Essential Punk Albums

[Carlo Marx]

Ok, here goes. Everybody add 1 album to this list. The album has to be an album that you feel is absolutely necessary to own/have downloaded/ know by heart and why. I'll start it off.

Kid Dynamite - Shorter Faster Louder.
Why? - Because this is album is staright up in your face punk rock. The musicianship is nothing fancy or flashy, just agressive chord progression played at breakneck speed. Jason Shevchuck's voice is perfect for the music; a throaty growl that comes at you fast and hits you hard, and his vocals are just beautiful.
Stand-out Tracks - Death & Taxes, Gate 68, Rufus Wants a Hug, Got A Minute?

Keep 'em coming people. Let's try to get 100 Essential Punk Albums without any repeats.

[Bishop]

The Clash - London Calling

I shouldn't have to explain.

[kirbs84]

I know a lot of people hate on Tim Armstrong, but I've got to go with:

Rancid - And Out Come the Wolves...

stand out tracks: Ruby Soho, Roots Radical, Listed M.I.A., Journey to the End of East Bay

Just a great album in my opinion. Catchy as hell, fast, and fun.

[Ratherbedead22]

kid dynamite can go under hardcore too.

[Ratherbedead22]

nofx -punk in drublic
so long and thanks for all the shoes

[apoemtothedead]

Against Me!- Reinventing Axl Rose
Songs: Reinventing Axl Rose, Those Anarcho Punx are Mysterious, Walking in Still Honest

[Brandn3w]

lifetime- jerseys best dancers
great album. Nothing more to say.

stand out tracks- young loud and scotty, turnpike gates, theme song for a new brunswick basement, cute the tension

[Ratherbedead22]

lifetime- jerseys best dancers
great album. Nothing more to say.

stand out tracks- young loud and scotty, turnpike gates, theme song for a new brunswick basement, cute the tension

cut the tension is one of my favorite tracks.

[newfoundnorcal]

the buzzcocks - singles going steady

the buzzcocks are semi underrated in my opinion, and this is a good introduction to most of their better work.

edit: i forgot to put the stand out tracks!! in my opinion they are Ever Fallen In Love, Harmony In My Head, and What Do I Get?

[Crocodile Logic]

The Clash - London Calling

I shouldn't have to explain.
that was going to be mine.

[PopPunkKid]

Dead Kennedys- Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

[born to expire]

Black Flag- Damaged
Black Flag- The First Four Years
Descendents- Milo Goes To College
Dead Boys- Young, Loud, and Snotty
Circle Jerks- Group Sex
Reagan Youth- A Collection of Pop Classics
Adolescents- s/t
Bouncing Souls- How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Grey Area- s/t and Fanbelt Algebra
Lifetime- Jersey's Best Dancers and Hello Bastards
Jawbreaker- 24 Hour Revenge Theory
The Misfits- anything with Danzig

[Ratherbedead22]

Entertainment! ~ Gang of Four
New Day Rising ~ Husker Du
Bad Brains ~ Bad Brains
Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash ~ The Replacements

[newfoundnorcal]

you guys are taking the fun out by naming a bajillion!!

[X Out The Eyes]

avail - 4AM Friday
descendents - milo goes to college
hot water music - a flight and a crash
inquisition - revolution, i think it's called inspiration
minor threat - disco.
propaghandi - how to clean everything
alkaline trio - goddamnit
lifetime - hello bastards and jerseys best dancers

also (i wouldnt call them essential but i like them a lot):

the curse - s/t
the loved ones - demo, ep, and Keep Your Heart
afi - black sails in the sunset

[Carlo Marx]

you guys are taking the fun out by naming a bajillion!!

yeah guys, leave some for the other people!

and put your favorite tracks off of the album too (that way people don't have to download full albums to get a good starting point).

[Bishop]

All the people who posted big long lists. They don't count. So I'll add another one.

Dead Kennedys - Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death

The recording itself is terrible which gives it a much more punk rock feel. Jello Biafra goes on about anything he damn well feels like and does it with dare I say, a bit of bravado.

Tracks to listen too: Too Drunk to Fuck, Pull My Strings, I Fought the Law

[Goodbye Forever]

Bad Religion - No Control
Songs: I Want To Conquer The World, You, Change Of Ideas

[Darren McLeod]

Bad Religion - No Control
Songs: I Want To Conquer The World, You, Change Of Ideas
are we allowed to pick multiple releases by a single artist? because if i'm picking bad religion, i'd have to go with suffer.

[newfoundnorcal]

are we allowed to pick multiple releases by a single artist? because if i'm picking bad religion, i'd have to go with suffer.

yeah, i think we can pick maybe two albums by the same band, just because there are bands like BR or the ramones or the sex pistols who have a couple of albums it's hard to choose between. but i don't know.

haha, and whoever said "all those people who listed a bunch of bands, you don't count"
made me laugh. sorry, i should have quoted you but it's 7am and i forgot :)

[aminorthreat55]

Ramones - Ramones
The Clash - London Calling
Sex Pistols - Nevermind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
Minor Threat - Out of Step
Misfits - Collection 1
Nofx - Punk in Drublic
Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Black Flag - Damaged

[Scott Weber]

I honestly believe MxPx - Life in General or Teenage Politics are essential punk albums for the new wave of punk. That band has influenced so many bands.

Pennywise - Full Circle.

[duffe]

Nofx "punk in drublic"
Rancid "and out come the wolves"
Propagandhi "today's empire, tomorrow ashes"
Strike Anywhere "change is a sound"
Lagwagon "double plaidinum"
No Use For A Name "making friends"
Millencolin "pennybridge pionners"
Satanic Surfers "going nowhere fast"
Trial By Fire "ringing in the dawn"
The Suicide Machines "battles hymns"

[homerbcool]

boys night out trainwreck is the one on top of my list

[swizzle]

[quote=duffe]Millencolin "pennybridge pionners"[quote]

so true - I Love that band

[born to expire]

That band has influenced so many bands.


...by ripping off The Descendents.

MxPx is fun. Maybe if it was a pop punk forum then they should be mentioned.

[btbam > you]

out of what hasn't been listed..

bad religion - suffer (suffer, you are the government)
bigwig - stay asleep (still, freegan, falling down)
nofx - the decline (the decline)
bouncing sould - self titled (kate is great, say anything, east side mags, eastt coast fuck you)
anti-flag - a new kind of army (a new kind of army, right on)
guttermouth - musical monkey (lipstick, perfect world)
h2o - f.t.t.w. (one life one chance, faster than the world)
millencolin - life on a plate (bullion, story of my life, move your car)
no use for a name - more betterness (not your savior, six degrees from misty)
nofx - white trash, two heebs, and a bean (bob, soul doubt, please play this song on the radio)
the vandals - hitler bad, vandals good (people that are going to hell, cafe 405)

i know you didn't want lists, but i feel all of these at least deserve consideration of being on the final list.

[btbam > you]

also, suicide machines - destruction by definition

[chrisxxtina]

gang of four - entertainment!fucking amazing album. eveyone here should go and listen to it if they haven't already

[looksthatkillbn]

nofx - the decline is punk music. period.

[FOBPrettyNPunk]

Descendents - Somery

[aminorthreat55]

boys night out trainwreck is the one on top of my list
Uuuuhhhhhhhhhh.

[FourdyOz]

Agent Orange-Living in Darkness (badass surf-punk)
Circle Jerks-Group Sex (I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned before...great punk album)

[born to expire]

Agent Orange-Living in Darkness (badass surf-punk)
Circle Jerks-Group Sex (I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned before...great punk album)

I think I mentioned Group Sex.

[takingbackrufio]

Anything by Millencolin, or AFI.

[Carlo Marx]

Anything by Millencolin, or AFI.

remember sing the sorrow?

how about anything by millincolin, and anything by AFI up to art of drowning.

[chrisxxtina]

Husker Du - everything falls apart

[Carlo Marx]

Fifteen - Lucky

go download my congressman, a kick-ass punk rock song that actually covers an (at the time) important issue: needles and the transmission of std's such as AIDS through dirty needles.

[chrisxxtina]

Anything by Millencolin, or AFI.
really? early AFI i'll give you. they are a good band, but essential?

[Carlo Marx]

really? early AFI i'll give you. they are a good band, but essential?

I'd have to say Key Lime Pie is a pretty essential punk song. Because, at the end of the day, isn't that what we all really want?

[chrisxxtina]

I'd have to say Key Lime Pie is a pretty essential punk song. Because, at the end of the day, isn't that what we all really want?
'haha yes. good song, but a good song doesn't make for an "essential album", now does it? hmm?

[takingbackrufio]

remember sing the sorrow?

how about anything by millincolin, and anything by AFI up to art of drowning.
Yeah, I kind of decided everyone would make that assumption ...

[justinius23]

a wilhelm scream - mute print

best songs:
brand new me, same shitty you
the rip
a picture of the world
dreaming of throwing up

[SockMonkeyRiot]

Operation Ivy - Energy

[vandalsandquinn]

hehe the vandals- peace through vandalism

[cooltobeyou]

Here are a couple albums I think are essential off the top of my head. These are mostly pop-punk, but whatever...

MxPx - Teenage Politics, The Everpassing Moment (any of their albums really)
Lawrence Arms - Oh Calcutta,
Teenage Bottlerocket - Total
Lillingtons - Shit Out of Luck
Mr. T Experience - And The Women Who Love them SPECIAL EDITION
The Suicide Machines - War Profiteering is Killing Us All
Pulley - Matters
Descendents - Milo Goes to College, Cool To Be You, Everything Sucks
Screeching Weasel - Anthem For a New Tomorrow (Or any album)
Millencolin - Life on a Plate, For Monkeys, Pennybridge Pioneers
Audio Karate - Lady Melody (this is a category all its own I guess)
Saves the Day - Through Being Cool, Sound the Alarm
Tsunami Bomb - The Definitive Act
Strung Out - Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues
NoFx - So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes, The War on Errorism, Punk in Drublic
Rancid - Let's Go

[Tsagoodness]

operation ivy - energy

[Keyser_Soze]

NOFX - Ribbed (Moron Brothers, Nothing, El Lay)
Screeching Weasel - Boogadaboogadaboogada ( This Ain't Hawaii, My Right, Hey Suburbia)
Pennywise - About Time (Waste of Time, Every Single Day, Peaceful Day)
Face to Face - Live (Blind, Walk the Walk, A.O.K.)

[emoeric]

Most any of Lagwagons albums are pretty good.

[dbarker02]

damn kids, a lot of you need to look back past the '90s...

Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation
Television - Marquee Moon
Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material
The Clash - s/t
Wire - Pink Flag

[emoishardcore]

im gonna go with alot of the crowd and say Black Flag "damaged" just because i think it encapsulated the 80's take on US punk. the whole album showed the difference between the UK and US west coast take. to me it made punk seem less about Reagan politics and more on community efficacy and just having a good time

[aminorthreat55]

damn kids, a lot of you need to look back past the '90s...

Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation
Television - Marquee Moon
Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material
The Clash - s/t
Wire - Pink Flag
Marquee Moon was alternative. Television was associated with punk but their music really wasn't, Richard Hell took it all with him when he left in 76.

[emoishardcore]

Marquee Moon was alternative. Television was associated with punk but their music really wasn't, Richard Hell took it all with him when he left in 76.

and i would give london calling o even combat rock had slightly better commercial success then the clash self titled album. and i could think of more bands to give credit to thent he stiff little fingers

[Carlo Marx]

and i would give london calling o even combat rock had slightly better commercial success then the clash self titled album. and i could think of more bands to give credit to thent he stiff little fingers

London Calling is the finest body of work produced by the Clash. Combat Rock was their equivalent of Rancid's Indestructable.

[chrisxxtina]

pussy whipped - bikini kill

[aminorthreat55]

London Calling is the finest body of work produced by the Clash. Combat Rock was their equivalent of Rancid's Indestructable.
Basically. Let's face it, London Calling is far and away the best Clash album there is. Self-titled and Give 'Em Enough Rope are good, but still not even close.

[Carlo Marx]

pussy whipped - bikini kill

thank god you said bikini kill and not le tigre

[chrisxxtina]

thank god you said bikini kill and not le tigre


hahaha le tigre isn't TOO too bad. but in all honesty, Kathleen Hanna stopped being awesome after she released her solo record (julie rain) in 1998. Maybe it's because she got all her coolness beaten out of her by Courtney Love.

speaking of which, add this to the ongoing best of list:

hole - live through this

[dbarker02]

Marquee Moon was alternative. Television was associated with punk but their music really wasn't, Richard Hell took it all with him when he left in 76.

So we're talking about punk as a style of music and not as a way of thinking? Fair enough. But, Television was a vital part of the CBGB's scene and the segue into post-punk that favored being eclectic and original more than the "punk rock" that maybe The Dictators and The Ramones were doing. Same with Talking Heads. It's definitely "punk," just maybe not in its delivery. Plus, if you had to break it all down to how something sounds, then Richard Hell wouldn't fit because he's far too literate and rock & roll, while Bob Quine and Ivan Julian were far better guitarists than what most expected punks to be doing.

[em0_stars]

Black Flag-Damaged?

[CALIPUNKROCK]

sorry guys bringing back a old thread.

NOFX-Punk in Drublic
Pennywise-About Time

[Carlo Marx]

Rudimentary Peni - Death Church

Songs - Nothing But A Nightmare, Army Of Jesus, Dutchmen

[x togepi x]

fugazi- 13 songs or repeater
against me!- acoustic ep or reinventing axl rose
patti smith- horses
iggy pop- raw power
sonic youth- daydream nation
then something like flogging molly or gogol bordello to show ethnic variations of punk.

[abusedcat]

Refused - The Shape Of Punk To Come
At The Drive-In - Relationship Of Command
Saves The Day - Can't Slow Down / Through Being Cool

[FourdyOz]

Black Flag-Damaged?

nah. henry rollins is a douche with the worst voice ever. how about a black flag album with keith morris or dez cadena?

[abusedcat]

nah. henry rollins is a douche with the worst voice ever. how about a black flag album with keith morris or dez cadena?Nervous Breakdown, mouthafucka!

[FourdyOz]

hells yeah. definitely essential

[PDon11]

Ill try to say ones that havent been said already


MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (first punk record of all time)
songs: Ramblin Rose, Kick Out the Jams, Rocket Reducer

The Stooges - The Stooges
songs: 1969, I Wanna Be Your Dog

The Stooges - Fun House
songs - 1979

The Stooges - Raw Power

Fugazi - 13 Songs
songs:Waiting Room, Bulldog Front, Suggestion

Minutemen - Double Nickles on the Dime

The Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures

The Misfits - Static Age, Walk Among Us, Misfits

Black Flag - Jealous Again, Nervous Breakdown, Damaged, Slip It In

Husker Du - Zen Arcade

The Descendents - Milo Goes to College

At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command

Nation of Ulysses - Plays Pretty for Baby

Refused - Shape of Punk to Come

Bad Brains - Bad Brains, I and I Survive, Banned in DC

[abusedcat]

Ill try to say ones that havent been said already

MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (first punk record of all time)
songs: Ramblin Rose, Kick Out the Jams, Rocket Reducer

The Stooges - The Stooges
songs: 1969, I Wanna Be Your Dog

The Stooges - Fun House
songs - 1979

The Stooges - Raw Power

Fugazi - 13 Songs
songs:Waiting Room, Bulldog Front, Suggestion

Minutemen - Double Nickles on the Dime

The Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady

Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division

The Misfits - Static Age, Walk Among Us, Misfits

Black Flag - Jealous Again, Nervous Breakdown, Damaged, Slip It In

Husker Du - Zen Arcade

The Descendents - Milo Goes to College

At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command

Nation of Ulysses - Plays Pretty for Baby

Refused - Shape of Punk to Come

Bad Brains - Bad Brains, I and I Survive, Banned in DCalready said them, but you like great bands, so you're forgiven.

[x togepi x]

I already said a couple of his too, but I'm glad someone else agrees with me that fugazi, the stooges are essential. I had thought about refused and at the drive-in, but I didn't know if they counted as "punk".

[FourdyOz]

So we're talking about punk as a style of music and not as a way of thinking? Fair enough. But, Television was a vital part of the CBGB's scene and the segue into post-punk that favored being eclectic and original more than the "punk rock" that maybe The Dictators and The Ramones were doing. Same with Talking Heads. It's definitely "punk," just maybe not in its delivery. Plus, if you had to break it all down to how something sounds, then Richard Hell wouldn't fit because he's far too literate and rock & roll, while Bob Quine and Ivan Julian were far better guitarists than what most expected punks to be doing.

Television definitely does belong on this list. I mean people are mentioning mxpx, afi, ...give me a break.
Television = punk rock.
oh and "Less Talk, More Rock"-Propaghandi

[level4loser]

not a person has said dillinger four yet, so ill do it.

dillinger four- midwestern songs of the americas (every song)
dillinger four- versus god (every song)
bad religion- no control
the lawrence arms- apathy and exhaustion
the lawrence arms- oh! calcutta!
the (international) noise conspiracy- new morning, changing weather
88 fingers louie- the dom years
the blue meanies- full throttle
choking victim- no gods, no managers


thats a pretty tits list if you ask me

[level4loser]

not a person has said dillinger four yet, so ill do it.

dillinger four- midwestern songs of the americas (every song)
dillinger four- versus god (every song)
bad religion- no control
the lawrence arms- apathy and exhaustion
the lawrence arms- oh! calcutta!
the (international) noise conspiracy- new morning, changing weather
88 fingers louie- the dom years
the blue meanies- full throttle
choking victim- no gods, no managers


thats a pretty tits list if you ask me


but i guess a lot of this is regional... i mean 88 FL and the Blue meanies dont get much love out of chicago. and while were mentioning chicago, one i forgot is slapstick's complete anthology. you should really listen to it

[murphy77]

Riverboat Gamblers-Something to Crow About

Tracks: Hey! Hey! Hey!. Dead From Neck Up, Ooh Yeah

[dead_milkgirl]

fugazi- 13 songs or repeater
against me!- acoustic ep or reinventing axl rose
patti smith- horses
iggy pop- raw power
sonic youth- daydream nation
then something like flogging molly or gogol bordello to show ethnic variations of punk.

Patti Smith rocks!! I'm glad someone mentioned her. Iggy Pop too, defintiely essential.

[dead_milkgirl]

Television definitely does belong on this list. I mean people are mentioning mxpx, afi, ...give me a break.
Television = punk rock.
oh and "Less Talk, More Rock"-Propaghandi

I LOVE Propaghandi :D

[level4loser]

I LOVE Propaghandi :D

you would.

and so do i

[OMGzzBreakdownz]

you would.

and so do i


i like them.

best album by them by far is "How To Clean Everything

[dead_milkgirl]

you would.

and so do i

Haha, what's that supposed to mean exactly?? I would...

[dead_milkgirl]

i like them.

best album by them by far is "How To Clean Everything

I just finished listening to that album

[x togepi x]

Patti Smith rocks!! I'm glad someone mentioned her. Iggy Pop too, defintiely essential.

yeah "horses" has one of the best opening lines for an album ever.

[BILLY AGE 8]

Bouncing Souls - Maniacal Laughter

Songs: Lamar Vannoy, Argyle, The BMX Song, Quick Check Girl, Born To Lose, The Ballad of Johnny X.

yeah many of my favorites on this album

[lessthanjake34]

Screeching Weasel-Weasel Mania (technically a comp but it brings in most of the goods under one album)

Supermarket Fantasy, She's Giving me the Creeps, Speed of Mutation

Extremely influential sound which is largely underrated, and also fun as hell.

[Coloso]

has the Void / Faith split been mentioned yet? essential as fuck