The Postpunk Era: Predecessor to Pop Punk

     Throughout the 1970's, punk rock was a phenomenon throughout the developed world, with its main influence in the United Kingdom. There, bands like the Clash and the Sex Pistols satisfied the angry youth with their up-tempo, powerful music. As the years wore on, however, the influence dwindled, and many of the bands either broke up, or changed their musical style to gain commercial popularity (otherwise known as "selling out", which will be a commonly used term throughout the upcoming months). The breakup of the Sex Pistols in 1978 was a dagger to the punk community, and ultimately gave birth to the postpunk era. 


     Although many people felt hopeless that this new era would usher in another revolution, postpunk became a more commercial-friendly and intelligent genre. Ex-Sex Pistols singer John Lydon went on to form the band "Public Image Limited" shortly after the 1978 breakup, and they showcased this new element by creating a "more resilient and fertile, albeit less gloriously iconic, music," with fresh ideas and the same youth angst that took the earlier bands to the top. As years went on, industrial and goth genres began the glorification of pain within their music, as bands such as Nine Inch Nails became popular in the 1980's.
     
     In recent years, postpunk has actually seen a revival, mainly within the boundaries of the Indie rock bands such as Interpol and the Killers. For now, though, we are mainly concerned with what came after the original postpunk era ended in 1984. This era gave birth to many of the genres that still live and thrive today, such as ska and grunge. As for the third important follower of postpunk, I think you can infer that by yourself...


REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
1. Why do you think postpunk was more influential to the pop punk bands than original punk rock?
2. What do you think the quote "more resilient and fertile, albeit less gloriously iconic," means?
3. When an artist changes their style significantly to adapt to the times, do you consider it "selling out" or just taking the necessary steps to musically thrive? Why?






CITATION:


Reed, A. S. (2007, May). Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984. Popular Music and Society, Volume 30, Number 2. Retrieved February 11, 2012, from the SIRS Issues Researcher database.