punk rock

A genre of guitar-based rock and roll typified by fast tempos, short song duration, and aggressive delivery. Despite its "short, fast, and loud" nature, punk rock is essentially melodic. Non-"pop" punk rock is known as "hardcore." Punk rock began in the middle 1970s with bands like The Stooges, The Ramones, and The Sex Pistols and was initially a reaction to the overproduced, lengthy, plodding corporate rock that had come to dominate the landscape. The "new wave" lasted until approximately 1982, when there was a move away from original punk to more aggressive hardcore. A second wave of punk erupted in the late 1980s and early 1990s, peaking in 1994. The genre continues to this day (as does it's musical sibling, hardcore). While there is a philosopy closely related to punk rock ("Do It Yourself") and a visual style closely associated with punk rock (torn jeans, spikey hair, chuck taylors, etc.), please note that punk rock is a FORM OF MUSIC.