Editing Damaged (Black Flag album) (section)

==Reception and legacy==
{{Album ratings
| title = Retrospective professional ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/damaged-mw0000198777 |title=Damaged – Black Flag |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=August 14, 2012 |last=Dougan |first=John}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s|Christgau's Record Guide]]''
| rev2score = A−<ref>{{cite book |chapter=B |chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=B&bk=80 |access-date=August 17, 2020 |via=robertchristgau.com |title=Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s |title-link=Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |publisher=[[Pantheon Books]] |year=1990 |isbn=0-679-73015-X}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Black Flag |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |edition=5th concise |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Martin C. Strong|The Great Rock Discography]]''
| rev4score = 8/10<ref>{{cite book|title=The Great Rock Discography|author=Martin C. Strong|author-link=Martin C. Strong|edition=1st|year=1998|isbn=978-0-86241-827-4|publisher=[[Canongate Books]]}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock]]''
| rev5score = 3/5<ref>{{cite book|title=[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide]]|editor=Gary Graff|editor-link=Gary Graff|edition=1st|year=1996|location=London|isbn=978-0-7876-1037-1|publisher=[[Visible Ink Press]]}}</ref>
| rev6 = [[Music Story]]
| rev6score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Black Flag|url=http://www.music-story.com/black-flag|website=[[Music Story]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705233030/http://www.music-story.com/black-flag|archive-date=July 5, 2009|access-date=July 23, 2024|language=fr}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev7score = 9.2/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23077-black-flag-damaged/ |title=Black Flag: Damaged |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=April 16, 2017 |access-date=April 16, 2017 |last=Schnipper |first=Matthew}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev8score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Black Flag |last=Considine |first=J. D. |author-link=J. D. Considine |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/77 77–78]}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''
| rev9score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/black-flag-idamagedi-sst-import|title=Black Flag: Damaged (SST Import)|last=Bushell|first=Garry|website=[[Rock's Backpages]]|author-link=Garry Bushell|date=January 30, 1982|accessdate=March 16, 2021|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
| rev10 = ''[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]''
| rev10score = 10/10<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Black Flag |last=Weisbard |first=Eric |author-link=Eric Weisbard |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |publisher=[[Vintage Books]] |year=1995 |isbn=0-679-75574-8 |pages=44–45}}</ref>
}}

Reviewing for ''[[The Village Voice]]'' in January 1982, [[Robert Christgau]] was generally positive toward the album: "Although the B side drags more painfully than I bet was intended, this is powerful stuff. Greg Ginn is the greatest noise guitarist since [[Johnny Thunders]], new vocalist Henry Rollins can snarl along any tortured contour they serve up, and 'Rise Above,' 'Six Pack,' and the uproarious 'TV Party' prove they can write songs as well as gnash fragments. Inspirational Verse: 'I wanna live/I wish I was dead.'"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv1-82.php |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] |date=January 12, 1982 |access-date=August 14, 2012 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau}}</ref>

While the album did not gain much attention from the general press on its original release, the album retrospectively has been given critical acclaim and has been cited as one of the most important [[hardcore punk]] albums ever released. ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' in their retrospective review says that "Black Flag lived up to it, defining L.A. hardcore punk with violent guitar and the pissed-off scream of Henry Rollins, especially on "TV Party" and "Rise Above." Punks still listen to Damaged, and parents still hate it."<ref name="Wenner Media"/> ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' in their retrospective review from 2002 says "Black Flag took on the essential ferocity of men about to snap, and combined that with an acidic sense of humor and these things called 'songs', a concept that many of the wannabe punkers of the day were still trying to sort out. ''Damaged'' hit in 1981, and by 1982, four bars bearing the Black Flag name had been airbrushed across miles and miles of spiked leather. Conflicting feelings of violence, apathy, rage, and self-satire course through this one, the essential touchstone of the entire genre of West Coast hardcore, crystallizing the turmoil of the movement. Listen to 'Rise Above' and try not to be incensed, then listen to 'TV Party' and try not to laugh out loud. That's awesome."<ref name="pitchfork"/> John Dougan of [[AllMusic]] gave it a perfect five star rating saying "...&nbsp;Although Black Flag had been recording for three years prior to this release, the fact that Henry Rollins was now their lead singer made all the difference. His furious bellow and barely contained ferocity was the missing piece the band needed to become great. Also, guitarist/mastermind Greg Ginn wrote a slew of great songs for this record that, while suffused with the usual punk conceits (alienation, boredom, disenfranchisement), were capable of making one laugh out loud, especially the protoslacker satire 'TV Party'&nbsp;..." and also noted "...&nbsp;Extremely controversial when it was released, Damaged endured the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism (some reacted as though this record would alone cause the fall of America's youth) to become and remain an important document of its time."

[[Kurt Cobain]] listed it in his top fifty albums of all time.<ref name="joyfulnoiserecordings.com">{{cite web|title=Top 50 by Nirvana [MIXTAPE] |url=http://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/journal/top-50-by-nirvana/ |access-date=May 8, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018034220/http://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/journal/top-50-by-nirvana/ |archive-date=October 18, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Nirvana: The Complete Illustrated History |last1=Cross |last2=Gaar |last3=Gendron |last4=Martens |last5=Yarm |year= 2013 |isbn= 978-0-7603-4521-4 |page= 146|publisher=Voyageur Press }}</ref>
Over the years since the album's original release it has been recognized as a punk rock classic and one of the most influential punk rock records ever made by appearing on a number of "best of" lists by magazines and critics. The album was ranked number 340 on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s list of [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]].<ref name="Wenner Media"/><ref name="500-greatest"/> ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' also ranked it number 25 on its "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s".<ref name="pitchfork"/> The album was also included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book|first=Tim|last=Scott|editor-first=Robert|editor-last=Dimery|chapter=Black Flag: ''Damaged''|title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die|title-link=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die|publisher=[[Universe Publishing]]|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7893-1371-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/1001AlbumsYouMustHearBeforeYouDie/page/n238/mode/1up 478]}}</ref>

Fellow [[South Bay (Los Angeles County)|South Bay]] [[punk rock]] band [[Pennywise (band)|Pennywise]] has covered "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie" live.<ref>{{Cite web |access-date=2024-02-07 |title=Pennywise at Punk in the Park 2023 Setlist |url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/pennywise/2023/oak-canyon-park-silverado-ca-53a1bf65.html |website=Setlist}}</ref>