The Original Sound

    The evolution of the pop punk genre cannot be described without describing first what it sounded like. As what has been previously mentioned, punk rock and post-punk were key influences of pop punk, although the earlier two were more gritty and intense. As classic punk dissolved, however, a three way fork in the road was established. A large group of bands in the 1980's went to hardcore punk, which was even more intense than 70's punk, featuring bands such as Black Flag and Bad Religion. Other groups shifted to a more pop-oriented sound that was often danceable and became a driving force in popular 80's music. Pop punk came right in between, taking the hard-edged classic punk sound and adding more pop melodies while still bringing intensity to the studio and stage. In order to describe this, we will break down the opening track of Green Day's Dookie record, "Burnout".
    "Burnout" is the prototypical early 90's pop punk song. It clocks in at around 2 minutes and jumps to the first verse in about two seconds. It features a simple but powerful guitar track throughout and lets bassist Mike Dirnt be heard, with a catchy bass line that adds to the melodic side of the genre. The lyrics are geared towards teenage aggression, a popular theme in the genre, expressing its punk side. After the second chorus of the song, a build-up sequence comes, indicating some sort of sped up and frenzied portion. What comes is actually a drum solo from drummer Tre Cool, that is used as a means of energizing listeners and fueling this teenage anger made famous by the 70's punk bands. The song serves as a solid outline for the classic pop punk sound, featuring elements of both parts of the genre and expressing themes about loneliness, anger, boredom, and personal relationships. These lyrics and the fast and powerful sound behind them is what catapulted the first wave of bands to commercial success, and what set the tone for all of the bands that followed.


REFLECTION:
Can you think of another song similar to "Burnout" that clarifies the sound that took pop punk to the top in the early 90's? If so, what song?


CITATION:


Lamb, �. (n.d.). Punk Pop Music: A Guide. Top 40, Latest Songs, New Music, Charts, and the Best In Pop. Retrieved April 2, 2012, from http://top40.about.com/od/popmusic101/