20 Of The Greatest And Most Famous Punk Bands Of All Time

Written by Dan Farrant
Last updated

Since its origins in the 1970s, punk rock music has been an underground, gritty scene that eschewed mainstream music, capitalism, and materialism. Listening to punk music and creating it was—and still is—a political statement. 

For all its anti-establishment, anti-mainstream sentiments, punk rock skyrocketed in popularity, birthing some of the most famous bands in history.

Below, we’ll go over 20 of the greatest and most famous punk bands of all time. Let’s get started.

1. The Ramones

One of the pioneering punk bands in the US and the world, the Ramones started in the NYC borough of Queens in 1974. The group got its name from the Beatles’ bassist Paul McCartney, who used “Ramon” as a fake surname when checking into hotels while on tour.

Though commercial success was slow coming for the group in the beginning, their popularity started rising after their tour in Europe in 1976.

From their inception until 1996, the Ramones recorded 14 studio albums. Among their singles, “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker” and “I Wanna Be Sedated” were Billboard successes.

As a group that spearheaded punk rock, the Ramones were awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

2. Sex Pistols

Up next we have Sex Pistols, who started the punk movement in the UK. Formed in 1975, they played a significant role in shaping the punk scene, challenging the existing music industry and paving the way for alternative and independent music scenes.

Furthermore, the Sex Pistols helped define the punk rock sound, characterized by its fast, aggressive, and stripped-down nature. They were also known for their controversial behavior, shocking audiences with their explicit language and confrontational performances.

The band’s most controversial—and greatest—song came in 1977. “God Save the Queen,” incidentally released during the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, took the top spot on the NME chart and #2 on the UK Singles despite being banned from radio stations.

3. The Stooges

Also known as Iggy and the Stooges, the Stooges displayed punk-like naughtiness before the genre surfaced. The band, comprised of lead singer Iggy Pop, bassist Dave Alexander, guitarist Ron Ashton, and drummer Scott Asheton, formed in Michigan in 1967.

During their long tenure, the band would often separate and come together again. They released a mere five albums, and of those, 1973’s Raw Power was their best-charting.

Despite the lack of commercial success, the Stooges were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2010.

Rock critics, from the famed Lester Bangs to iconic punk singers from the Ramones and Sex Pistols, have lauded the group for their unparalleled style, musicianship, and stage presence.

4. The Clash

Rivaling the Ramones as the most iconic punk band in history, the Clash was a British punk band that drew inspiration from ska, reggae, funk music, and rock and roll.

Comprised of Mick Jones, Joe Strummer, Paul, Simonon, and Nicky Headon, the Clash began its long and successful music journey in London in 1976.

Unlike The Ramones, their music was an instant success, beginning with their 1977 self-titled debut album. They achieved worldwide success with their 1979 London Calling, a revolutionary album that Rolling Stone ranked 8th out of 500 of the greatest albums of all time.

5. Misfits

Originating in New Jersey in 1978, the Misfits used horror films as their muse to pioneer the subgenre horror punk, evident in their logo, stage makeup, and vibe. They had two active periods punctuated by a twelve-year hiatus.

The original band members Glenn Danzig, Manny Martinez, and Jerry Only released the band’s two most pivotal albums, Walk Among Us in 1982 and Earth A.D./Wolf’s Blood in 1983.

Though the Misfits never reached widespread acclaim for the first two albums, their music and style influenced metal bands like Metallica, whose covers of Misfits songs brought the group back together with new members in the 1990s to release four more albums.    

6. Anti-Flag

Our next punk band, Anti-Flag, started in Pennsylvania with guitarist and lead singer Justin Sane and drummer Pat Thetic. Since its formation in 1988, the group has used its music as a political, anti-government statement.

Anti-Flag has also used their fame to champion causes, working with various activist groups like PETA, Amnesty International, Occupy Wall Street, and Greenpeace.

Their first album, Die for the Government, wasn’t released until 1996, after the band had already disbanded and then reformed with the help of newly acquired bassist Andy Flag. Since then, Anti-Flag has released twelve albums with plans to release a new one in 2023.

7. Black Flag

A pioneering punk rock band from the West Coast, Black Flag originated in Los Angeles in 1976 with founding member Greg Ginn as sole songwriter and guitarist. Ginn was inspired by the Ramones and the Stooges, whose shows he had recently seen.

Black Flag acquired various lead singers, drummers, and bassists, each contributing to the band’s seven albums between 1981 and 2013, though none of their work charted.

However, they helped engineer the hardcore punk movement and remained one of the most respected punk bands in the California scene for upholding their underground and anti-conformist sentiments.

8. Dead Kennedys

Another West Coast legend, the Dead Kennedys, hail from San Francisco, forming in 1978 with band members East Bay Ray, Jello Biafra, D. H. Peligro, and Klaus Flouride. Apart from Jello Biafra, the Dead Kennedys still play and record together to this day.

Their music and lyrics are as irreverent as their name, causing stores to ban them and an obscenity trial in the mid-80s. Their first album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, gained wide acclaim in the UK. The three studio albums following it garnered acclaim and controversy over the lyrics and album art.

Over time, their style grew more aggressive, influencing hardcore and metal bands like System of a Down, Slayer, and Bad Religion.

9. Rancid

Formed by former members of the underground band Operation Ivy in 1991, Rancid is one of the first pop punk bands to popularize the genre.

They garnered worldwide popularity with their second studio album, … And Out Come the Wolves, which contained singles “Ruby Soho” and “Time Bomb.” Both charted on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, #13 and #8 respectively.

Since its formation in 1991, the band has released nine albums and sold over four million copies globally. Founders Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman remain constant fixtures in Rancid, along with guitarist Lars Frederiksen who joined in 1993.

10. Green Day

Undoubtedly the most commercially successful punk band, Green Day, formed in California in 1987. They originally comprised lead singer and guitarist Billy Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool.

The band started as a major player in the Bay Area punk rock scene during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, but their 1994 album Dookie launched them into the limelight of global fame.

Dookie alone sold 10 million copies in America, and albums like Insomnia, Nimrod, Kerplunk, and American Idiot continued to garner awards and acclaim. Green Day has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and won five Grammy Awards. 

11. Against Me!

Formed in 1997 in Florida by lead singer and guitarist Laura Jane Grace, Against Me! is a folk punk and anarcho-punk band.

Their second album Against Me! as the Eternal Cowboy garnered acclaim and commercial popularity, reaching a spot on the Billboard charts for independent albums.

In 2012, Grace came out as transgender, and in honoring her transition, Against Me! released their sixth album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, which won a GLAAD Media Award.

The band has also received a nomination for Best Live Act from the Libera Awards and another GLAAD Media Award nomination for their final album, Shape Shift With Me.

12. Crass

A pioneer of the anarcho-punk movement, Crass is a British punk band formed in an anarchist commune in Essex in 1977. Founders Penny Rimbaud and Steve Ignorant started the band as a simple collaboration between two musicians inspired by a recent concert they saw together. 

Crass maintained a purely underground, DIY principle, producing and recording all their singles themselves from home studios. The band released six albums from their namesake and proprietary record label. Their album Penis Envy reached #1 on UK Indie Charts.

As an anarchist collective, Crass’s lyrics and shows benefited unions and other anti-government activist groups. This eventually led to various legal disputes that caused their breakup in 1984.

13. Meat Puppets

Formed by brothers Cris and Curt Kirkwood in 1980 in Arizona, the Meat Puppets started playing covers of punk songs from drummer Derrick Bostrom’s collection of records.

Jam sessions eventually led to writing music of their own, and soon, they released the debut Meat Puppets album in 1982, followed by Meat Puppets II in 1984.

The band explored themes of irreverence that remained constant even when they changed genres from punk to alternative rock after their second album.

During the height of their popularity, the Meat Puppets influenced many rock bands, including Nirvana and Soundgarden, and Kurt Cobain invited the Kirkwood brothers to perform on MTV Unplugged.

14. Fugazi

Post-hardcore punk band Fugazi was formed by Ian MacKaye and Joe Lally in 1986, as the two joined forces to stray from the hardcore scene.

The band’s music incorporates multiple genres, from reggae to classic rock. MacKaye himself described their music as “the Stooges with reggae.”

Despite widespread popularity and multiple world tours, Fugazi always championed a DIY ethos and accessibly priced, if not free, concerts. They released six albums between 1990 and 2001, and all but one reached US and UK Billboards

Not only has Fugazi influenced countless punk, rock, and indie bands, but they’ve also been lauded by the punk rock greats like Joey Ramone and Joe Strummer of the Clash.

15. Circle Jerks

Upon splitting with Black Flag, Keith Morris formed Circle Jerks with guitarist Greg Hetson, bassist Roger Rogerson and drummer Lucky Lehrer. The quartet came together in Los Angeles in 1979, enduring a series of breakups and reformations over their turbulent history.

Circle Jerk’s popularity increased when the band was featured in the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization, with five songs from their debut album included in the soundtrack.

The original members came from formal classical and jazz music training; however, the band has been championed as being a pioneer in hardcore punk.

16. Buzzcocks

Pioneers of the independent record label movement and English punk rock, the Buzzcocks are a British punk band formed by college-mates Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto.

Shelley and Devoto came up with their band name as the combination of two British slang words: buzz and cock. According to them, buzz refers to the adrenaline rush of playing live music, while cock is slang for friend. 

The Buzzcocks have achieved pop status in the UK, with many of their singles and albums reaching the top 30 on Billboard charts. They have released nine studio albums, with the latest released in 2022. They remain an actively touring band despite Shelley’s passing in 2018.

17. NOFX

One of the most successful independent bands of all time, NOFX is a punk rock group out of Los Angeles that formed in 1983. Their music style was considered a diverse mix of punk—skate punk, punk rock, ska punk, and hardcore.

Comprised of singer and bassist Fat Mike, lead guitar and trumpet player El Hefe, drummer Erik Sandin, and guitarist Eric Melvin, NOFX is one of the most prolific punk bands, releasing 15 albums and selling over eight million copies worldwide.

They garnered a loyal following during their first decade as a band, reaching national acclaim with their fifth album, Punk in Drublic, which went Gold in 1994. In true punk fashion, their lyrics deal with controversial topics such as xenophobia, classicism, and sexism. However, the controversy often lies in their flippancy on such subjects.

18. Descendents

Originating in California in 1977, the Descendents is another pioneering band in the local hardcore punk scene.

The band began as an instrumental trio comprising Tony Lombardo on bass, Frank Navetta on guitar, and Bill Stevenson on drums. Singer and frontman Milo Aukerman joined the band in 1979.

The band’s early music combined punk rock with California surf rock. Their first 1982 album, Milo Goes to College, displays the melodic undertones evident in surf rock, combined with the high-energy, fast, and short songs characteristic of punk rock. 

By 1986, only Aukerman remained as an original member, but the Descendents recorded another seven albums. Milo Goes to College remains their most famous album, lauded as one of the greatest albums of all time and one of the most essential punk rock albums by Spin magazine.  

19. Bad Brains

Originating as a jazz fusion band in 1976 in Washington, DC, Bad Brains completely changed direction by 1977 to produce the first forms of hardcore punk. Band members Dr. Know, Darryl Jenifer, Paul, and Earl Hudson, chose the name Bad Brains after a Ramones song.

Their first albums drew inspiration from reggae music and the Rastafarian movement, and their sound evolved with the coming and going of different band members. Many original members broke with the band to pursue reggae music careers.

Bad Brains was a popular underground band in Washington and New York City during the ’80s and influenced many pop punk and rock bands during the ‘90s and early 2000s. In 2016, the band received a nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

20. Social Distortion

Our last group, Social Distortion, is one of the only punk bands to retain its original members since its inception in 1978. They started as a hardcore punk band in California, led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Mike Ness. Other members were Jonny Wickersham on rhythm guitar, Brent Harding on Bass, and David Hidalgo on drums.

Social Distortion shot to fame with their third (self-titled) album, released in 1990. It contains the hits “Ball and Chain” and “Ring of Fire.”

To date, the band has released seven albums, with two reaching Gold status, and sold over three million copies. They are still active, having just toured Europe.

Summing Up Our List Of the Greatest Punk Bands

These bands have laid the foundation for what we know as punk. Some of them are no longer active, while others continue to evolve along with the genre.

For sure, however, punk music would not be the way it is without them to pave the way.

We hope you have enjoyed our list of punk bands and perhaps even gained a favorite or two.

However, this list is far from complete. Who do you think we have left out? Let us know and we’ll add them!

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Dan Farrant, the founder of Hello Music Theory, has been teaching music for over 15 years, helping hundreds of thousands of students unlock the joy of music. He graduated from The Royal Academy of Music in 2012 and then launched Hello Music Theory in 2014. He plays the guitar, piano, bass guitar and double bass and loves teaching music theory.