The wit, wisdom, zen, and philosophy of Paul Diamond Blow.


The Top Ten Punk Rock Albums of All Time
Punk Rock Really Does Suck, but These Albums Don't!

by Paul Ace Diamond "Huggy" Blow



As an ex-punk rocker, I've listened to my share of punk rock records and seen my share of punk rock bands. Of course, there are many styles of punk rock: hardcore, pop-punk, East Coast, West Coast, etc., etc. and the truth is that most punk rock really DOES suck! Turns out that most of the punk bands I've come to love are from either England or New York... go figure. Without further ado, here is my personal list of the top ten punk rock albums of all time:

10) The Accursed, "the Accursed"
I guarantee you've never heard of this band. This album was released in the early '80s, and this band is one of the sloppiest English punk bands I've ever heard (especially the drummer), but the one-riff songs actually pack a lot of power and melody. Not your average spikey-haired, studded leather punk band. The best song is "High Speed." I played this album many a time, gearing up for the punk rock parties...

9) GBH, "City Baby Attacked by Rats"
One of the best English spikey-haired hardcore bands of all time. These guys ruled back in the '80s with their brand of metallic hardcore. Fast, furious, and packed with sizzling Marshall-driven power chords, yeah baby yeah! This was one of their better albums -- it will rip you a new hole, I promise!

8) DISCHARGE, "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing"
Discharge was the absolute best of the English spikey hardcore bands, even better than GBH. Metallic hardcore punk, with thunderous hardcore beats and Bones wailing away on the power chords. This album crushes! It just blazes away from start to finish, with the most bone-crushing, meanest hardcore you will ever hear.

7) MISFITS, "Walk Among Us"
I always loved the way Danzig sang for this band even though I never cared for his solo, metal stuff. The Misfits had the riffs, the whoa-whoas, the horror-schlock image, and the songs are catchy as all get out! This album contains most of my favorite Misfit songs:"Skulls," "I Turned Into a Martian," "Devils Whorehouse," and "Astro Zombies." Nothing gets a punk rock party going like a little Misfits!

6) THE BERSERKERS, "Whiskey & Leather"
This is actually a 7" single that came out back in 1994 in Seattle. A little bit Motorhead, a little bit Ramones, "Whiskey & Leather" is a pure PUNK RAWK ANTHEM that will have you singing along with the chorus: "I know things will be better, when I get my Whiskey and Leather!" Probably the best punk rock song that ever came out of Seattle. Coincidently,, I just so happen to have played guitar on this record.

>5) THE DICTATORS, "Blood Brothers"
What would it sound like if KISS was a punk rock band??? The Dictators! Wild man Handsome Dick Manitoba leads this troop of N.Y. punk rock bad boys with catchy, punk party ROCK, with an emphasis on the ROCK! The best tracks on this record are "Minnesota Strip" and "Baby Let's Twist"... party punk at it's best!

4) THE DAMNED, "the Best of the Damned"
Released in 1981, this album got a lot of playtime on my turntable back in the day. I just love the way Dave Vanian sings, especially when he sings in that low Iggy Pop-David Bowie-ish voice, and of course, with Captain Sensible on guitar you can't go wrong. This album contains some of their best tunes: "New Rose," "Wait For the Blackout," and the punk rock classic "Smash it Up." These guys actually wrote great songs, man!

3) THE RAMONES, "the Ramones"
You cannot write a top ten punk album list and not include the Ramones -- it's against the law. These guys were the first, and of course with their leather jackets and torn jeans they started a whole fashion. Forget about the Sex Pistols -- we all know who really started the whole punk rock thing, and it all started with this album. "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Beat on the Brat," etc, etc... The funny thing is, the first time I laid eyes on this record I said, "They aren't punk rock -- their hair's too long!" How wrong I was. The Ramones rule, 'nuf said...

2) THE STOOGES, "Raw Power"
Even though the Stooges were more of a garage band I've got to put them on my list, just 'cause they also were innovators in punk music, and of course Iggy Pop is one of my favorite singers. This is my favorite Stooges album, especially the song "Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell" which gets a lot of play on my punk rock stereo system.

1)THE RAMONES, "Adios Amigos"
The Ramones have stood the test of time and have become my all time favorite band. These guys are more than just a punk rock band -- they are rock'n'roll stripped down to its purest form. This album -- their last studio album -- has become my favorite Ramones album. Great production, killer songs, and Joey's vocals have never sounded better. Dee Dee Ramone wrote half the songs on this CD...

So there you have it! Of course, I'd also like to mention some of my other favorites: the Angry Samoans, the Circle Jerks, Battalion of Saints... so many good punk bands, so little time.... Punk Rawk!!!

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