1974-1976New York City / London

Punk

Also known as punk rock

A concise, evidence-based punk entry centered on the mid-1970s New York and London scenes, with examples drawn from official artist pages and canonical recordings.

Origins and context

Early punk formed in parallel scenes in New York and London in the mid-1970s, drawing on garage rock, protopunk, and a reaction against the perceived excesses of mainstream rock.

New York CityLondon

How to listen

Start here

The Ramones for the New York prototype
Sex Pistols for the British flashpoint

Mood

Urgent
Raw
Rebellious

History

Punk rock took shape in the mid-1970s, especially in scenes in New York and London, as musicians pushed back against what they saw as bloated, overproduced mainstream rock. The Ramones, formed in 1974 in Queens, and the Sex Pistols, whose rise helped turn punk into a global phenomenon in Britain, are two of the most documented early anchors of the style. Its roots reach back into garage rock, protopunk, and the stripped-down energy of earlier rock and roll, and the early scene spread quickly into a broader network of bands, fanzines, clubs, and labels. Even in its earliest years, punk was less a single sound than a moving target: one part clenched three-chord attack, one part social provocation, and one part handmade community.