Punk Rock Revival and the Underground Scene

This is part of my Pop Music in the ‘80s series.

The Spirit of Punk in the 1980s

By the early 1980s, punk rock had already made its mark. The late ‘70s had been defined by the raw aggression of bands like the Ramones, The Clash, and the Sex Pistols, who rejected the excess of mainstream rock in favor of something more direct and confrontational. But while punk’s initial wave had begun to fade from the mainstream, its influence was far from over.

Instead of disappearing, punk fragmented, evolved, and thrived in the underground. The ‘80s saw a shift from the more fashion-conscious punk of the late ‘70s toward a harder, faster, and more aggressive style. In the US, the punk ethos found new life in hardcore, while in the UK, it fueled the rise of anarcho-punk and post-punk movements.

Hardcore Punk and the DIY Ethic

American hardcore punk in the 1980s eme…