'A funny thing happened to me on the way to the forum', as the old movie title once said. This is a great wee place as we are all here not by accident but because of our love for all things punk, past and future. Facebook et al are worldwide platforms for the wonderful and the sad, this site i think is a wee bit more sublime than that. Theres no one-upmanship or point gaining, and yes i think we are all a bit 'Anorak', but only because we have a real passion for this kinda thing, to the extent that it transcends the music and art and then becomes a lifestyle choice. 'Art for Arts Sake' as one shitty Brittish band once lauded. Like the Muppets, we welcome all people here coz we know you live and love the same air we do. Zoe yer an absolute star. As King Jello Biafra once said, 'Keep it real, and be prepared!!!

I'm gonna say all the obvious ones like: Ramones, Saints, Damned, Heartbreakers, Buzzcocks.... But I would also add in Mink Deville's first album Cabretta. I feel like Willy Deville added an aspect of New York to the scene that wasn't really present in the other artists. His songs were more in line with the early 60's and later 50's tunes than say the Ramones. The song Venus of Avenue D is such a good song. Also, The Adverts - Crossing The Red Sea is a great piece of early British punk.

THE HEARTBREAKERS - L.A.M.F.
RAMONES - Ramones/Leave Home/Rocket To Russia
THE SAINTS - I'm Stranded/Eternally Yours
THE DAMNED - Damned Damned Damned
THE KIDS - The Kids
FUN THINGS - When The Birdmen Fly EP
ANGRY SAMOANS - Inside My Brain
THE CRAMPS - Songs The Lord Taught Us
DEAD BOYS - Younger, Louder & Snottier
THE REAL KIDS - The Real Kids
SEX PISTOLS - Never Mind The Bollocks
THE UNDERTONES - The Undertones
BUZZCOCKS - Spiral Scratch EP
NERVOUS EATERS - Just Head 7"
THE BOYS - The Boys
PACK - Pack
THE ELECTRIC EELS - The Eyeball Of Hell
.......

My list without The Clash, The Sex Pistols or The Specials would be uninformed at best and stupid at the very least. Whatever your personal tastes may be, English bands of this era played a huge part in the vast scheme of things + dismissing the 2 Tone thing is just not right. Once again: Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era 1972 New York Dolls 1973 The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! 1975 Patti Smith Horses 1975 Ramones 1976 Dead Boys Young Loud And Snotty 1977 Television Marquee Moon 1977 Suicide 1977 Damned, Damned, Damned 1977 The Saints I'm Stranded 1977 Never Mind the Bullocks Here's the Sex Pistols 1977 The Clash 1977 The Jam This Is the Modern World 1977 Can't Stand The Rezillos 1978 Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo 1978 X Ray Specs Germ Free Adolescents 1978 Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts 1978 The Undertones 1979 The Specials 1979 The Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady 1979 Dawn Of The Dickies 1979 The Crawdaddys Crawdaddy Express 1979 The Cramps Songs The Lord Taught Us 1980 X Los Angeles 1980 Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables 1980 Talking 'bout Thee Milkshakes 1981 The Gun Club Fire of Love 1981 Zoe von Doll said:

I like your list without the Clash, Sex Pistols, Specials...saw you mention the Bags somewhere too...izza goed.

Gringo Starr said:

This thread just won't die -- So for all of you that missed it, here is my list previously posted on page 3 (I think):

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era 1972
New York Dolls 1973
The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! 1975
Patti Smith Horses 1975
Ramones 1976
Dead Boys Young Loud And Snotty 1977
Television Marquee Moon 1977
Suicide 1977
Damned, Damned, Damned 1977
The Saints I'm Stranded 1977
Never Mind the Bullocks Here's the Sex Pistols 1977
The Clash 1977
The Jam This Is the Modern World 1977
Can't Stand The Rezillos 1978
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo 1978
X Ray Specs Germ Free Adolescents 1978
The Undertones 1979
The Specials 1979
The Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady 1979
Dawn Of The Dickies 1979
The Crawdaddys Crawdaddy Express 1979
The Cramps Songs The Lord Taught Us 1980
X Los Angeles 1980
Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables 1980
Talking 'bout Thee Milkshakes 1981
The Gun Club Fire of Love 1981

here are 7 of my fave bands, i can still listen to these LPs and crack a smile!

Devo - Are We NOT Men? / Duty Now For The Future
The Damned - Damned Damned Damned
The Jam - In The City
Ramones - first 3 LPs
DMZ - DMZ
The Saints - I'm Stranded
The Angry Samoans - Inside My Brain

Its two completely different realms and meanings of punk. The American side was born out of teen angst mainly, gettin laid and drinkin beer. The British scene was born out of social downfall and destruction of class and social value and the rise of unemployment and anger amonst the british working and middle classes. Both sides of the pond hated each others standpoints on punk and what it meant. Then the Ramones came across and blew it all out the water. everyone wanted to see or be the Ramones. They built the bridge by which we all live and breath music these days. The American scene would have never existed had it not been for the British beatscene, the British scene would have never existed without the blues. Famous quote of the time is "Them white boys wanna play the blues so bad.... And they do! Come on! who's more influential? I would say we wuld have nothing if Robert Johnson had'nt been born, hehe.

G.I. is a great album but just because you don't like the Clash and the UK scene in general, you can't really believe that the Germs are more influential than the Clash. Heck, the Germs aren't even more influential than the Dead Kennedys. I personally don't even think they'd up there on a pedistal if it wasn't for their appearance in Decline of Western Civilization. But they were a great band. Zoe von Doll said:

Yeah well the Germs were more influential than the Clash.

Joanie Lindstrom said:

I have to say the Germs are one of the most overrated bands EVER.


Zoe von Doll said:

PS and the GERMS...did'nt seem to spot them in this discussion...

I have to say the Germs are one of the most overrated bands EVER. Zoe von Doll said:

PS and the GERMS...did'nt seem to spot them in this discussion...

i would have to go with wire's pink flag. seemed to be years ahead of its time, bad brains early stuff was awsome too

Wow - Can't believe no one has mentioned The Electric Chairs 'Blatantly Offenzive'.

Anyway, First Ramones, Damned Damned Damned, The Boys (s/t), Vibrators' 'Pure Mania', Buzzcocks 'Another Music..', Slaughter and the Dogs 'Do It Dog Style', The Saints, '(I'm) Stranded'.....most of them, really.

Gotta give a shout out the to the Real Kids debut as well....

Ramones- 1st album, Sex Pistols- Nevermind the Bollocks, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers- L.A.M.F., Misfits- Static Age, Dead Boys- Young, Loud, and Snotty, The Damned- 1st album & Machine Gun Etiquitte...so many more that I can't think of right off the top of my head.

zeros - don't push me around

the GIZMOS!!!!!!

Ha, nice one, well whaddaya know eh...you are never too old to learn something new about punk, that's for sure. Cheers Lenny Andy Climax said:

No! Camden and the High Roads, a Kilburn tribute act, haha. No malice taken mate. keep it punk!!!

No! Camden and the High Roads, a Kilburn tribute act, haha. No malice taken mate. keep it punk!!!

That'll be Kilburn and the High Roads then ;-))))))))))))))) no malice meant my friend just being a punk pedant

The Sex Pistols,Never Mind the Bollocks and The Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, Adam and the Ants album Dirk Wears White Sox, is another blinder. Blondies, parallel lines is another class act. Wire's Pink Flag is another beaut!!! The seminal Cramps slab o wax madness, songs The Lord Taught Us is another generation definer. Jesus! there are lots of great Lp's around at that time. The Damned's first album, SLF, Iggy all releasing great stuff. Dr feelgood, Camden and the High Roads, More bluesy than punk, but the spirit is there.

Dr Feelgood - Stupidity. Great album

For a bit of fun, the Nuns always used to make me smile. Hilarious lyrics, especially Suicide child.

For me the best 1st era PunK LPs have gotta include The Damned, The Ramones 1st, 2nd and 3rd, Sex Pistols (Spunk boot tho, so much better soundin than their heavy-rockin' metal-guitarrin' slab o snot-wax Bollocks - but hey that's still great too...), The Saints, The Boys, The Adverts, The Clash 1st, Wire 1st, 2nd and 3rd, Buzzcocks and, although some folks don't really class them as punk PUNK if yer knowworrameen, I still say the Banshees and the Ants' debuts too are crucial...and let's not forget the likes of The Roxy WC2...

I THINK THE FIRST CLASH LP WAS GARAGE! For me the live lp from MAGAZINE, called PLAY, in Australia, nothing like what we should be talking about here, but often overlooked as it was so uncool, then and now.. Dark and weird.. But for music, its beauty unearthed!

I didn't get into 1975-1981 punk until almost 1986. But it wasn't like I jumped into after listening to Huey Lewis or Van Halen. I was listening to garage (mostly the top 40 variety though) which led me to KROQ, which led me to the garage revival and Paisley Underground stuff. Still had a tough time with punk but after moving to Seattle in 1984 and finding KJET, I slowly grew into it. Actually I probably would have been into the Ramones a bit earlier (1981 or 2) when I found three of the first albums in some little store that mostly sold Mexican albums but the friend I was with told me not to waste my money. Well better late than never I suppose.

Ramones 1st self titled album circa 1976! Listened to that over and over again, although quite a few years after the initial release. At the time, I was pretty into the clash's first album though.

sorry dude, i know that was YOUR list, never meant to intrude. only mentioning a couple bands, which in MY opinion were quite influential, and have otherwise been pretty overlooked in all the above very FORMULAIC lists. sorry again!! Gringo Starr said:

These are my favorite ALBUMS from the "First Punk Era" (which is really the second punk era) not yours. I was really thinking about the BEST shit. There is a lot of music from this time to choose from but my list includes only the most influential albums (in my opinion) from that time frame. Thank you, goodbye.

Johnny Quid said:

i must repeat again: no Eater? what about Johnny Moped? surely the Nipple Erectors...

These are my favorite ALBUMS from the "First Punk Era" (which is really the second punk era) not yours. I was really thinking about the BEST shit. There is a lot of music from this time to choose from but my list includes only the most influential albums (in my opinion) from that time frame. Thank you, goodbye. Johnny Quid said:

i must repeat again: no Eater? what about Johnny Moped? surely the Nipple Erectors...

i must repeat again: no Eater? what about Johnny Moped? surely the Nipple Erectors...