Post-punk is a broad genre of music that emerged in 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experimental approach that encompassed a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-rock influences. Inspired by punk's energy and do it yourself ethic but determined to break from rock cliches, artists experimented with styles like funk, electronic music, jazz, and dance music; the production techniques of dub and disco; and ideas from art and politics, including critical theory, modernist art, cinema and literature. These communities produced independent record labels, visual art, multimedia performances and fanzines.
Siouxsie and the Banshees with the Cure. The two groups frequently collaborated.
Devo performing in 1978.
Talking Heads were one of the few American post-punk bands to reach both a large cult audience and the mainstream.
Glenn Branca performing in New York in the 1980s.
Punk rock is a music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced short, fast-paced songs with hard-edged melodies and singing styles with stripped-down instrumentation. Lyricism in punk typically revolves around anti-establishment and anti-authoritarian themes. Punk embraces a DIY ethic; many bands self-produce recordings and distribute them through independent labels.
1980s punks with leather jackets and dyed mohawk hairstyles
Iggy Pop, the "godfather of punk"
Facade of legendary music club CBGB, New York
The Ramones performing in Toronto in 1976. The Ramones are often described as the first true punk band, popularizing the punk movement in the United States. They are regarded as highly influential in today's punk culture.
