Punk Records - The World's best punk albums, singles and EPs

I’ve seen a whole bunch of these best punk album lists, most written by professional journalists both hitting the target and missing it. I wanted to do something different, top 50 punk albums from a guy who didn’t just listen to these records on Spotify. I own these records, and I love listening to them, and that’s why my ugly face (I look grumpy, sorry for not looking happier) is on the photos of the albums in this list.

I am however obviously not a professional record reviewer by any means, but I’ve written a short note that comes with each record. But, I’m not going to give each record more than a few minutes when writing these notes, so take them for what they are; Just a few notes from me.

A note on why these records. Some are given and easy to add, like The Ramones (although “Leave Home” and “Rocket to Russia” is great) and The Clash (but again “London Calling” and “Give ’em Enough Rope” is great) others kind of have to be here like the Sex Pistols (I’ve never been a Pistols fan but damn it’s one of the most significant punk records ever and it does have some great tunes). I am also very much into hardcore-punk, so as the list progresses, that might get ever so apparent.

That being said, historical importance is a big factor deciding this list, but I also wanted to include the records I really love and find are the best punk albums ever. (Don’t agree, that’s great! Get in touch by clicking the about/contact link and tell me!)

So, here’s my list grouped in places 1-10, 11-25 and 26-50 then finishing of with a few honorable mentions.

Places 1-10

Ramones – Ramones (1976)

The first Ramones album was released in April 23 1976 and would so become the first punk album to ever be released. It blasts out 14 songs in less than 29 minutes of stripped-down bare-boned punk, and drummer Tommy Ramone once years later said the band tried to “eliminate the unnecessary and focus on the substance”, and if anything that was what the Ramones became famous for.

It might sound almost poppy when compared to the bands and the records that the Ramones would inspire, but compared pretty much everything else around at the time this sounded like being attacked by a machine gun.
Less than two months after it’s release the band flew over to the UK where they would play with members of The Clash, the Sex Pistols and The Damned in the audience at the band’s historic first UK gig at the Roundhouse in London.

The album would cost $6 400 to record, and it might be amusing to compare that to other legendary records having been recorded around the same time, like Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” that would cost over $1 000 000.

The opening lines “Hey ho, let’s go!” at the start of “Blitzkrieg Bop” along with the rest of this record puts it at the 1st place on this top 50 list.

The Clash – The Clash (1977)

An old punk cliche is that punk bands can’t play or at least not well and I don’t have to watch all the old Clash documentaries all over again to remember base player Paul Simonon mentioning that about himself time and time again. Truth is, most bands of this caliber can (or could) and if any band really could it’s The Clash and they would drastically improve their musicianship releasing Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978) and London Calling (1979) in the two years following the release if this, their debut album.

The lo-fi production and slightly less polished songs give this an edge on their following two records and maybe foremost London Calling who I suspect would have been picked by many others over this one.

They would come off more working class and perhaps more politically thought through than the more snarly, more adolescent and even aggressive Pistols and for me it’s just no way The Sex Pistols did better with their debut that The Clash.

The album was released in 8 April 1977 in the UK but was kept from being released in the US as it was “not radio friendly”, it was later released in 1979 with a handful of tracks having been replaced.

Sex Pistols – Sex Pistols (1977)

“The Sex Pistols just fucking scared me” Minor Threat singer Ian MacKaye once said, and they scared more than him. Me personally I’ve never really liked the Pistols much, all this talk of anarchy this and abortion that by a band put together by boutique owner Malcolm McLaren, a boutique that happened to be named “SEX”, just isn’t my thing. But dressing up, being generally offensive and all that aside, the Pistols only real album is an absolute classic and the songs themselves are really, really good and that strikes me every time I listen to this record.

Songs like “God Save The Queen” and “Anarchy In The UK” was all but a danger to the contemporary morals of the entire UK, and had an inpact of the punks in the UK and London much like the Ramones had in the US and New York, and of course, the world-wide punk community.

Notable is that contrary to somewhat public belief this was not the first UK punk album, The Damned’s “Damned Damned Damned” (also a given on this list) beat the Pistols by a couple of months.

Wire – Pink Flag (1977)

This album is an absolute pleasure to listen to and I can’t get enaugh of it. “Wire is not a punk band of any kind”, the band themselves once wrote in response to being labeled a punk band, but for me there’s just no way I wouldn’t put this album on this list.

It does sound punk to me, but it’s also very far from the other bands in the top of this list, it’s not very based on repetition but rather has a more linear approach, it’s atypical and is weirdly melodious but all so infectious.

Dead Kennedys – Plastic Surgery Disasters (1982)

Obviously the records on this list are all records that I really like, but this one… I really love this record. With the unmatched persona of singer and front man Jello Biafra backed up by East Bay Ray’s blazing guitar riffs (almost surf punk like at times), bassist Klaus Fluoride and while maybe not always sticking out but still at times really lifting songs like Forest Fire and Halloween and lastly D.H. Peligro’s bashing of the drums makes this album a real killer on all fronts.

The music’s great, the political and satirical lyrics are great, well everything’s great about this album and while more than a few band’s on this list have been subject to other bands copying them and at times doing so pretty well, this stuff just can’t be duplicated.

Buzzcocks – Another Music in Another Kitchen (1978)

You would usually see either “Love Bites” (with “Ever Fallen In Love”, one of the best punk songs ever if you ask me) or the compilation album “Singles Going Steady” (with the BBC banned “Orgasm Addict” amongst others) on these types of lists, but for me this one’s my favorite. It’s slightly faster than “Love Bites” and has a slightly less poppy sound to it but still manages to play out the pop-punk sound that the Buzzcocks pioneered.

And if anything, Buzzcocks where a love-song pop-punk kind of a band, and became even more so over the years, and that’s a great thing and something that definitely make them stand out amongst some of their contemporaries.

Black Flag – Damaged (1981)

Black Flag line-ups aren’t the easiest of things to keep track of. Before Damaged came out, the bands first album, they had already released to brilliant EPs (Nervous Breakdown and Jealous Again) with Keith Morris and later Ron Reyes on vocals. On this album, in comes Henry Rollings, who would out of all the band members who have come and gone embody Black Flag more than everyone else.

The band would continue to speed up with Damaged to overall be played significantly faster than their debut 7″ Nervous Breakdown, that pared with Rollins vocals makes parts of this album to me seem more aggressive (although songs like TV Party is all but aggressive) and I believe this is what most would come to think of when it comes to Black Flag.

The band got entangled with the major label industry at this point, but when MCA and it’s president Al Bergamo judged it as an “anti-parent” record and refused to release it on the label, Ginn ended up releasing it on his label SST just like the previous releases.

To me few bands represents US hardcore and the DIY ethic of punk as Black Flag does, and as far as hardcore-punk goes, this record is a killer.

The Damned – Damned Damned Damed (1977)

Having been released February 18 1977 makes this the first British punk album, by the band who also released the first punk single ever with New Rose released 22 October 1976. And that’s not where the “firsts” end, they where also the first UK punk band to head off on a US tour. Come to think of it, they might have been the first punk band period to tour the US, but I need to check more into that to be sure.

But obviously there’s more to it than being first and The Damned certainly delivered on that account as well and it doesn’t take more than a few seconds of the frantic explosive opening of “Neat Neat Neat” to realize that. There’s more to The Damned than speed, but there’s a lot of that on this record.

Drummer Rat Scabies commented the first time he heard the actual record with “the first playback was one of those moments you never forget. It just hit the spot and captured a moment. It was like taking off in a jet.”

The Adverts – Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts (1978)

Bad Brains – Bad Brains (1982)

This is a full on supercharged punk explosion, faster than anything else by far at the time and maybe to the first time listener surprisingly paired with reggae-style songs like the instrumental “Jah Calling” that hits you after a 5 song blast ending with “Banned in D.C.”.

First released as a self-titled tape in 1982 two years after the Pay To Cum! 7″ (a two track single with an earlier version of “Pay To Cum” and the reggae/dub b-side “Stay Close To Me”), this is an unrelentless hardcore-punk release by this African American band paired, as earlier stated, for good or bad, with reggae/dub songs with lines like “I said my people are starvin’ But your money’s runnin'” still manages to keep at least my interest peaked between the hardcore-punk tracks.

Places 11-25

7 Seconds – The Crew (1984)

This all-out hardcore ranger with anthemic sing-along choruses and of course Kevin Seconds vocals really does stand out, especially as hardcore would to many become something that needed to be screamed rather than to be sung (or shouted).

Not only does it have a sense of fast paced urgency about it but also shows off some very melodic parts and breakdowns. It also gives a feeling of west coast (and I guess US hardcore overall) comradery and togetherness.

The Saints – (I’m) Stranded (1977)

This record, by this Australian band, was released only weeks after The Damned’s first album “Damned Damned Damned”, and I don’t want to be generalizing but they tend to be leaning to the same thing in some small way, not as fast, but (I’m) Stranded is as fast and punk sounding as punk could hope to be.

The song “This Perfect Day” is one of my all time favorite punk songs.

As for The Saints being one of the first to release a punk album Ed Kuepper (co-founder of the band) said (to Clinton Walker):

“One thing I remember having had a really depressing effect on me was the first Ramones album. When I heard it [in 1976], I mean it was a great record … but I hated it because I knew we’d been doing this sort of stuff for years. There was even a chord progression on that album that we used … and I thought, “Fuck. We’re going to be labeled as influenced by the Ramones”, when nothing could have been further from the truth.”

Circle Jerks – Group Sex (1980)

This record with it’s 14 songs in just over 15 minutes features a full on blast of LA hardcore. Not nesecarily super fast at all times, but always with a very furuius and urgent feel to it.

The album was recorded just after Keith Morris left Black Flag and he brought with him two Black Flag songs in “Wasted” (released on “Nervous Breakdown”) and “Don’t Care” (released on “Everything Went Black”) recorded on this album, and as the word goes Black Flag with Gren Ginn in particular would respond with the song “You Bet We’ve Got Something Personal Against You!” on Black Flag’s “Jealous Again” record. This is one of the best examples of the old saying “all killer, no filler” I can think of.

Stiff Little Fingers – Inflammable Material (1979)

Most of these bands I discovered rather early in my “punk career”, some a little later, but a Stiff Little Fingers patch was one of the first I sewed onto my first jeans jacket. The soar thoroted screaming of Jake Burns and the raw guitars (and don’t forget Ali McMordie on bass) that opens the record with “Suspect Device” is one of punks finest moments to me.

Burns saying “Belfast was a backwater in those days, so we were always going to be playing catch-up” didn’t seem to impede them much on this record coming out in 1979 with an added unique insight (evident in the lyrics) as a punk band living in the North Ireland conflict, with the band based in Belfast.

Some have suggested “Alternative Ulster” should be the national anthem of Northern Ireland (said by Black Star Riders member Ricky Warwick in 2016). Maybe, it would be the worlds greatest national anthem.

Agnostic Front – Victim in Pain (1984)

You really can’t talk about the New York Hardcore scene and not mention Agnostic Front, a band with it’s sheer force advocated unity and social change. This record is aggressive, holds more social political topics than what might be obvious. But all above all else, this record’s one of the most aggressive and epic NYHC records ever, with a band playing truly fierce hardcore punk.

Discharge – Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing (1982)

This might be the bands full length debut, but this absolute UK hardcore ranger had three EP’s released before it with “Fight Back” (1980), “Decontrol” (1980) and “Why?” (1981) so the band was as they say already in full swing. It’s fast, unrelenting and has this kind of wall of sound to it with drums, guitars and bass all melting together in a somewhat repetitive but never boring way.

It’s no secret that Discharge and their drummer Gary Maloney would pioneer the D-beat genre and obviously many bands would acknowledge that with choosing similar band names (Disfear, Disclose, Disorder and many more) and the genre, and the band, has kept it’s popularity in the anarcho-punk underground ever since, and rightfully so.

Adolescents – Adolescents (1981)

Gorilla Biscuits ‎– Start Today

Released on classic hardcore label Revelation Records in 1989 this full length together with their self-titled EP released one year earlier became the band’s only two contributions to hardcore, while “only” very much seems like the wrong word of choice.
Undoubtably New York’s Gorilla Biscuits were one of the most influential straight edge/hardcore bands and in many ways of course still is.
7 seconds came out earlier in this list, and much of the same can be said about Gorilla Biscuits, as they both combine fast paced hardcore punk with positive lyrics.

After the now hardcore classic trumpet opening that kicks off the record, it never really let’s up (maybe except for some classic slowed-down breakdowns) and this record does represent the beginning of hardcore in a great way.

Bad Religion – Suffer (1988)

Although plenty of the skatepunk bands that in the early 1990’s (1994 being somewhat the legendary year) that would define the more modern, melodic and popularized version of the genre did start in the 1980’s, it still strikes me how early Bad Religion where with that “90’s skatepunk”-sound on this record.

Bad Religion did release “How Could Hell Be Any Worse?” in 1982, but had an entirely different sound back then. In fact, they managed to release the pretty out of place weird synth-progressive rock album “Into The Unknown” in 1983 and then break up in 1984 only to re-unite in 1987 to then release this album and still be ahead of their time. And not only that, but their sound really hasn’t changed too much since this release and although with a few speed bumps, this sound still holds up.

Fletcher from Pennywise when interviewed in SPIN magazine said “Suffer single-handed restarted the movement.” and Fat Mike of NOFX said in the same SPIN issue that when he first heard the album thought “We should be playing more like this”. And obviously that’s the story with a lot of skatepunk bands.

Green Day – Dookie (1994)

Green Day where one of the central bands of the whole 1994 movement, or what you’d call it, when pop- and skatepunk completley exploded, especially in the US, with other notable bands such as The Offsping, NOFX, Rancid, Bad Religion, Lagwagon and so on. None of those band’s released their debut albums that year and neither did Green Day. Me personaly really appreciates their earlier stuff like their previous album (Kerplunk released in 1991) but none of that compares to this album.

If The Buzzcoks released the 70’s best pop-punk album in Love Bites I would think that Green Day’s Dookie did so for the 90’s. If you’re into pop-punk this is pure greatness from front to back.

The Misfits – Walk Among Us (1981)

The debut album by The Misfits sticks out to say the least. I guess you could go as far as to calling them the Kiss of punk, being the champions of horror punk along with the whole muscle-man look with painted faces and that classic Misfits hairstyle.

Lyrically the songs fit the get-up with all around horror-movie themed lyrics, musically however this is some real catchy stuff, fast and short songs sure, but still very catchy. Doyle, Jerry Only, and Arthur Googy are doing a great job but Danzig on vocals have always been what really put’s it over the top for me.

Zero Boys – Vicious Circle (1981)

The story goes that singer Paul Mahern when entering the studio told their producer/engineer John Helms that he wanted the album to “sound like the Germs’ GI”. The band proceeded to record the entire album in only 2 days. As for The Germs sound, it’s easy to make that comparison to Vicious Circle when you’ve just been told they wanted that sound, but it’s not a bad reference to it’s sound. Me personally have always sound wise compared them to the Angry Samoans. But whatever. The bass is played really great and is fortunately mixed high and is really competing with the guitars, that sound along with tight and very nicely played drums and Paul Mahern’s distinctive vocals makes this an awesome record.

Reagan Youth – Youth Anthems For The New Order (1984)

The last years of singer Dave Rubinstein’s life ending with he’s suicide is both deeply tragic and disturbing. Just the fact that he’s girlfriend was killed by later convicted serial killer Joel Rifkin is completely crazy. Ok, sorry for opening on such a sad note, let’s move on.

Reagan Youth was one of the legendary CBGB’s regulars and as many of their lyrics would tell you their political leanings was heavy towards anarchism, and not the whole “Anarchy in the UK” stuff, but I would say more informed and less of just an image, with lyrics very much bashing the Christian Right and American conservatism as a whole. This is one of my favorite hardcore-punk albums, with both speed, simple melodies and hooks and Dave’s snarly, raspy almost shouting singing style paired with (for the most part) not so subtle political lyrics.

Uniform Choice ‎– Screaming For Change (1986)

The urgency and raw energy of this record makes it, at least to me, one of the best hardcore records ever and Dubar’s vocals is a big part of that. The music is at this point pretty standard straight edge hardcore with fast parts mixed with palm muted breakdowns, but they’re able to do that not just very well but in such a way that they oddly enough doesn’t feel generic and “standard” to me. Great and very energetic hardcore from one of the first US West Coast straight edge hardcore bands.

Hüsker Dü – Zen Arcade (1984)

This is a fantastic record, I’d dare say a real masterpiece. With Zen Arcade I’d say the band took all the best parts of their earlier 1983 releases (the Everything Falls Apart LP and the Metal Circus EP) and combined them into something new and better and more diverse with this concept album. The hardcore-punk is still there, but with that touch of Dü that’s kind of hard to describe, I guess you could call it post-punk in the broader sense. Sometimes very melodic, sometimes just chaotic all with those fuzzy distorted guitars and the singing and screaming of Bob Mould, Greg Norton’s bass is mixed high and gives everything a real punch and Grant Hart banging away on the drums with plenty of speed and fills. This double LP is something I’d recommend to anyone into “rock music” and not just people into punk.

Places 26-50

The Jam ‎– In The City (1977)

The Jam and The Buzzcocks doesn’t share a great deal when it comes down to the specifics of it’s respective first albums (The Buzzcocks first album from a year later (1978), “Another Music in a Different Kitchen”), but somehow I feel that they’re connected. They both pioneered the pop-punk sound. The similarities might end there. However, the melodies are strong on this one and so are the hooks, and there’s no lack of attitude with Paul John Weller behind the microphone.

The punk esthetic is apparent from the get go with the opening act “Art School” with Paul Weller singing “Who makes the rules that make people select. Who is to judge that your ways are correct. The media as watchdog is absolute shit. The TV telling you what to think”.

There are one step straight into the gutter tough, the Batman intro cover (that had also been done by fellow countrymen The Who in 1966). To me this is pure crap.

I would not personally label this Jam record, as diverse as one might consider it to be, as mod, new-wave or anything other that a great punk record. Paul Weller did however say “Punk rock is a big flashy neon sign which sells commodities, whereas new wave is an attitude”, so I might very well be out on the deep end here. Guess my power would be that of historical hindsight if anything.

Worth noting is that they would release “In The City” and “This Is the Modern World” the same year, whereas many of it’s contemporaries would muster half of that releasing follow-ups the following year of their releases. (Unrelated as it might be, in my opinion their follow-up album (“This Is the Modern World”) did not really disappoint, however being not nearly as good as this, it’s predecessor, is to me more of a all around nice-listening-to.)

D.I. ‎– Horse Bites, Dog Cries (1985)

D.I. started off when Adolescents stalled and Casey Royer and the Agnew brothers (Rikk and Frank) where looking to begin a new project.
Looking at what topics the record goes thru lyrically (where the lyrics more often than not are pretty goofy) it does vary, and indeed so does the music drawing influcences from skatepunk, surf, poppy thrash, melodic hardcore but overall this is great classic SoCal hardcore-punk.

Scream ‎– Still Screaming (1983)

This is not only Scream’s first album, it’s the first full-length record released on Dischord. This is fast but melodic at the same time, no small thanks to Pete Stahl’s sung rather than yelled vocals. It’s pretty clear from the get go that these aren’t some “punk’s don’t know how to play”-bands, it’s well played and the only thing that I don’t really like is the chorus gang-vocals (except for the “whoo-oohs”, those I really like) that I personally don’t really think fit the bill.

On a I guess somewhat pretty well known side note, the band’s drummer Dave Grohl would of course later join Nirvana and after that being the founding member of the Foo Fighters.

JFA ‎– Valley Of The Yakes (1983)

A great follow up to the Blatant Localism 7-inch released the year before, this being a bit more technical and advanced with faster songs (that also holds surf covers by the Ventures (“Walk Don’t Run”) and the Astronauts (“Baja”)).

When founded, bassist Cornelius and guitar player Don Redondo knew each other through playing shows around Phoenix, as well as through skateboarding.
Redondo wanted to put together an all skater band and recruited Cornelius. The band being in need of a drummer Redondo found Mike “Bam Bam” Sversvold, a 14-year-old wünderkind drummer, now all the band needed to do was find a singer.
Brian Brannon, also just 14 at the time, became their man. Brannon had met Cornelius while skating at a Scottsdale ramp and then met again about a month later at a Deez show (Redondo’s band) at Hate House.
Mike reportedly said to Brannon “Hey, we’re putting a band together of all skaters and we need a lead singer. Can you scream?”.

And so, the band was formed and this is easily one if not the greatest skatecore releases.

T.S.O.L. ‎– Dance With Me (1981)

T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty) followed it’s early 80’s contemporaries on it’s first self-titled EP (released the same year) with more political themed lyrics. That however didn’t last very long with the band already on the albums second song “Code Blue” blasting out a nice punk tune about necrophilia, and after that the lyrics very much resembles those of the The Misfits rather than other Long Beach bands.

The songs are catchy and infectious, changing tempos between what you might expect from a band a Long Beach punk band, to more down tempo melodic songs.

Judge ‎– Bringin’ It Down (1989)

With a more obvious collision of metal and hardcore (much like fellow New Yorkers Cro-Mags before them), doing it somewhat short, sweet and to the point. Judge’s first and only full length very much does hit the mark if that’s what your into.

I’s got an attack in terms of both music and lyrics, this paired with the vocals of Mike “Judge” results in a more raw and in your face version of the expression of straight edge compared to contemporary New York bands like Gorilla Biscuits.

The Faith/Void – Split (1982)

This split shared with fellow D.C. hardcore bands The Faith and Void shows both bands doing it’s best to put out fast, fiery high-speed punk.

Faith’s side blasts thru with heavy energy and I guess a fair share of discontent for society, and I guess pretty much everything else. Alec MacKaye, the younger brother of Ian MacKaye (of Teen Idles, Minor Threat and Fugazi among many other projects) does a great job on vocals giving off a nice raw, punk-like feeling.

If The Faith blasted thru with somewhat controlled energy, I guess Void have a feeling of rather uncontrolled energy. Lyrically it’s more about death, self-doubt and destruction, and does pare great with Weiffenbach’s sometimes great high-pitched screeching screaming. The chorus on “Organized Sports” is great.

Verbal Abuse ‎– Just An American Band (1983)

Altough formed in Texas in 1981 the band moved to San Francisco the same year and by doing so joined a scene consisting of a few other bands on this list such as Dead Kennedys and Fear.

The songs are high tempo short bursts of sort of anti-social themed hardcore punk, and I don’t remember there being a single solo on here (maybe have to listen through this one again to confirm that). Overall I would say it’s a pretty underrated hardcore record all boiled down to 16 minutes of it.

X- Los Angeles (1980)

Being one of few women in punk singer Exene Cervenka kind of makes her the Siouxsie Sioux of Southern California, on this record trading vocals with bassist John Doe. Anyhow, this has become a timeless punk classic with some truly gifted musicians. (I do however feel that this one of those records that are considered both under- and overrated by many.)

A side-note is the record was produced by Doors alumnus Ray Manzarek (he went on to produce the following three albums as well), and fittingly enough has a the Doors cover on it with “Soul Kitchen”.

Well sounding, well produced punk, the keyboards might be a little iffy to some but I find them a nice complement adding some diversity.

The Germs – (GI) (1979)

Bobby Pyn, or better known as Darby Crash, and guitarist Pat Smear (later of Nirvana and of Foo Fighters) both attended an alternative education program at L.A.’s University High School called IPS, I guess oddly enough imparted principles of EST and Scientology. Back there they started a band in 1977 then called Sophistifuck.

A few years later out comes (GI), simply a punk classic. A commanding, rampaging sneer at everyone and everything dipped in the particulars and disturbed realities of Darby Crash. Pat Smear not to be forgotten as he co-write everything.

The album was produced by legendary Joan Jett shortly after her band The Runaways had disbanded.

DRI – Dealing With It (1985)

D.R.I. was created in the Texan music bed together with bands such as Verbal Abuse, Sick Pleasure, and the Dicks, and with their hardcore/thrash metal hybrid, “Dealing With It” contributed in adding to the reinvention of the wheel by combining their style of music with humor and politics (much like Suicidal Tendencies), created a record loved by skaters, punkers, and thrashers alike.

As for the at times almost dumb simplicity in the lyrics is not necessarily a fault, thinking of bands like Angry Samoans, this to me more adds to the benefits of this record.

Dag Nasty – Can I Say (1986)

This is the only album released with vocalist Dave Smalley until Four on the Floor six years later in 1992, this album helps mark somewhat of a turning point between hardcore’s straight-ahead origins and a more accessible and melodic approach and in a way preceded and paved the way for punk’s breakthrough in the mid 1990’s.

Brian Baker’s past in Minor Threat are clear, but at the same time, the production, assisted by Ian Mackaye, are on another level being less crude and basic, stronger and crisper than much of that band’s work. That’s not saying that was an disadvantage to Minor Threat, but rather an advantage to this record.

While this isn’t emo in the original sense of the term (like “Rites of Spring” who debuted the year earlier, or the later 90s watering down of the same), but it does strike a chord with it, and you might not be too far off categorizing this with some form of hardcore-punk/emocore label.

Suicidal Tendencies – Suicidal Tendencies (1983)

Fast, furious, and funny. That’s exactly how this record starts up, and pretty much how it plays through. Later they would be pretty much dropped into the whole hardcore/crossover thing, but here it’s hardcore-punk all the way with some nice ripping guitar solos, the vocal style of Mike Muir blending commentary with fast shouted vocals, and it’s particular recipe makes this record stand out.

Crass – The Feeding of the 5000 (1978)

I don’t know how uncompromising you can get, or astistic in your own way, and still make a record enjoyable to listen to. I think Crass really pushed it on “Penis Envy” that came out in 1981. They hadn’t really taken it that far yet on this record.
Here it’s fast ranting vocals with sometimes pretty great lyrics and wordings, pummeling drumming and some pretty trebely sounding guitars with some I guess pretty good sounding bass in the background.
This might be far more interesting than sonically good, but I do find this a very interesting record.

The Freeze – Land of the Lost (1983)

Here’s Bonston’s The Freeze with their debut album of roughly two handfuls of viciously satiric melodic thrasher youth anthems. Well-produced and guitaristic, maybe not with quite the notirety as fellow bands like Jerry’s Kids, Gang Green or F.U.’s (all together on the classic compilation “This Is Boston, Not L.A.”), this is still something that really strikes a chord with me.

Battalion of Saints – Second Coming (1984)

This album as a whole is if not all over the place but at least pretty diverse with a sound ranging close to that of British D-beat legends Discharge to a more classic US hardcore sound blended with thrash.

The band didn’t do too much recording wise, the album was preceded by the Fighting Boys 12″ EP (1982) and the band fell apart after this LP when singer Chris Smith moved from San Diego to New York and officially broke up in 1985. The band did however re-unite in 1995 and has put out releases both before and after that but the two mentioned releases is the only one’s I’ve really payed any attention to.

Angry Samoans – Back From Samoa (1982)

This album can be described in quite a few ways, ranging from stupid and childish to shamelessly politically incorrect, but I for one find it brilliant in it’s own way all the same and the tracks are just awesome.

Not Samoan, but angry at something or possibly everything, these LA punks out of a pure musical standpoint produces a great example of just that, LA hardcore-punk, and if you want to call some of the lyrics or all of them stupid it’s all well and fine, certiainly it would be to them.

MDC – Millions of Dead Cops (1982)

Calling a band intelligent always seemed strange to me, but MDCs lyrics and most of what they’ve done at least does have a witty intelligence to it, and that paired with the aggressive US hardcore they display on this record makes this a favorite for me.

There’s quite a few nice nuggets of cynicism among the lyrics, as well as what you might expect like anti-establishment, anti-racism, anti-police, anti-state and plenty of other anti-topics that as least warms my heart and wakens the young rebel punk in me. The music is for the most part pretty straight forward US hardcore but does has it’s twists here and there that very much keeps my interest up throughout it’s some 20 minutes.

Operation Ivy – Energy (1989)

As far as ska-punk goes, and I’m not so sure if it matters much if you love it or hate it, this album to me is “the album”. Mixing punk (sometimes venturing close to hardcore-punk) and ska in a very diverse and well played album it’s no wonder they would play a huge role in American ska-punk and it’s evolution.

For better or worse, the band would break up after the release of Energy (having only released the Hectic 7″ EP the year before). Notably the bands last show in May 28 1989 would be the first Green Day show at the legendary venue Gilman Street in Berkeley, California.
The members where although obviously not done after the demise of Op. Ipy, as Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman would go on and found Rancid, and both Dave Mello and Jesse Michaels having been a part of a whole bunch of bands as well.

Agression – Don’t Be Mistaken (1983)

These skatepunks from Oxnard (California), one of the bands who fronted the rather short-lived Nardcore scene with bands like Ill Repute, Dr. Know and RKL, comes out with fast but still rather catchy hardcore sung with clear vocals. Might be Nardcore at its best (I do however don’t know if that’s saying a lot or not).

Corrosion of Conformity – Eye for an Eye (1984)

With rapid-fire guitar riffage and fast drum exchanges of raw hardcore-punk these 20 tracks flies by quickly, it does have the feeling of some basement tape thing, somewhat sloppy and with a sub-par mix, but it still holds up very well.

FEAR – The Record (1982)

FEAR took their time, formed in 1977 it would take them five years to put this, their first full-length, record out (having released their 2-track “I Love Livin’ in the City” 7″ in 1978).

Lee Ving’s trained voice howls over precise and well written and played punk songs, they might not have been quite able to reach the intnsity, diversity, and great songs on their later releases, but that obviously takes nothing away from this album. Speaking of, Lee Ving had by the time this record came out already a career going in Hollywood (later staring in Flashdance in 1983 among others).

Rites of Spring – End on End (1985)

Sometimes I feel emo catches a lot of crap, sometimes fair sometimes unfair. Same for the post-hardcore emocore thing, but this I do think deserves credit. I don’t know that Rites of Spring being one of the founding bands of emo, but if you look at it that way than yeah sure, seeing as how most other band you’d think of released their stuff in the 90’s.

However this, the only studio album by the band, Guy Picciotto’s urgent vocals paired with the melodic hardcore of the opening song (“For Want Of”) does, when conditioned by the fact that many labels this emocore, does sound a bit emo in it’s hardcore context. But there’s more to this record, “Deeper Than Inside” poses urgent melodic hardcore and the bands speedy instrumentation and it’s mix with melody and aggressive vocals (mixed with down tempo songs like “Drink Deep”) overall makes this an awesome hardcore-punk record, although you may call it emocore.

Descendents – Milo Goes to College (1982)

When you talk about Descendents it’s usally the same old stuff record after record: Life, love, girls, being losers and food. That might not sound like the recipie for a great record nor for a band, but the fact is Tom Lombardo (bass), Bill Stevenson (drums) always seems to make a rhythm section in perfect sync, while Frank Navetta (gitarr) might have a litle easier riffage approach than Lombardo , but does a great job. That paired with Milo on vocals makes for success every time.

This would also become the record that started their “-age” thing with “Myage”, adding “age” to songs like D-beat bands adds “Dis” to their names.

Negative Approach – Tied Down (1983)

Their self-titled 1982 EP has one of hardcore’s best songs with the opening “Can’t Tell No One”, but the Detroit bands first full length record does not by any means disappoint.
John Brannon screaming is still as pissed off as ever and brothers Graham and Rob McCulloch together with drummer OP Moore wrote some punch-in-face music matching Brannons attitude.

It’s not all fast paced hardcore however, it does slow down at times giving this a more diverse punk feel as well.

Honorable mentions

I wouldn’t say these are the leftovers, but they kind of are. Records that are great but that I couldn’t put in the top 50. Still, I very much urge you to give them a listen.

The Boys – The Boys (1977)

The Boys debut album boasts 14 tracks of exciting, high-energy punk rock ‘n’ roll, in a touch over 28 minutes, of a rare quality that rivals many of the early 70’s punk bands. It kicks off with “Sick on you”, one of the better British punk songs.

Chain of Strength – The One Thing That Still Holds True (1995)

I’ve tried to not have compilation albums on this list, but I feel there’s a few must-haves. This is one of them. This is a compilation of What Holds Us Apart 7″ (1990) and True Till Death 7″ (1989) with first track “Impact” added.

As far as youth crew old-school hardcore goes to me it really doesn’t get much better than this, the songs all have that very classic straight edge feel to them that keeps on growing on you and then “True Till Death” kicks in as one of the absolute all time straight edge classics. It’s no wonder Chain of Strength became one of the old school hardcore bands that many after have tried their best to carbon copy right-off.

Rezillos – Can’t Stand the Rezillos (1978)

An amazingly entertaining album for sure with lots of energy and humor, fronted by not one but two excellent vocalists, although Fay Fifeon’s vocals and the bass play of Mysterious (aka William Mysterious) does stand out.

Refused – The Shape of Punk to Come (1998)

Anti-Cimex – Anti-Cimex (1986)

This Swedish crust/D-beat punk band where out early in the Scandinavian hardcore punk scene releasing their “Anarkist Attack” EP in 1982, the same year as Discharge released their first full length (“Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing”). I guess it’s pretty safe to say that if you like Dischange, you’ll love this.

Insted – Bonds Of Friendship (1988)

This straight edge hardcore record is blazing away with Kevinsted behind the microphone, doing quite the job. It’s fast-paced but manages to be quite melodic at times. It’s well played old school hardcore, and that’s pretty much it.