ref> Musical virtuosity was often looked on with suspicion. According to Holmstrom, punk rock was "rock and roll by people who didn't have very many skills as musicians but still felt the need to express themselves through music".<ref name="MM"/> In December 1976, the English [[fanzine]] ''Sideburns'' published a now-famous illustration of three chords, captioned "This is a chord, this is another, this is a third. Now form a band".<ref>Savage (1992), pp. 280–281, including reproduction of the original image. Several sources incorrectly ascribe the illustration to the leading fanzine of the London punk scene, ''[[Sniffin' Glue]]'' (e.g., Wells [2004], p. 5; Sabin [1999], p. 111). Robb (2006) ascribes it to [[the Stranglers]]' in-house fanzine, ''Strangled'' (p. 311).</ref>

British punk rejected contemporary mainstream rock, the broader culture it represented, and their musical predecessors: "No [[Elvis Presley|Elvis]], [[The Beatles|Beatles]] or [[the Rolling Stones]] in 1977", declared [[the Clash]] song "1977".<ref>Harris (2004), p. 202.</ref> 1976, when the punk revolution began in Britain, became a musical and a cultural "Year Zero".<ref name="Reynolds p4">Reynolds (2005), p. 4.</ref> As nostalgia was discarded, many in the scene adopted a [[nihilism|nihilistic]] attitude summed up by the [[Sex Pistols]]' slogan "No Future";<ref name="RMB"/> in the later words of one observer, amid the unemployment and social unrest in 1977, "punk's nihilistic swagger was the most thrilling thing in England."<ref>Jeffries, Stuart. "A Right Royal Knees-Up". ''The Guardian''. July 20, 2007.</ref> While "self-imposed [[social alienation|alienation]]" was common among "drunk punks" and "gutter punks", there was always a tension between their nihilistic outlook and the "radical leftist utopianism"<ref>Washburne, Christopher, and Maiken Derno. ''Bad Music''. Routledge, 2004. Page 247.</ref> of bands such as [[Crass]], who found positive, liberating meaning in the movement. As a Clash associate describes singer [[Joe Strummer]]'s outlook, "Punk rock is meant to be our freedom. We're meant to be able to do what we want to do."<ref>{{cite book |author=Kosmo Vinyl |title=The Last Testament: The Making of London Calling |publisher=Sony Music |date=2004}}</ref>

[[Authenticity (philosophy)|Authenticity]] has always been important in the punk subculture—the pejorative term "[[poseur]]" is applied to those who adopt its stylistic attributes but do not actually share or understand its underlying values and philosophy. Scholar Daniel S. Traber argues that "attaining authenticity in the punk identity can be difficult"; as the punk scene matured, he observes, eventually "everyone got called a poseur".<ref>{{cite journal |pages=30–64 |doi=10.1353/cul.2001.0040 |title=L.A.'s 'White Minority': Punk and the Contradictions of Self-Marginalization |year=2001 |last1=Traber |first1=Daniel S. |journal=Cultural Critique |volume=48|s2cid=144067070  | issn=0882-4371}}</ref> Cultural scholars and music journalists have often attributed 'true' punk rock as a movement and cultural fad confined to western world in the 1970s and 1980s.

=== Musical and lyrical elements ===
The early punk bands emulated the minimal musical arrangements of 1960s [[garage rock]].<ref>Murphy, Peter, "Shine On, The Lights Of The Bowery: The Blank Generation Revisited", ''Hot Press'', July 12, 2002; [[Barney Hoskyns|Hoskyns, Barney]], "Richard Hell: King Punk Remembers the [ ] Generation", ''[[Rock's Backpages]]'', March 2002.</ref> Typical punk rock instrumentation is stripped down to one or two guitars, bass, drums and vocals. Songs tend to be shorter than those of other rock genres and played at fast tempos.<ref>Laing, Dave. ''One Chord Wonders: Power and Meaning in Punk Rock''. PM Press, 2015. p. 80</ref> Most early punk rock songs retained a traditional rock 'n' roll [[verse-chorus form]] and 4/4 [[time signature]]. However, later bands often broke from this format.<ref name="blush">[[Steven Blush|Blush, Steven]], "Move Over My Chemical Romance: The Dynamic Beginnings of US Punk", ''[[UNCUT (magazine)|Uncut]]'', January 2007.</ref> Punk music was not a standalone movement in the 70s and 80s. Major punk communities gather across the globe as punk perseveres among contemporary musicians and listeners today.

The vocals are sometimes nasal,<ref>Wells (2004), p. 41; Reed (2005), p. 47.</ref> and the lyrics often shouted in an "arrogant snarl", rather than conventionally sung.<ref name="S159">Shuker (2002), p. 159.</ref><ref name="laing 21">Laing, Dave. ''One Chord Wonders: Power and Meaning in Punk Rock''. PM Press, 2015. p. 21</ref> Complicated [[guitar solo]]s were considered self-indulgent, although basic guitar breaks were common.<ref>Chong, Kevin, [http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/guitarsolos.html "The Thrill Is Gone"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203054425/http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/guitarsolos.html |date=December 3, 2010 }}, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, August 2006. Retrieved on December 17, 2006.</ref> Guitar parts tend to include highly [[distortion pedal|distorted]] [[power chord]]s or [[barre chord]]s, creating a characteristic sound described by Christgau as a "buzzsaw drone".<ref>Quoted in {{harvp|Laing|1985|p=62}}</ref> Some punk rock bands take a [[surf music|surf rock]] approach with a lighter, twangier guitar tone. Others, such as [[Robert Quine]], lead guitarist of [[the Voidoids]], have employed a wild, "[[Gonzo journalism|gonzo]]" attack, a style that stretches back through [[the Velvet Underground]] to the 1950s recordings of [[Ike Turner]].<ref>Palmer (1992), p. 37.</ref> Bass guitar lines are often uncomplicated; the quintessential approach is a relentless, repetitive "forced rhythm",{{sfn|Laing|1985|p=62}} although some punk rock bass players—such as [[Mike Watt]] of [[Minutemen (band)|the Minutemen]] and [[Firehose (band)|Firehose]]—emphasize more technical bass lines. Bassists often use a [[Plectrum|pick]] due to the rapid succession of notes, making [[fingerpicking]] impractical. Drums typically sound heavy and dry, and often have a minimal set-up. Compared to other forms of rock, [[syncopation]] is much less the rule.<ref>{{harvp|Laing|1985|pp=61–63}}</ref> Hardcore drumming tends to be especially fast.<ref name="S159" /> Production tends to be minimalistic, with tracks sometimes laid down on home tape recorders{{sfn|Laing|1985|pp=118–19}} or four-track portastudios.{{sfn|Laing|1985|p=53}}

Punk rock lyrics are typically blunt and confrontational; compared to the lyrics of other popular music genres, they often focus on social and political issues.<ref>Sabin (1999), pp. 4, 226; Dalton, Stephen, "Revolution Rock", ''Vox'', June 1993. See also Laing (1985), pp. 27–32, for a statistical comparison of lyrical themes.</ref> Trend-setting songs such as the Clash's "[[Career Opportunities (song)|Career Opportunities]]" and [[Chelsea (band)|Chelsea]]'s "Right to Work" deal with unemployment and the grim realities of urban life.<ref>Laing (1985), p. 31.</ref> Especially in early British punk, a central goal was to outrage and shock the mainstream.<ref>Laing (1985), pp. 81, 125.</ref> The Sex Pistols' "[[Anarchy in the U.K.]]" and "[[God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols song)|God Save the Queen]]" openly disparaged the British political system and social mores. Anti-sentimental depictions of relationships and sex are common, as in "Love Comes in Spurts", recorded by the [[Voidoids]]. [[Anomie]], variously expressed in the poetic terms of Richard Hell's "[[Blank Generation (song)|Blank Generation]]" and the bluntness of the Ramones' "[[Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue]]", is a common theme.<ref>Savage (1991), p. 440. See also Laing (1985), pp. 27–32.</ref> The controversial content of punk lyrics has frequently led to certain punk records being banned by radio stations and refused shelf space in major chain stores.<ref>Laing, Dave. ''One Chord Wonders: Power and Meaning in Punk Rock''. PM Press, 2015. p. 7</ref> Christgau said that "Punk is so tied up with the disillusions of growing up that punks do often age poorly."<ref>{{cite web|last=Christgau|first=Robert|date=April 14, 2021|url=https://robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-april-2021|title=Xgau Sez: April, 2021|work=And It Don't Stop|publisher=[[Substack]]|access-date=April 17, 2021|url-access=subscription|archive-date=April 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417124959/https://robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-april-2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Visual and other elements===
{{Further|Punk fashion}}
[[File:Punk-27947.jpg|thumb|1980s punks with leather jackets and dyed mohawk hairstyles]]
The classic punk rock look among male American musicians harkens back to the T-shirt, motorcycle jacket, and jeans ensemble favored by American [[Greaser (subculture)|greasers]] of the 1950s associated with the [[rockabilly]] scene and by British [[Rocker (subculture)|rockers]] of the 1960s. In addition to the T-shirt, and leather jackets they wore ripped jeans and boots, typically [[Doc Martens]]. The punk look was inspired to shock people. [[Richard Hell]]'s more androgynous, ragamuffin look—and reputed invention of the [[safety pin#Culture|safety-pin aesthetic]]—was a major influence on Sex Pistols impresario [[Malcolm McLaren]] and, in turn, British punk style.<ref name="RHV">{{cite web |author1=Isler, Scott |author2=Robbins, Ira |title=Richard Hell & the Voidoids |work=[[Trouser Press]] |url=http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=richard_hell_and_the_voidoids |access-date=2007-10-23 |archive-date=October 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022221054/http://trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=richard_hell_and_the_voidoids |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Strongman (2008), pp. 58, 63, 64; Colegrave and Sullivan (2005), p. 78.</ref> ([[John D Morton]] of Cleveland's [[Electric Eels (band)|Electric Eels]] may have been the first rock musician to wear a safety-pin-covered jacket.)<ref>See {{cite web|author=Weldon, Michael|title=Electric Eels: Attendance Required|url=http://www.cleveland.com/music/index_story.ssf?/music/more/local/cle/2/index.html|publisher=Cleveland.com|access-date=December 19, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123003715/http://www.cleveland.com/music/index_story.ssf?%2Fmusic%2Fmore%2Flocal%2Fcle%2F2%2Findex.html|archive-date=January 23, 2012}}</ref> McLaren's partner, fashion designer [[Vivienne Westwood]], credits [[Johnny Rotten]] as the first British punk musician to rip his shirt, and Sex Pistols bassist [[Sid Vicious]] as the first to use safety pins,<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Young, Charles M. |date=October 20, 1977| title=Rock Is Sick and Living in London |magazine=Rolling Stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thebeatles/articles/story/9437647/sex_pistols_rock_is_sick_and_living_in_london?source=thebeatles_rssfeed |access-date=October 10, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060914225550/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thebeatles/articles/story/9437647/sex_pistols_rock_is_sick_and_living_in_london?source=thebeatles_rssfeed |archive-date=September 14, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> although few of those following punk could afford to buy McLaren and Westwood's designs so famously worn by the Pistols, so they made their own, diversifying the 'look' with various different styles based on these designs.

Young women in punk demolished the typical female types in rock of either "coy sex kittens or wronged blues belters" in their fashion.<ref>Habell-Pallan, Michelle (2012). "Death to Racism and Punk Rock Revisionism", ''Pop: When the World Falls Apart: Music in the Shadow of Doubt''. p. 247-270. Durham : Duke University Press. {{ISBN|9780822350996}}.</ref> Early female punk musicians displayed styles ranging from [[Siouxsie Sioux]]'s bondage gear to [[Patti Smith]]'s "straight-from-the-gutter androgyny".<ref name="Strohm">Strohm (2004), p. 188.</ref> The former proved much more influential on female fan styles.<ref>See, e.g., Laing (1985), "Picture Section", p. 18.</ref> Over time, tattoos, [[Body piercing|piercings]], and metal-studded and -spiked accessories became increasingly common elements of [[punk fashion]] among both musicians and fans, a "style of adornment calculated to disturb and outrage".<ref>Wojcik (1997), p. 122.</ref> Among the other facets of the punk rock scene, a punk's hair is an important way of showing their freedom of expression.<ref name="Sklar">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1bfwAAAAQBAJ|title=Punk Style|last=Sklar|first=Monica|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]]|date=2013|access-date=December 23, 2021|pages=5–6, 26–27, 37–39|isbn=9781472557339}}</ref> The typical male punk haircut was originally short and choppy; the [[Mohawk hairstyle|mohawk]] later emerged as a characteristic style.<ref>Wojcik (1995), pp. 16–19; Laing (1985), p. 109.</ref> Along with the mohawk, long spikes have been associated with the punk rock genre.<ref name="Sklar" />