This is a timeline of punk rock, from its beginnings in the 1960s to the present day. Bands or albums listed either side of 1976 are of diverse genres and are retrospectively called by their genre name that was used during the era of their release.
Proto-punk
1960s
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970s
1970 â heavy metal
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
Punk rock
1976
- Bands formed
- Abrasive Wheels
- The Adverts
- Alternative TV
- The Art Attacks
- The Boys
- Black Flag
- Buzzcocks
- Chelsea
- The Clash
- The Cramps
- Crime
- The Damned
- Dead Boys
- DMZ
- Eater
- The Fall
- The Flowers of Romance
- Gang of Four
- Generation X
- The Jam
- Johnny Moped
- London
- The Lurkers
- Madness
- Masters of the Backside
- The Mekons
- Métal Urbain
- Paraf
- Penetration
- Pork Dukes
- The Prefects
- The Rezillos
- Richard Hell and the Voidoids
- Siouxsie and the Banshees
- Skrewdriver
- The Slickee Boys
- The Slits
- Subway Sect
- Throbbing Gristle
- U2
- UK Subs
- Ultravox!
- The Vibrators
- VOM
- Warsaw (later to become Joy Division)
- Wire
- X-Ray Spex
- The Zeros
- Albums
- the Ramones â Ramones
- The Runaways â The Runaways
- Blondie â Blondie
- Singles
- the Ramones â "Blitzkrieg Bop" February
- The Saints â "(I'm) Stranded" September
- Sex Pistols â "Anarchy in the U.K." October
- The Damned â "New Rose" October
- The Slickee Boys â Hot and Cool
- Disbandments
- The 101ers
- Events
- the Ramones & Sex Pistols release their first singles, giving birth to true punk rock.
- the Ramones first non-US appearance supporting Flamin' Groovies. Considered as a galvanizing event for UK punk scene.
- Sniffin' Glue, Mark Perry's punk fanzine published. Perry soon formed band, Alternative TV.
- Stiff Records is created in London signing almost exclusively punk and punk-inspired musicians.
- Sex Pistols, Damned, and the Clash begin Anarchy Tour. Most of the previously booked gigs refuse to let the bands play.
- Malcolm McLaren organizes the two-day 100 Club Punk Festival in London; performances include: Subway Sect, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Clash, Sex Pistols, Stinky Toys, Vibrators, the Damned, and Buzzcocks.
- Sex Pistols, members of Bromley Contingent (including Banshees Siouxsie Sioux, Steve Severin) appear live on ITV. Host Bill Grundy hits on Sioux, band unleashes a torrent of curse words.
- Daily Mirror runs headline "The Filth and the Fury!" A reaction to previous nights live ITV interview with Sex Pistols, Bromley Contingent.
1977 - The Year Punk Broke
- Bands formed
- 999
- Adam and the Ants
- Angelic Upstarts
- Bad Brains
- Bags
- Big in Japan
- Black Randy and the Metrosquad
- The Blockheads
- Crass
- The Cravats
- Desperate Bicycles
- The Dickies
- Discharge
- Elvis Costello and the Attractions
- Fear
- Forgotten Rebels
- Germs
- Ebba Grön
- Nina Hagen Band
- KSU
- The Members
- Middle Class
- Misfits
- The Nipple Erectors
- The Pagans
- Pankrti
- Paraf
- The Police
- Mr. Unique and the Leisure Suits
- Radio Stars
- The Rich Kids
- The Ruts
- The Skids
- The Snivelling Shits
- SODS
- Stiff Little Fingers
- The Valves
- Wipers
- X (Australia)
- X (United States)
- Albums
- The Boomtown Rats â The Boomtown Rats
- The Boys â The Boys
- Buzzcocks â Spiral Scratch (EP)
- The Clash â The Clash (UK)
- The Damned â Damned Damned Damned
- The Damned â Music for Pleasure
- Dead Boys â Young Loud and Snotty
- The Dictators â Manifest Destiny
- Eater â The Album
- Elvis Costello â My Aim Is True
- The Heartbreakers â L.A.M.F.
- Richard Hell and the Voidoids â Blank Generation
- The Jam â In the City
- The Jam â This Is the Modern World
- Motörhead â Motörhead
- Ramones â Leave Home
- Ramones â Rocket to Russia
- The Saints â (I'm) Stranded
- Sex Pistols â Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
- Skrewdriver â All Skrewed Up
- The Stranglers â Rattus Norvegicus
- The Stranglers â No More Heroes
- The Stranglers â The Stranglers (EP)
- Stinky Toys â Stinky Toys
- Suicide â Suicide
- Talking Heads â '
- Television â Marquee Moon
- Throbbing Gristle â The Second Annual Report
- Ultravox! â Ha!-Ha!-Ha!
- Wire â Pink Flag
- Disbandments
- The Heartbreakers
- London
- Events
- Pioneers of industrial music â Throbbing Gristle and Suicide release their debuts.
- On 28 October, Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols is released by Virgin Records. Despite being banned by most of Britain's record shops, reaches number one on British charts.
- The Sex Pistols' single "God Save the Queen", released on 27 May, reaches number two on the British charts. Banned by BBC Radio 1, the title is left blank in the chart listings.
- In June, Sex Pistols rent a boat to traverse down the Thames during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee anniversary celebration. Police force them to dock, several Pistols fans are arrested and injured in the meleé. Among those arrested are Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne Westwood, artist Jamie Reid, Tracie O'Keefe and Debbie Juvenile (Bromley Contingent).
- Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock is fired from the Sex Pistols and is replaced with Sid Vicious. Matlock forms the Rich Kids.
- Andy Czezowski opens The Roxy (London) venue in January solely for punk acts. The Clash perform opening night.
- In February Howard Devoto left Buzzcocks. Guitarist Pete Shelley became the vocalist.
- The Clash begin their White Riot tour, 1 March in Guilford, supported by the Jam, Buzzcocks, the Slits and Subway Sect. After a dispute the Jam leave the tour in March.
- The Stranglers embark on a three-month nationwide tour in May. They are supported by the band London.
- The Boomtown Rats appear on Top of the Pops. The first punk/new wave band to appear.
- Roxy deejay Don Letts begins filming The Punk Rock Movie, taking London punk scene video footage and editing it into a documentary.
- In December, Elvis Costello is banned from Saturday Night Live and NBC. The studio pressured Elvis to play his single, "Less Than Zero", he instead performed his anti-media anthem "Radio Radio".
1978
- Bands formed
- Angry Samoans
- Charged GBH
- Cardiac Kidz
- Dead Kennedys
- Dangerous Rhythm
- Descendents
- D.O.A.
- Fastbacks
- Fatal Microbes
- Fol Jazik
- The Go-Go's
- Killing Joke
- Nervous Gender
- PekinÃ
¡ka Patka
- Peter and the Test Tube Babies
- The Plasmatics
- Public Image Ltd
- The Reactionaries
- The Ruts
- The Scientists
- T.S.O.L
- Social Distortion
- Splodgenessabounds
- Vice Squad
- Albums
- The Avengers â Avengers (EP)
- The Adverts â Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts
- Big in Japan â From Y to Z and Never Again (EP)
- Blondie â Parallel Lines
- The Boomtown Rats â A Tonic for the Troops
- Buzzcocks â Another Music in a Different Kitchen
- The Clash â Give 'Em Enough Rope
- The Dickies â The Incredible Shrinking Dickies
- Crass â The Feeding of the Five Thousand
- Dead Boys â We Have Come for Your Children
- Elvis Costello and the Attractions â This Year's Model
- Forgotten Rebels â Burn the Flag (EP)
- Generation X â Generation X
- Germs â Lexicon Devil (EP)
- GG Allin and the Jabbers â Always Was, Is and Always Shall Be
- The Jolt â The Jolt
- London â Animal Games
- The Lurkers â Fulham Fallout
- Misfits â Static Age
- No New York
- Pere Ubu â The Modern Dance
- The Police â Outlandos d'Amour
- Public Image Ltd â Public Image
- Ramones â Road to Ruin
- The Rezillos â Can't Stand the Rezillos
- The Rich Kids â Ghosts of Princes in Towers
- The Saints â Eternally Yours
- Sham 69 â Tell Us the Truth
- Sham 69 â That's Life
- Siouxsie and the Banshees â The Scream
- The Suicide Commandos â Make A Record
- The Stranglers- Black and White
- Talking Heads â More Songs About Buildings and Food
- Television â Adventure
- Throbbing Gristle â D.o.A. The Third And Final Report
- Various â Live Stiffs Live
- The Vibrators â Pure Mania
- Wire â Chairs Missing
- Wreckless Eric â Wreckless Eric
- Wreckless Eric â The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric
- X-Ray Spex â Germfree Adolescents
- Disbandments
- Dead Boys
- Johnny Moped
- Sex Pistols
- The Suicide Commandos
- Ultravox!
- Television
- Events
- SST Records is established. Black Flag, Greg Ginn (guitarist/founder) creative outlet to release his band's music.
- Sex Pistols' disastrous January US tour ends. Johnny Rotten walks off stage at Winterland in San Francisco, famously uttering "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?"
- Colin Brunton, The Last Pogo. Filmed in Toronto featuring local and nationals, such as the Scenics, Cardboard Brains, the Secrets, the Mods, the Ugly, the Viletones, and Teenage Head. The show ends in a riot, signaling the original first-wave end.
- Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols) is charged with murder and the stabbing death of then girlfriend Nancy Spungen, found the morning of 12 October 1978 at New York's Hotel Chelsea.
- The Boomtown Rats attain the first official UK number one single by a punk/new wave band.
- Rough Trade Records (music store originally opened in London 1976) becomes a working record label and signs almost exclusively punk inspired bands.
- Derek Jarman (film director) releases Jubilee, cult punk-themed film, featuring Adam Ant, Toyah Willcox, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Jordan.
- Blondie achieve worldwide success with Parallel Lines, mixing styles of 1960s vocal pop, garage and punk rock energy. Debbie Harry becomes an icon for younger generations.
1979 â Mainstream vs. Underground
1980s
1980
- Bands formed
- The Adolescents
- Bad Religion
- The Fix
- GISM
- L-Seven
- The Meatmen
- Minutemen
- Nip Drivers
- 7 Seconds
- Terveet Kädet
- Minor Threat
- Reagan Youth
- Rudimentary Peni
- Subhumans
- Youth Brigade
- Albums
- Angry Samoans â Inside My Brain (EP)
- The Beat â I Just Can't Stop It
- Black Flag â Jealous Again (EP)
- Blondie â Autoamerican
- Circle Jerks â Group Sex
- The Clash â Sandinista! (triple album)
- The Cramps â Songs the Lord Taught Us
- The Damned â The Black Album
- Dead Kennedys â Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
- Discharge â Fight Back (EP)
- Discharge â Decontrol (EP)
- D.O.A. â Something Better Change
- Elvis Costello and the Attractions â Get Happy!!
- Forgotten Rebels â In love with the system
- Elvis Costello and the Attractions â Taking Liberties
- Joy Division â Closer
- Minutemen â Paranoid Time
- Misfits â Beware (EP)
- Nervous Gender â Live at Target
- Nina Hagen Band â Unbehagen
- Peter and the Test Tube Babies â Pissed and Proud
- Plasmatics â New Hope for the Wretched
- the Ramones â End of the Century
- Stiff Little Fingers â Nobody's Heroes
- Talking Heads â Remain in Light
- The Teen Idles â Minor Disturbance (EP)
- Toyah â Sheep Farming in Barnet
- The Undertones â Hypnotised
- The Weirdos â Action-Design (EP)
- U2 â Boy
- X â Los Angeles
- Disbandments
- Joy Division
- The Teen Idles
- Germs
- Events
- DIY Punk Rock label Dischord Records was founded by key figure in the development of hardcore punk Ian MacKaye.
- Ian Curtis, Joy Division lead singer, commits suicide 18 May 1980 at age 23. The rest of the band become New Order.
- Malcolm Owen, the Ruts lead singer, dies of a heroin overdose 14 July 1980 at age 26.
- Darby Crash, singer of the Germs, commits suicide 7 December 1980 at age 22.
- KROQ-FM establishes Top 106.7 Countdowns. The Clash and Dead Kennedys both reached on it on same year.
- Penelope Spheeris (documentary film-maker) captures L.A. punk scene in cult hit The Decline of Western Civilization. Interviews/performances with Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, Circle Jerks, Fear, the Germs, and X.
- Rude Boy semi-documentary film is released. It stars Ray Gange as a roadie for the Clash and splices in live performances by the band.
1981 â skate punk
1982 - Hightide of Hardcore
1983
1984 â post hardcore
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990s
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
- Bands formed
- 1208
- Adhesive
- Authority Zero
- Area-7
- Name Taken
- Bodyjar
- Bowling for Soup
- Choke
- Consumed
- Dillinger Four
- Goldfinger
- Gob
- Home Grown
- I Against I
- Inspection 12
- Limp
- Ninety Pound Wuss
- Nerf Herder
- Painted Thin
- Pain
- Pulley
- Riverdales
- Sleater-Kinney
- Slick Shoes
- The Living End
- The Undecided
- Useless ID
- At the Drive-In
- Albums
- Avail â Dixie
- At the Drive-In â Hell Paso
- Bad Religion â Stranger Than Fiction
- Big Drill Car â No Worse for the Wear
- Blink-182 â Cheshire Cat
- Bracket â 924 Forestville St.
- The Bouncing Souls â The Good, the Bad & the Argyle
- Buck-O-Nine â Songs in the Key of Bree
- Total Chaos â Pledge of Defiance
- The Cramps â Flamejob
- Down By Law â Punkrockacademyfightsong
- D.I. â State of Shock
- Forgotten Rebels â Criminal Zero
- Gas Huffer â One Inch Masters
- Glü Gun â Just Glü It
- Green Day â Dookie
- Jughead's Revenge â Elimination
- Lagwagon â Trashed
- Less Than Jake â Losers, Kings, and Things We Don't Understand
- The Mighty Mighty Bosstones â Question the Answers
- Millencolin â Tiny Tunes
- NOFX â Punk in Drublic
- The Offspring â Smash
- Randy â There's No Way We're Gonna Fit In
- Rancid â Let's Go
- Screeching Weasel â How to Make Enemies and Irritate People
- Sonic Youth â Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
- Strung Out â Another Day in Paradise
- Sublime â Robbin' the Hood
- Ten Foot Pole â Rev
- Turbonegro â Never Is Forever
- Unwritten Law â Blue Room
- Weezer â The Blue Album
- Events
- As a direct result of the success of Nevermind in 1991, punk rock bands like Green Day, Weezer, the Offspring, Bad Religion, 'NOFX, and Rancid were able to reach more eyes and ears than before thanks to MTV, making 1994 one of the biggest years for commercial punk sales.
- Bad Religion's Brett Gurewitz leaves during tour, to concentrate on Epitaph Records.
- Bad Brains reunite with all original members.
- The Circle Jerks reunite. Mercury Records releases their new album.
- Glü Gun becomes Glue Gun after releasing their first album.
- Nitro Records is established by Dexter Holland and Grek K of Offspring.
- Snuff reform.
1995 â metalcore
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000s
2000
2001 â modern melodic hardcore
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
- Bands formed
- 180 Out
- Cerebral Ballzy
- Defeater
- Joyce Manor
- Wavves
- Albums
- Anti-Flag â The Bright Lights of America
- The Briggs â Come All You Madmen
- Bus Station Loonies â Midget Gems
- The Damned â So, Who's Paranoid?
- Dillinger Four â Civil War
- Energy â Invasions of the Mind
- Fiasco â Native Canadians
- Flogging Molly â Float
- Fucked Up â The Chemistry of Common Life
- Goldfinger â Hello Destiny
- H<sub>2</sub>O â Nothing to Prove
- Have Heart â Songs to Scream at the Sun
- Less Than Jake â GNV FLA
- The Loved Ones â Build & Burn
- Millencolin â Machine 15
- Nerf Herder â IV
- New Found Glory â Tip of the Iceberg (EP)
- No Use for a Name â The Feel Good Record of the Year
- The Offspring â Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
- Paint it Black â New Lexicon
- Pennywise â Reason to Believe
- Rancid â B Sides and C Sides
- Rise Against â Appeal to Reason
- Senses Fail â Life Is Not a Waiting Room
- Star Fucking Hipsters â Until We're Dead
- Street Dogs â State of Grace
- Events
- Jawbreaker reform 3 January.
- Face to Face reunite for a tour 29 January.
- Descendents, Frank Navetta dies. After a short illness.
- X-Ray Spex reform for a one-off gig at Legendary Roundhouse.
- Dead Kennedys reform and tour US with new singer.
- The Sonics reform. Perform shows at The Garage, Islington, London.
- Teenage Head, Frankie Venom dies. Cancer.
- Producer/engineer Jerry Finn dies from brain hemorrhage. Known for blink-182, AFI, Rancid, Alkaline Trio, the Offspring and Morrissey.
2009
2010s
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2024
See also
References
Further reading