Top Five Punk Albums
Kyle (Grade 10 / Northfield School of Arts and Technology) Originally published November 2003Hello fellow punks out there. This is a little article about my top five albums of all time. Anyone who disagrees can email complaints and suggestions to me at misfit_the_punk [at] hotmail [dot] com.
- Number one on my list is the Dead Kennedys’ infamous debut album, “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables,” released in 1978 on the Cherry Red label, now reissued by Jello Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles label. This album is number one simply because of great tracks like “Holiday in Cambodia” and “Kill the Poor,” two of the biggest songs in the underground. Lesser-known songs include “When You Get Drafted” and “California Uber Alles.” If you don’t already have this music, I recommend you get to the record store as fast as you can.
- A close second is a classic album from one of the greatest bands ever: the Misfits’ “Legacy of Brutality.” Here are all the tracks that made me into a fiend: “Hybrid Moments,” “Some Kinda Hate,” “Halloween,” “She,” “TV Casualty,” “Where Eagles Dare,” “American Nightmare,” plus a few other good songs. The album was released on Plan 9 records in 1985 and is another musthavefor anyone who claims to like punk rock. If you like the old AFI or the Necromantics, you’ll love the Misfits — the first and best in the horror punk scene.
- Number three on the list is Operation Ivy with their 1989 release “Energy” on Lookout Records. Op Ivy was only around for a short time, but includes RANCID members Tim Armstrong (aka Lint) and Matt Freeman, and features both the vocals of Jessie Michaels and the pounding drum solos of Dave Mello. This is for anyone who deeply likes hardcore punk and ska. They soundlike Sublime meets NOFX, with unique vocals. The CD has the classic 7″ “Hectic” with my favorite song, “Hoboken.”
- Coming in fourth is the Ramones, a classic band that everyone should know whether they are punkers or not. Their “Ramones Mania,” released in 1988 on Sire Records, is a greatest hits
collection, but the tracks come together perfectly. I’m pretty sure almost everyone knows at least some of their work, like “I Wanna Be Sedated” and “Beat on the Brats.” The Ramones are
probably the biggest influence on punk — you can hear their music in Operation Ivy and Rancid. - And last but definitely not least, you can’t have a conversation about punk rock without talking about the Sex Pistols, one of the pioneer bands that started it all. They only released one
album, “Never Mind the Bullocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols,” featuring the anarchic themes you love: “Anarchy in the U.K.” and “God Save the Queen.” While this album is great, I feel it’s
overrated. All the vocals sound the same. If you could have only one CD, I wouldn’t make this the one.
So there are my top five albums of all time. Once again, if you think differently or just like complaining, then please e-mail your questions and comments to me.