# Top 10 punk rock songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513 "2005-08-31T23:43:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/41 "2005-09-02T01:02:01Z")
Kinda have a soft spot for D.O.A.'s _I’m A Fucking Bum_. I figure that oughtta be on any list of this sort somewhere. Most of the others I could have thought of have already been mentioned. It’s been a while! ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/42 "2005-09-02T01:18:39Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > This thread proves what I’ve suspected all along - I’m no good at id’ing punk. It’s all about attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/43 "2005-09-02T01:19:26Z")
Most of mine have been mentioned already. If they count as “punk”, I’ll nominate “Watusi Rodeo” by Guadalcanal Diary. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/44 "2005-09-02T12:15:03Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > This thread proves what I’ve suspected all along - I’m no good at id’ing punk. > > New Model Army, Mission of Burma, Social Distorition, Joy Division and Pattie Smith are seriously considered punk? FWIW, I’d consider NMA post-punk, Mission of Burma right on the cusp of punk and post-punk, Social Distortion punk, Joy Division post-punk, and Pattie Smith punk. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/45 "2005-09-02T12:33:51Z")
In no particular order: Dead Boys: “Sonic Reducer” Stooges: “Loose.” All of _Funhouse_, actually. Electric Eels: “Jaguar Ride” Fun Things: “Savage” Cosmic Psychos: “Custom Credit” Unnatural Axe: “Better Off Dead” Freestone: “Bummer Bitch” Nervous Eaters: “Just Head” Real Kids: “Reggae Reggae” Dicks: “Young Boys Feet” I spent _waaay_ too much money on _Killed By Death_ and _Bloodstains_ LPs when I was a teenager. I could probably haul them out and give you fifty or a hundred more. And let’s not forget about all the _Nuggets_-type stuff… ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/46 "2005-09-02T12:49:42Z")
> [@liberty3701](#): > > “I Hope You Get Drafted” The Dicksplus four more kick ass songs Took this long to mention the Dicks…(glad there is another fan on the boards) OP should clarify whether it is punk, proto punk or American Hardcore. I wuz a hardcore fan. Just a few that stand out. How about some of the Texas bands like Dicks, Big Boys, MDC, Really Red, Mydolls, Butthole Surfers? How about all the DC bands, such as Minor Threat, Scream and a whole slew of others. The Boston Bands. Almost anything on Rise and Fall of Western Civilization. I think they were missing TSOL though. NorCal focused If Punk is Dead, What the Hell is This DOA barely gets mentioned and what about all the other Canadian bands Fuck regionalism, there were a ton of great bands from all over. A lot of what people now might consider “hardcore” were pretty wimpy at the time. ---
**Author:** ![hopesperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@hopesperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hopesperson)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/47 "2005-09-02T13:03:47Z")
A few suggestions, off the top of my head: _Waiting Room_ (Fugazi) (which of course has already been mentioned) _i against i_ (Bad Brains) _True Grit_ (Meatmen) _Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed_ (Nomeansno) _Wig out at Denko’s_ (Dag Nasty) ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Ian\_Morningwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sir\_Ian\_Morningwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Ian_Morningwood)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/48 "2005-09-02T19:48:29Z")
> [@black455](#): > > In no particular order: > > Real Kids: “Reggae Reggae” Man, what a great band. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Ian\_Morningwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sir\_Ian\_Morningwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Ian_Morningwood)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/49 "2005-09-02T20:06:40Z")
> [@China Guy](#): > > MDC Just got their new album, Magnus Dominus Corpus, with most of the original band! Pretty fuckin’ good. Check out their website, [The Miscreant Detainment Center](http://www.mdcpunk.com/) > [@](#): > > Almost anything on Rise and Fall of Western Civilization. I think they were missing TSOL though. You’re thinking of The Decline Of Western Civilization, and since that was a comp of mostly unsigned northern California and Nevada bands, TSOL didn’t qualify being semi rock stars from LA and all that. Besides, TSOL are sissies 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/50 "2005-09-02T20:14:35Z")
> [@seosamh](#): > > The Lurkers - Shadow [any of you lot actually heard of [them?](http://www.thelurkers.co.uk/history.htm) I’ve never actually heard anything by them, but they’re mentioned in the song “Part Time Punks” by one of my favorite groups, The Television Personalities: They’d like to buy the O-Level single Or “Read About Seymour” But they’re not pressed in red So they’ll buy The Lurkers instead. My list, off the top of my head featuring lots of repeats from earlier in the thread: 1. The Clash - “Complete Control” 2. The Buzzcocks - “Raison d’Etre” 3. Sex Pistols - “Pretty Vacant” 4. The Rezillos - Top of the Pops" 5. X - “Los Angeles” (or “Beyond and Back”) 6. X-Ray Spex - “The Day the World Turned Day-Glo” 7. The Damned - “Neat Neat Neat” 8. Dead Kennedys - “California Über Alles” (or “Too Drunk to Fuck”) 9. Wire - “Mannequin” (or “I Am the Fly”) 10. Talking Heads - “Psycho Killer” A special mention to “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by The Slits, my favorite cover version ever. I also love Gang of Four, Mission of Burma and especially The Fall but am considering them Post-Punk for the purposes of this thread (for the record: “Damaged Goods,” “Trem Two” and a split between “How I Wrote ‘Elastic Man’” and “Totally Wired”). ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Ian\_Morningwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sir\_Ian\_Morningwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Ian_Morningwood)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/51 "2005-09-02T20:36:35Z")
Can I make another list…Ten songs that IMHO define the punk rock, well second wave punk anyway. The first wave was waaay to esoteric to define (the first wave includes everyone from Television to GG Allin to Gang of Four): Blitz-“Someone’s Gonna Die” probably the greatest single ever Social D-“Mommys Little Monster” Exploited-“Punks Not Dead” MDC-“John Wayne Was A Nazi” Black Flag-“Jealous Again” Dead Kennedys-“Police Truck” Cro Mags-“By Myself” Discharge-“Drunk With Power” DOA-“Fucked up Ronnie” Suicidal Tendencies-"I Shot The Devil (but I could not get my own Pepsi) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/52 "2005-09-03T01:18:52Z")
> [@Sir\_Ian\_Morningwood](#): > > Besides, TSOL are sissies 😃 Ha! Only Minuteman reference in this whole thread, and they were as hardcore as anyone. RIP D Boone ---
**Author:** ![marky33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@marky33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marky33)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/53 "2005-09-04T09:29:49Z")
> [@The Scrivener](#): > > “Something Against You” – Pixies [yeah, I know, not normally considered a punk band, but this particular song is.] Agreed – other “punk” songs done by bands not considered as such: Repeat - \*\*Manic Street Preachers \*\* Territorial Pissings - **Nirvana** Lose Control - **Ash** ---
**Author:** ![Shana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Shana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shana)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/54 "2005-09-04T11:42:50Z")
I’d have to go with… **Sex Pistorls** - Submission **Gang of Four** - Not Great Men… or Anthrax **The Buzzcocks** - Are Everything **Sex Gang Children** - Maurita Mayer **Bad Brains** - Sacred Love Sorry I don’t have ten…I’ll have to think of more later when I’m not deliriously tired! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/55 "2005-09-04T16:03:27Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > I ought to give a shout-out to the Descendents as well, with that horny teen angst anthem, “Hope.” I’m always surprised more people aren’t into them. I think **Sublime** actually did that one better, but there are a ton of other Descendents songs that could go on this list, including “Bikeage”. (“Myage” and “I’m not a loser” off that album were, funnily enough, also covered by Sublime. Wonder if they were fans?) For the **Dead Kennedys** I’d nominate “Chemical Warfare” (everyone once in awhile I’ll start singing this song when someone farts) **Gwar** has done some pretty good punk songs, including “I Hate Love Songs”, “Fish Fuck”, “Nitro Burning Funny Bong”, and “Ham on the Bone” **The Subhumans** ’ “From the Cradle to the Grave” is great. I don’t think anyone has mentioned that, have they? That’s not 10, but this thread is about punk-rock. Fuck you guys. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/56 "2005-09-04T16:34:42Z")
> [@Shana](#): > > **Sex Gang Children** - Maurita Mayer Woah, I thought I was the only one who had ever heard this song. Good choice, although I wouldn’t have included it in my list. ---
**Author:** ![Shana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Shana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shana)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/57 "2005-09-04T18:05:25Z")
**Chairman Pow** , I wasn’t sure if I should include them either, but I was tired, so I did 😃 I thought I was the only one that listened to _Sex Gang Children_ - nice to meet you! My roommate got me into them in college. They still sound awesome in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/58 "2005-09-04T18:14:41Z")
[ol] [li]\*\* Everybody’s Happy Nowadays\*\*–Buzzcocks[/li][li] **Sheena is a Punk Rocker** –Ramones[/li][li] **Pinhead** –Ramones[/li][li] **Jet Boy Jet Girl** (English version of “Ca Plane pour Moi”)–Elton Motello[/li][li] **Pretty Vacant** –Sex Pistols[/li][li] **Holiday in Cambodia** –DK’s[/li][li] **Nazi Punks Fuck Off** –DK’s[/li][li] **Police on my Back** –Clash[/li][li] **Slave to my Dick** –Subhumans[/li][li] **Son of Sam** –Dead Boys (I think)[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/59 "2005-09-06T17:06:09Z")
The first three here I’m muchly surprised not to have seen yet: 1. _Do Anything You Wanna Do_ - Eddie & The Hot Rods 2. _Smash It Up_ - The Damned 3. _Teenage Kicks_ - The Undertones 4. _So What_ - The Anti-Nowhere League 5. _Blitzkrieg Bop_ - The Ramones 6. _Holiday In Cambodia_ - Dead Kennedys 7. _White Riot_ - The Clash 8. _Another Girl Another Planet_ - The Only Ones 9. _Ever Fallen in Love With Someone You Shouldn’t Have_ - The Buzzcocks 10. _Don’t Ask Me_ - Public Image Limited ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513/60 "2005-09-06T17:19:58Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I think **Sublime** actually did that one better, but there are a ton of other Descendents songs that could go on this list, including “Bikeage”. (“Myage” and “I’m not a loser” off that album were, funnily enough, also covered by Sublime. Wonder if they were fans?) Hell, I think Sublime deserves to have something nominated on here. They weren’t JUST a punk band, but the fact that they could move so smoothly between punk, ska, dub, and reggae made them extra-special. “Seed” comes to mind as one of their faster, punkier songs, but they had a lot of good stuff… also “I Saw Red” with Gwen Stefani. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-10-punk-rock-songs/319513.md?page=4)