RS Readers Poll: Best Punk Bands Of All Time

[Thunderface]

As picked by Rolling Stone readers, although the magazine found out that fan site Green Day Authority and the band's official site at GreenDay.com both posting the link and asking fans to vote for Green Day – which gave the group a significant boost in the final tally. Does that sound like kind of a punk thing to do, to skew the voting for best punk band?

Anyway, here's the top ten:
10. Bad Brains
9. Social Distortion
8. The Misfits
7. Black Flag
6. Iggy and the Stooges
5. The Dead Kennedys
4. The Sex Pistols
3. The Ramones
2. The Clash
1. Green Day (go figure).

IMO, I would have Green Day third, with the Ramones and Clash each moving up one spot. I'm a big fan of all of the top four, and not all that familiar with the rest ... yet. I've got to believe that nobody has gone farther on the strength of only one album than the Sex Pistols.

Oh, and Johnny Ramone's autobiography will be out in April.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/n...tter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

 

[SouthernSounds]

Hi TF!:

In my conception of Punk (mostly influenced by the Spanish wing, Anarcho punk/Spanish Civil War/Anarchism/Auto-gestion), what Green Day did, is absolutely wrong. Out of the basic idea of Punk. Which confirms my previous idea about them: just a group of boys calling themself punkies, but not being more that a group of kids doing things that they don't believe...

Anyway, I agree with you about The Ramones and The Clash. I don't know the other ones...

All the best,

B.

 

[Ridgemont]

One more reason as to why I don't like Green Day.

 

[Zelja]

I actually quite like Green Day - they seem to be a direct descendant of The Buzzcocks school of melodic pop punk.

When it comes to any poll, the results are very dependent on the demographic that is polled of course. It's a popularity contest as there are no real metrics upon which to base "best" anything in the music world. Also as I always like to say (stealing from George Orwell's "1984") "Sanity is not statistical".

The other issue in a "best punk" poll is to qualify which bands are indeed "punk". Lots of bands have been labelled with that moniker to then grow out of it or the label changed (e.g The Jam & even ACDC at one stage).

Saying all that I agree with at last half of that list but my top 10 would always include The Saints, The Damned & The Buzzcocks.

Most probably don't know The Saints from Brisbane, Australia but they put out a single & album before any of the British bands & maybe even before The Ramones (not 100% on that one):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LA2DbwXJoo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qatJHDHRwJg

 

[twocorgis]

I can completely agree with The Clash, Sex Pistols, and The Ramones, and even Black Flag, but no Hüsker Dü? Bob Mould is an absolute genius IMO. I'd probably add the Jesus & Mary Chain to that list, too.

 

[Geo]

I can completely agree with The Clash, Sex Pistols, and The Ramones

Absolutely, with The Clash as number 1 2 & 3,,,, the Sex Pistols 4,,,, Ramones 5,,,, then Kick Green Day to the curb.

George

 

[Thunderface]

I can completely agree with The Clash, Sex Pistols, and The Ramones, and even Black Flag, but no Hüsker Dü? Bob Mould is an absolute genius IMO. I'd probably add the Jesus & Mary Chain to that list, too.

Don't know how I missed it, but no Replacments, either. Not a lot of love here for Green Day, but they did to right by the Ramones during their HOF induction with this performance...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0OTeYLggtc

 

[Los Angeles]

Both Green Day and Rancid held the punk torch for the better part of 20 years. I don't think it's fair to kick either of them to the curb just because they're newer bands.

That said, both of them deserve to be in the 11-20 range.

 

[Scratch]

As picked by Rolling Stone readers, although the magazine found out that fan site Green Day Authority and the band's official site at GreenDay.com both posting the link and asking fans to vote for Green Day – which gave the group a significant boost in the final tally. Does that sound like kind of a punk thing to do, to skew the voting for best punk band?

Anyway, here's the top ten:
10. Bad Brains
9. Social Distortion
8. The Misfits
7. Black Flag
6. Iggy and the Stooges
5. The Dead Kennedys
4. The Sex Pistols
3. The Ramones
2. The Clash
1. Green Day (go figure).

How do you know when you've become an Acoustic Geezer? When your name is Scratch; you only recognize three of the above names; and you can't name one song played by any of them... Sheesh!

 

[Geo]

Both Green Day and Rancid held the punk torch for the better part of 20 years. I don't think it's fair to kick either of them to the curb just because they're newer bands.

That said, both of them deserve to be in the 11-20 range.

OK, I will just kindly ask them to go away. :lol:

George

 

[kevin the bass man]

I dont mind green days lyrics and music (that much), but their singer sucks. it sounds like he sings flat. I could do a better job of singing (and I'll admit- I suck at singing.)
I dont like a band if their singer sounds awful (same reason I dont like christy mcvee and (even more so) stevie nicks led fleetwood mac.)

 

[killdeer43]

How do you know when you've become an Acoustic Geezer? When your name is Scratch; you only recognize three of the above names; and you can't name one song played by any of them... Sheesh!

It's OK, Ken.
I'll keep you company because I don't have a clue. :shock:
Not that there's anything wrong with that!

*Although, Good Riddance is a song I do, and I'm pretty sure that's Billy Joe from Green Day.
Good song, but I never thought of it as 'punk' and I don't know 'punk'.......

Joe

 

[adorshki]

I am also in that group that questions whether Green Day really is "punk" at all.
Maybe kinda sorta. :wink:

But I think the Pretenders from the first album out-punks anything I ever heard by Green Day, no disrespect intended:
"Precious" (NOT to be confused with "Brass in Pocket")
"Tattooed Love Boys"
"Mystery Achievement"
Let's not forget "Message of Love" on the second album either.
And I think Chrissie was and is still a way better singer. :wink:
PS I'd actually put Iggy at the top becasue he was the original.
Unless you wanna count MC5. Or maybe Blue Cheer.
Thunderface? What say ye?

 

[Qvart]

Anyway, here's the top ten:
10. Bad Brains
9. Social Distortion
8. The Misfits
7. Black Flag
6. Iggy and the Stooges
5. The Dead Kennedys
4. The Sex Pistols
3. The Ramones
2. The Clash
1. Green Day (go figure).

That's a decent list, although I'd switch some of the positioning (e.g., I'd rank Bad Brains better than 10th). Also, when talking about punk there's always the temptation to look back at what are really proto-punk bands and apply the term retroactively. I'd stick with the mid-'70's on and bump Iggy and the Stooges off the list. Also, bands like Husker Du branched off from punk and I wouldn't really call them "punk" (although being on SST Records got them - and other bands - lumped in with Black Flag).

As for Green Day, I've always thought of them as a punk band (and I'm a little snobby about what I consider punk). Of course, that was another band that could be said to have inherited the categorization because of their record label (Lookout). But even when they released Dookie and I didn't have to mail-order their albums anymore they still seemed like a punk band to me and I thought their best albums came after the move from Lookout. The later albums...not so much. Insomniac is probably their best.

Rancid...they could be on a list too, but then there would be a bunch of others I would throw in as well - though with less in record sales if we're taking that into consideration. If record sales and record labels make a difference then we'd have to add The Offspring (and I shudder at the thought. :UGH. Rancid and The Offspring were both on Epitaph Records, which brings me to one of my all-time favorites...

Bad Religion - been at it for thirty years, tons of albums and loyal fans, better lyrics and ideas than many other bands put together, and a lineup of punk icons (the two Bretts, Greg Hetson - also of the Circle Jerks, and Brian Baker - Minor Threat, Dag Nasty).

Another: Stiff Little Fingers. They're still at it even though the members are in their early 50's now. I drove up to The Black Cat in DC last year to see them and it was worth the trip. (And I couldn't resist the dig at Green Day in the link).

My list would be more like:

1. The Clash (the only band that matters)
2. Stiff Little Fingers
3. The Ramones
4. The Sex Pistols
5. Bad Religion
6. Bad Brains
7. The Dead Kennedys
8. Social Distortion
9. The Misfits
10. Black Flag

It's tough to pick ten though. And I'm not set on the order exactly. Except for the Clash. They stay at #1.


List order edited to balance an objective opinion of the influence of these bands vs. how much listening time I devote to each of them. :lol:

 

[dapmdave]

As picked by Rolling Stone readers, although the magazine found out that fan site Green Day Authority and the band's official site at GreenDay.com both posting the link and asking fans to vote for Green Day – which gave the group a significant boost in the final tally. Does that sound like kind of a punk thing to do, to skew the voting for best punk band?

Anyway, here's the top ten:
10. Bad Brains
9. Social Distortion
8. The Misfits
7. Black Flag
6. Iggy and the Stooges
5. The Dead Kennedys
4. The Sex Pistols
3. The Ramones
2. The Clash
1. Green Day (go figure).

How do you know when you've become an Acoustic Geezer? When your name is Scratch; you only recognize three of the above names; and you can't name one song played by any of them... Sheesh!

Don't be feelin' lonesome, Scratch. I'm right there with you.

Dave

 

[Ridgemont]

Rancid? Yes. Bad Religion? Yes. Green Day is a talented group that meant a lot to me back in the '90s. But their off stage high jinks over the later years have left a bad taste in my mouth so I stopped listening to them. I have more CDs of Rancid and Bad Religion than Green Day so they make my list.

 

[Los Angeles]

By the way, I have Suicidal Tendencies' old PO Box. I get their fan mail all the time (which I of course simply pass on to their new PO Box).

 

[Treem]

By the way, I have Suicidal Tendencies' old PO Box. I get their fan mail all the time (which I of course simply pass on to their new PO Box).

Sweet! All, I wanted was a Pepsi! INSITUTION! All, I wanted was a Pepsi! INSITUTION! 8)

 

[Treem]

I like

PENNYWISE! 8)

 

[markus]

Don't be feelin' lonesome, Scratch. I'm right there with you.

Same here … (4 band names / 0 songs)
Markus