For me, I think rebellion, aggression and ground-breaking. To call a band or album classic, we have to take a look at the legacy, and if there is one. For something to classic, it must embody all three words I used above to describe punk fashion, music and the movement as a whole. The albums featured in this article were produced by >the best punk rock bands and helped to create a mind-blowing revolution for the music scene in the 70's and 80's. This had led to a seemingly unforgettable legacy for Punk that will NEVER die.
If we didn't have these musical masterpieces, there would have been no paved way for the new generation of punk-rock to begin.
So, if you're a new fan of the genre, or an old-school punk rocker, the albums listed are the top ten must haves to own on vinyl (or CD). Without them, can you really call yourself a punk-rocker?
London Calling is an iconic album by the notorious and unusually popular punk-rock band The Clash. Released in 1979, this album, in true punk fashion, explored a range of hard hitting subjects like: drug abuse, racism and social displacement. The album reached the top ten in the UK and was named as the 8th greatest album of all time. This makes London Calling an essential to add to the record collection.
Regardless of it being their only studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks is a massively influencial album on all of the punk that was and is to come! Johny Rotten's incredibly unique 'talk-singing' create a new wave of sound, infiltrating punk musicians and followers alike. Aggressive, passionate and not having a care about any culture norms, The Sex Pistols stood for everything Punk stood for and this is shown by the singual record. It managed to reach number one in the UK album charts and even turned gold. It this best-seller doesn't count as a must-have album on vinyl, I don't know what does.
This debut LP released by the Dead Kennedys is a satirical work of genius. Front man Jello Biafra shouts the truth about how the world sucks in comedic fashion on tracks like 'Holiday in Cambodia' and lauches himself into the political sphere with 'When Ya Get Drafted'. It takes a sharp-tongue to produce the sharp words of the front man over the beautifully deafening sting of 'East Bay' Ray Pepperell's guitar. This debut studio album is their most critically acclaimed and best selling of their career fo a reason. If you haven't already got it - what are you waiting for?
In 1979, The Buzzcocks rightfully earned the title as being one of the best 70's punk bands to have been discovered. Although it failed to chart in America, it was still one of the first of it's kind to move punk in line with pop to create musical artistry. Teenage angst and sexual frustration is written all over tracks like "Orgasm Addict" and "Ever Fallen in Love?" This is definitely vinyl worthy.
Without a doubt the best misfits album and vinyl to exist. After having to wait 18 years until being officially released in 1996, this album became Misfits most notable. Misfits have grabbed their place in this article, giving horror punk a platform which it thoroughly deserves.
Minnesota born powerband Husker Du created 'Zen Arcade' that was originally released as a double album on two vinyls. Using influences from pop and jazz, this amazing trio merged these unique sounds to tell a story about a boy who runs away from home only to realsie that the world outside is even more terrifying. The fusion between these unsuspecting genres and hardcore punk has never been seen before - making it ridiculously revolutionary. How could we not include this fantastic fusion of a vinyl on the list? By far, this is one of the greatest punk-rock albums to own on vinyl.
This masterpiece blessed our ears in 1970 giving us an outlet for all of our angst. The crazy, loud noise of the instruments being hammered, paired with Iggy Pop's insipid yet moorish vocals was a punk-phenonomena waiting to happen. Iggy is literally on fire on the cover. The power and rebellion this album gave us will last a lifetime. Revel in the punk movement for all the glory that it is with this vinyl!
Last but not least, punk would not be punk without the classic The Ramones. Celebrate the history of punk-rock with this one vinyl from 1976 and remember the good old-school days. With topics including violence, drug use, relationship issues, humor, and Nazism - this album broke boundaries and the uptempo beat really gets your heart pumping! Four seemingly normal, if not a bit outcast-y, guys joined forces to produce the classic legacy of The Ramones. When they recorded this killer album, Johnny said "we thought we could be the biggest band in the world." In terms of the punk scene, you made it boys - you didn't make it to #1 on The Rolling Stones list of greatest punk bands of all time for nothing.
And there you have it. The Black Ravens' top eight punk albums you must own on vinyl! If you liked this post or think we missed any, let us know! Get in touch through our socials, we'd love to hear from you.
