5 Top 10 Punk Albums Lists From Rolling Stone's Top 100 Punk Albums List

Rolling Stone’s Top 100 Punk Albums Of All Time list is exactly what I want from a multi-author listicle on a big cheese website. It’s full of albums I adore. RS apparently shares my belief that the release of The Ramones is year zero for punk, at least in retrospect. There’s also bunch of albums on it I haven’t heard, but should. There’s fresh surprises in the bottom rungs, suggesting names like “Discharge” have belatedly entered the mainstream critical canon. If the countdown was given as a summer listening assignment to schoolchildren, I would approve. However, if you take it seriously in terms of how the albums are ordered, or what defines “punk,” the list is hilarious. I almost worried nothing was going to beat “after you check out early Blink-182, consider MC5 and the Damned” for lols, but then Turnstile showed up in the Top 40 and I had a coughing fit. (It’s extra funny when you realize At The Drive-In was left off entirely, despite those guys bringing major label attention and Latin-influenced cosmic majesty to the scene twenty years earlier. Whoops!) 

But first, let’s acknowledge that their super-most important punk albums look a lot like mine! 

Rolling Stone’s Top Ten Punk Albums I Co-Sign Owning

1. Ramones, Ramones (RS Punk #1, my #2 album ever)
2. X-Ray Spex, Germ Free Adolescents (RS Punk #2, I love it!)
3. The Minutemen, Double Nickels On The Dime (RS Punk #3, I love it!)
4. The Clash, The Clash (RS Punk #4, my #368 ever)
5. Wire, Pink Flag (RS Punk #6, my #185 ever)
6. Sex Pistols, Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols (RS Punk #7, my #62 ever)
7. Black Flag, Damaged (RS Punk #11, I love it!)
8. Husker Du, Zen Arcade (RS Punk #13, my #399 ever)
9. X, Los Angeles (RS Punk #14, I love it!)
10. Gang Of Four, Entertainment! (RS Punk #16, my #56 ever)

Aren’t Gang Of Four “post-punk,” you say? Husker Du? Aren’t they “indie rock?” Well, first, let’s define our terminlogy. Or just mine. For one thing, I try to avoid the terms “post-punk” and “proto-punk.” As suggested in my Ramones’ Album Guide, I think their debut was such a distillation of an aesthetic that you can tell which new bands heard it (or at least the Sex Pistols’ affirmation of it) or hadn't. However, I think “proto-punk” and “post-punk” are vain attempts by nerds to claim all tasteful, cult-adored art-rock in the name of the punk. Instead, I’d refer to groups like the Stooges and The Velvet Underground as “art-garage," describing the mix of raw ruckus and creative perversity that was brewing as rock’n’roll got commercial enough to have notable acts that weren't commercial. The more successful “art-garage” bands could also be slotted as glam (Roxy Music) or hard rock (Blue Oyster Cult). You could even call them punk if you're over 50, and care more about residence than sound (Patti Smith, Television). But “art-garage” feels far more evocative of what was happening, not to mention how cool it was, than “proto-punk.” These acts weren't just prelude to The Dead Boys.

“Post-punk” is a little less offensive than "proto-punk." A lot of bands did start punk but then get artier. Still, I prefer to split the acts that compel the term into two groups: “art-punk” and “new wave cabaret.” Art-punk would be the groups that are clearly influenced by the Ramones/Pistols in terms of attack, but throwing a lot of art* on top of it. A lot of that Wanna Buy A Bridge? stuff I’d call art-punk. “New wave cabaret” catches up those late ‘70s/early ‘80s art-rockers who don’t really sound much like punk, but definitely knew what time it was, marketing-wise. I give Entertainment! and Pink Flag a pass as art-punk albums, though will admit by album three Wire and Gang Of Four had moved into new wave cabaret. Zen Arcade is definitely totemic in the birth of post-hardcore “indie rock,” but there’s still enough blitz there that I’ll allow it here. Flip Your Wig is when Husker Du totally jumps the fence. IMO.

(*I'm using "art" as shorthand, obviously. All music is art, la de da, duh. I'm talking about when somebody does something on stage and you don't know why, and your friend goes "art!")

My biggest case against “proto-punk”/“post-punk” is Pere Ubu. If you’re punk-centric, knowing a dramatic scuzz-epic like “Final Solution” came out before The Ramones has you saying shit like “they’re the first post-punk band” or “they were proto-punk and post-punk.” But they weren’t. Pere Ubu were Roxy Music fans from Cleveland, led by a walrus. They self-released outstanding art-garage, but didn’t get a full-length album out until the age of new wave cabaret. Sort of like how Pulp was a new wave band that flew under the radar for years, and wound up defining Britpop. I get why Rolling Stone wanted to include progenitors of the genre, and notable modern variations, but that’s why they get laughs for saying 11 of the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time came from the 2020s, but only 4 from the 1940s. It's absurd when you see "Strange Fruit" below "Crazy In Love." Or Kick Out The Jams under Dude Ranch. Jesus Christ.

Seven of the albums in the next list I’d call "art-garage." One I’d call “indie rock.” One I’d call “alternative rock” (basically the new wave to indie rock’s punk). And finally, one is “nu-wave” (my preferred term) or “indie sleaze” (which I accept is easier to grasp). Can you guess which is which?

Rolling Stone’s Top Ten Punk Albums I Co-Sign Owning But Wouldn’t Call Punk

1. Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out (RS Punk #5, my #16 ever)
2. The Stooges, Fun House (RS Punk #8, my #48 ever)
3. Nirvana, Nevermind (RS Punk #9, my #55 ever)
4. Patti Smith, Horses (RS Punk #12, my #210 ever)
5. New York Dolls, New York Dolls (RS Punk #15, my #20 ever)
6. Television, Marquee Moon (RS Punk #21, my #203 ever) 
7. Pere Ubu, Terminal Tower (RS Punk #27, #260 ever)
8. Velvet Underground, White Light/White Heat (RS Punk #33, my #11 ever)
9. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fever To Tell (RS Punk #46, my #67 ever)
10. The Modern Lovers, The Modern Lovers (RS Punk #49, my #358 ever)

But are there any albums I flat-out reject including? Shockingly, I can only name eight! And all are from bands where I would have co-signed a different album or compilation. And all the albums earn the term “six SEVEN.” Now that the cool kids are abandoning that ambiguous slang, I want it to mean an album that you don’t mind. An album that might even have some classic jams, but you don’t feel necessary to keep in your personal canon. A six, a seven, out of ten. Six SEVEN.

Rolling Stone’s Top Ten Punk Albums I Don’t Co-Sign Owning

1. The Clash, London Calling (RS Pun: #10) - my pick: The Story Of The Clash*
2. Bad Brains, Bad Brains (RS Punk #17) - my pick: Rock For Light
3. Green Day, Dookie (RS Punk #20) - my pick: Insomniac
4. The Wipers, Is This Real? (RS Punk #40) - my pick: Youth Of America
5. Devo, Q: Are We Not Men? (RS Punk # 53) - my pick: Hot Potatoes: The Best Of Devo*
6. The Birthday Party, Junkyard (RS Punk #74) - my pick: Hits*
7. Blondie, Blondie (RS Punk #75) - my pick: Eat To The Beat*
8. Blink-182, Dude Ranch (RS Punk #83) - my pick: Greatest Hits

*I also would probably call these “new wave cabaret.” Maybe not the Clash, but I really like trolling London Calling die-hards. 

These next ten albums I’ve heard before, but merit another listen before I assign them “six SEVEN” status. It’s likely been over a decade since I last investigated the deep cuts, and they could belong on the shelf. I also can’t name an album by the act I know I'd prefer including.

Rolling Stone’s Top Ten Punk Albums I Should Make Peace With Already

1. Germs, GI (RS Punk #28) 
2. Big Black, Atomizer (RS Punk #32) 
3. The Jam, All Mod Cons (RS Punk #37) 
4. Rites Of Spring, Rites Of Spring (RS Punk #41)
5. The Slits, Cut (RS Punk: #44)
6. The Pogues, Rum Sodomy & The Lash (RS Punk #52)
7. Gun Club, Fire Of Love (RS Punk #57)
8. Flipper, Generic Album - Flipper (RS Punk #60)
9. Suicide - Suicide (RS Punk #66)
10. MC5 - Kick Out The Jams (RS Punk #85)

(From “definitely punk” to least: Germs, Rites Of Spring, Flipper, The Slits, The Jam, Suicide, Gun Club, Big Black, The Pogues, MC5.)

As I said at the beginning, a lot of the inclusions I straight-up have never heard. Heard of them? Sure. Heard songs? On occasion. I love Bad Religion’s “A Walk.” Bikini Kill’s “New Radio” single is a classic! But these next ten albums would basically be brand new to me if thrown on today. I can’t remember if Glow On is the Turnstile album I went “are you fucking kidding me” during, so I’m including it. I’m fair like that.

Rolling Stone’s Top Ten Punk Albums I’ve Never Really Heard (I Think)

1. Bikini Kill, Reject All-American (RS Punk #19) 
2. Turnstile, Glow On (RS Punk #39)
3. Mannequin Pussy, Patience (RS Punk #42)
4. Bad Religion, Against The Grain (RS Punk #45)
5. Team Dresch, Personal Best (RS Punk #48)
6. Circle Jerks, Group Sex! (RS Punk #50)
7. The Cramps, Songs The Lord Taught Us (RS Punk #54)
8. Liliput/Kleenex, Liliput (RS Punk #58)
9. Iceage, New Brigade (RS Punk #59)
10. Against Me, Transgender Dysphoria Blues (RS Punk #61)
    

I thought about making a Top 10 list of punk albums I love that they didn't include, but it was taking too long to cross-reference! So again, for a punk rock listicle from the one-time brainchild of Jann S. Wenner? Not bad! Any album in their Top 50 and unmentioned here you have to assume I’m ok with, even if I might not call it “punk.” I’m glad to be reminded of stuff, new and old, familiar and not. And my browser never crashed! Well done, lingering media brand. 

If you have any challenging opinions about my challenging opinions, send an "oi!" to anthonyisright at gmail dot com. (Oh, and the difference between “new wave” and “new wave cabaret” is the former doesn’t have to be art-rock, just marketed as poppin’ fresh like an underground scene. Marshall Crenshaw’s first album could be new wave, but not new wave cabaret. There!)