Genre: Rock/Pop
IMPORTANT UPDATE, MARCH 2007: The Impatiens have broken up! :-( Read this update posted by Emma-O at The Impatiens' MySpace page:
"A message from Emma-O: Goodbye, Impatiens.
Well it brings me much sadness to report that The Impatiens are no longer. I tried to save it, guys, I really did. I did not want it to end, believe me. I will...
[+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s
One of the seminal figures of new wave, Adam Ant (born Stuart Leslie Goddard) had several distinct phases to his career. Initially, he explored a jagged, guitar-oriented post-punk with his group Adam and the Ants before giving way to a more pop-oriented, glam-tinged musical direction that brought him to the top of the charts. After that had run... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s
Formed in Manchester, England, in 1975, the Buzzcocks were one of the most influential bands to emerge in the initial wave of punk rock. With their crisp melodies, driving guitars, and guitarist Pete Shelley's biting lyrics, the Buzzcocks were one of the best, most influential punk bands. The Buzzcocks were inspired by the Sex Pistols' energy,... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 70s, 80s, 90s
With their unique blend of raucous punk rock laced with reggae and dub, the Ruts were one of the most exciting bands to emerge from Britain's late-'70s scene. Their career was cut cruelly short by the death of their singer in 1980, but still the group released six crucial singles and a seminal album in their short lifetime. They were also a... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 70s, 80s
The Sex Pistols may have been the first British punk rock band, but the Clash were the definitive British punk rockers. Where the Pistols were nihilistic, the Clash were fiery and idealistic, charged with righteousness and a leftist political ideology. From the outset, the band was more musically adventurous, expanding its hard rock & roll with... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s
As punk's history enters a new millennium, the impact of the band initially judged "the least likely to" seems to grow ever more each day. The Ramones hold deserved pride of place for kick-starting the whole thing, while the Sex Pistols and to a lesser extent the Clash helped take it to an even more notorious level, role models for many young... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 70s, 80s
The Jam were the most popular band to emerge from the initial wave of British punk rock in 1977; along with the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the Buzzcocks, the Jam had the most impact on pop music. While they could barely get noticed in America, the trio became genuine superstars in Britain, with an impressive string of Top Ten singles in the... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 70s, 80s
The Soft Boys have turned out to be one of the most influential bands in shaping contemporary alternative music, though few are completely familiar with the quirky band's legacy. Formed in Cambridge, England in 1976 on the heels of the punk revolution, the Soft Boys eschewed the three-chord nihilism of punk and opted for a crude version of... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s
The Stranglers formed as the Guildford Stranglers in the southern England village of Chiddington (near Guildford) in 1974, plowing a heavily Doors-influenced furrow through the local pub rock scene -- such as it was. Of the four founding members, only bassist Hugh Cornwall had any kind of recognizable historical pedigree, having played alongside... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 70s, 80s
The Undertones slam-bang punk-pop drew its strength from one simple fact: you didn't need a secret handshake to enjoy it. John and Damian O'Neill mated infectious guitar hooks to '60s garage, '70s glam rock, and Feargal Sharkey's signature vocal quaver. Those qualities came together on their breakout hit "Teenage Kicks," whose simplicity harked... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 70s, 80s, 90s
One of the great English punk bands of the late '70s, there is only one thing wrong with the careers of X-Ray Spex and lead singer Poly Styrene -- they didn't record enough music. Formed in 1976 by school friends Marion Elliot (Styrene) and Susan Whitby (saxophonist Lora Logic), X-Ray Spex exploded onto the punk scene with one of the era's great... [+] Read More