Punk rock music began back in 1974 and is still a big part of the popular music spectrum today.  While its initial social and musical impact may have diminished over time, punk music is more popular than ever before in terms of record sales and song downloads.  Punk rock is as much a way of life as it is a musical genre, and has inspired politics, fashion and art as well as music.  While punk rock did have its origins in anti-establishment attitudes and a counter cultural drug taking way of life, modern proponents of punk are as likely to be seen operating a coffee grinder as they are any illegal drug paraphernalia.  Many people argue that the commercial and public acceptance of punk rock music goes together with a dilution of its initial ideological power, and this is certainly debatable.  What is not up for debate however, is that punk rock is still alive and kicking in the 21st century.

Before the birth of punk as a music genre in the mid 1970s, the term ‘punk’ was used as a term to describe young hoodlums and troublesome youth.  The development of the musical ‘punk’ began in America, the United Kingdom and Australia simultaneously, making for some colourful arguments regarding its origins among punk fans.  There were some musically similar genres which existed in the 1960s, although punk was definitely a unique voice that stood out from everything else going on at the time.  Some of the earliest punk bands in the mid 70s were the Sex Pistols and The Clash in the United Kingdom, The Ramones in New York City and The Saints in Australia.  The Saints released ‘Stranded’ during this time, which is arguably the first ever punk single, although the UK and US scenes had a bigger influence on the future of punk music.

The birth of the New York Punk scene is hard to define, because like many influential movements it was influenced by many other musical styles.  The origins of the scene in New York can be traced way back to the late 60s, where bands such as the New York Dolls and Television were part of the trash culture scene that predated punk.  In 1974 the band Blondie also began in New York, as did The Ramones – perhaps the first clearly defined punk band from the city.  The history of the movement in the United Kingdom was also influenced by other musical genres, however The Sex Pistols were the biggest and most easily identifiable punk band.  Since the late 1970s, punk has evolved and morphed into many different styles.  The post-punk period of the 1980s saw the emergence of what was to become many famous bands, including The Police, Madness, The Specials and The Beat.  The early period of 70s punk rock is still what many people consider to be the most authentic expression of the movement, however the 80s, 90s and current decade have seen a number of punk and punk influenced acts.

Even by the end of the 70s, punk was starting to transform itself into a number of different but related sub genres.  The hardcore movement began in California in 1978, with a faster and more aggressive form of punk.  The New Wave movement also began around the same time, and provided a more pop and fashion oriented version of punk rock.  Post-punk saw the birth of many individual movements, including gothic rock, industrial music and even the beginnings of electronica.  A huge slice of the musical spectrum at this time was directly influenced by punk rock.  Some of the new influential punk bands include Green Day and Blink 182, groups that are often found on the pop charts on a regular basis.  Like the enjoyment of a good coffee or a good bottle of wine, music that is truly great can be enjoyed by everyone.  Punk rock fans span the whole of society and the whole of the globe and can be still be seen everywhere enjoying this music over morning coffee beans and midnight snacks.