punk
what it is
Rooted in garage rock, punk started as Punk Rock and eschewed the perceived excesses of virtuosism, technical and complicated: progressive rock. it sounds faster, noisier and raw, with short songs, low-cost instrumentation, and often anti-establishment lyrics. Punk Counterculture embraces: DIY ethic (do it yourself), self-produced albums, fanzines and squatts.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make punk a playlist
turn these 40 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is punk?
Rooted in garage rock, punk started as Punk Rock and eschewed the perceived excesses of virtuosism, technical and complicated: progressive rock. it sounds faster, noisier and raw, with short songs, low-cost instrumentation, and often anti-establishment lyrics. Punk Counterculture embraces: DIY ethic (do it yourself), self-produced albums, fanzines and squatts.
What are good punk albums to start with?
Try Sing the Sorrow by AFI, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables by Dead Kennedys, London Calling by The Clash, and Songs of Praise by The Adicts.
Who are some women making punk?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/punk/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making punk, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20