Music essayist Trash Theory takes a look a the history of punk rock, focusing specifically on the proto-punk bands that embodied the yet-to-be named genre. Each of these bands wrote songws with minimalist chords, loud guitars and relevant lyrics, laying down the groundwork until the era of punk was officially ushered in with the 1976 release of the Ramones’ debut album.

Few genres have had the lasting impact of punk. 1976 is one of those seismic dividing lines in popular music. A history destroying year zero. The point after which everything changed. .. These bands didn’t appear out of nowhere with the key principles of the genre locked in place. This innovative minimalist, three chords and the truth, turbo-powered music had to have precedent. There were other artists that lead up to this era-defining moment in music that are either forgotten, ignored or not