Punk A-Z

A is for "Anarchy in the UK"

Exploding onto the music scene in November of 1976, "Anarchy in the UK" made no secret of the fact that the Sex Pistols were sticking one big middle finger up at the straight-laced establishment. With its crude lyrics and incendiary energy, the song set the tone for the frenetic chaos of the following year.

B is for Never Mind the Bollocks

With its name censored in record shops across the country, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols drew exactly the kind of controversy that punk thrived on. The reaction the legendary album received from the older generation is now seen as its crowning glory.

C is for The Clash

Branded “the thinking man's yob” by the NME, the Clash were the grown-up and politicised big brother of their contemporaries. While the Pistols and the Damned screamed basic nihilism, the Clash had a dedicated left-wing agenda. Lead guitarist Joe Strummer's outspokenness led to him being spat on so often while on stage that he contracted hepatitis from an audience member in 1978.

D is for the Dole

With the unemployment rate in 1977 reaching 6.2 per cent, its highest point since the Second World War, being young, angry and on the dole became one of punk's defining themes. It was adopted by many as a working-class soundtrack to the political upheaval of the following years.

E is for Edward Colver

The bloodied hand of Henry Rollins on the cover of Black Flag’s debut album, Damaged, is a familiar image to punk fans. Edward Colver, who immortalised the birth of LA punk using Kodak Tri-X film, captured the striking photograph in 1981. Check out some of his iconic images opposite.

F is for Fender

As Simonon mercilessly destroys his bass on the cover of London Calling, we see fragment of punk history – the Fender. From Sid Vicious, who played a sunburst Fender precision, to Glen Matlock, who swore by a Fender 4x12 amp, the guitar brand is as integral to punk’s lineage as studs and mohawks.

G is for Grime

Born of disaffected working-class youth, rooted in subculture, decidedly anti-establishment and DIY to the core – the parallels between punk and grime are many. Audibly, the London-born rap genre is a world away from the thrashing guitars of punk. But at grime’s core is a common spirit of rebellion and self-made success.

H is for HR

HR’s musical legacy has a quaint duality. As the lead singer of Bad Brains, his intense vocals and harsh staccato guitar riffs pioneered hardcore punk. His solo music, though, was strongly influenced by Rastafarianism, with poignantly spiritual lyrics and consistent use of one-drop reggae percussion.

I is for Iconoclasm

The destruction of religious (or otherwise) icons might not be exclusive to punk but there aren’t many more iconic designs than a defaced Elizabeth II on the Sex Pistol’s album cover.

J is for Jon Savage

If Savage didn’t write about you, were you even punk?! After starting his own fanzine in 1976, Jon Savage entered the world of journalism, interviewing anybody who was anybody until eventually the only thing left to do was write a definitive history of the genre. Proof that being a groupie is still a career.

K is for Kilts

Not just for commando Scotsmen, the classic plaid skirt came into its own paired with a safety pin or two and hacked down to mini length. Add some fishnet tights and Dr Martens and you’re in business.

L is for Laurie Vincent

The suitably screamy front-man of hardcore-punk duo Slaves is anything but a one trick pony. In between releasing two top-ten albums in the last two years, Vincent also somehow found the time to put together a full exhibition of original art. Using religion, plastic shopping bags and soldiers as motifs, it’s pretty clear that like in his music, nothing is off limits for poking fun at.

M is for McQueen (Alexander, that is)
Alexander McQueen’s designs have always been grounded in the punk aesthetic and attitude. From his "Highland Rape" show which kick started his career in the 90s where models stomped and stumbled down the catwalk wrapped in tartan, to the golden-feathered Mohawks of his final ever collection. McQueen was a rebellious punk at heart.

N is for Nancy Spungen
The other half of the infamous duo Sid and Nancy, news of her brutal death (supposedly at the hands of her partner Sid Vicious) pretty much ended New York’s punk scene. It’s easy to forget that Nancy rose to fame as a groupie, meeting Sid in London when she was following the band the Heartbreakers during their 1977 tour.

O is for Obscenity
The Sex Pistol’s 1977 album Never Mind the Bollocks was censored heavily; police visited record shops demanding the word "bollocks" be removed from displays. Chris Seale, the manager of Virgin Records Nottingham, famously failed to comply and was arrested on charges of obscenity. He was “reluctantly” found not guilty at Nottingham’s Magistrates Court.

P is for Patti Smith
Labelled the "godmother of punk", Smith was at the heart of the movement. The defiant line from her debut punk-rock album Horses: “Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine,” signals the rebellious spirit that defined the era – and, turning 70 this year, Smith is still as punk as ever.

Q is for "God Save the Queen", The Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols’ 1977 single and accompanying Jamie Reid image of the Queen, defaced with ransom note lettering, is possibly the biggest symbol of punk. Banned by numerous radio stations, including the BBC, the song was performed on a Thames boat trip, coinciding with the Queen’s silver jubilee. The band were later arrested.

R is for Rock Against Racism

The Rock Against Racism movement aimed to combat growing support for white nationalists such as the National Front. In 1978, several concerts and marches took place across the country to counteract the rising levels of British racism. The campaign crossed genres with musicians in punk, reggae, rock and pop all playing and supporting RAR.

S is for Sexism

Punk challenged and rejected everything about the corporate society of the 70s, including gender and misogyny. With clothes and style no longer restricted to a particular gender, sex soon became irrelevant and whether you were watching or performing, punk was welcoming and inclusive of everyone in the scene.

T is for "Typical Girl", The Slits

“Who invented the typical girl? / Who’s bringing out the new improved model?” All-female punk band, the Slits didn’t sign with a record company until a few years into the music game but the band were frontrunners in fighting for creative control over their music.

U is for UK vs. US: where did Punk Originate?

The origin of punk is a contentious topic, people argue as to whether it started in London or New York, but what about Lima, the Peruvian capital? A documentary released in 2012 claimed that Los Saicos were the first punk band, 10 years ahead of the Sex Pistols and the Clash in the 60s.

V is for Viv Albertine

Albertine joined the feisty all female punk rock band the Slits only weeks after she started learning to play the guitar. Within a year the band was supporting the Clash and had become a significant part of the London punk scene.

W is for Dame Vivienne Westwood

Westwood is the iconic face of punk fashion. Her career began alongside lover and Sex Pistols manager, Malcolm McLaren in their Kings Road boutique "Sex". They adorned everything with safety pins and invented bondage trousers. She continues to make headlines today with her avant-garde fashion and environmental protests.

x is for X-Ray Spex

Front woman, Poly Styrene was an anti-fashion idol famously threatening to shave her head if she was considered a sex symbol. She was one of the only women of colour in the punk scene at the time. This was reflected in X-Ray Spex’s music, which covered topics like racism, sexism and consumerism.

Y is for Youth Crew

Punk is comprised of various, sometimes-contradictory factions. Youth Crew, for example, derived from hardcore and emphasised community, friendship and non-drug use. Built on strong moral philosophies, Youth Crew’s clean–cut demeanor was a far cry from sex, drugs and rock n roll.

Z is for Zines

Sniffing Glue was Britain’s first punk zine, thrown together using whatever Matthew Perry had lying around his bedroom. This slapdash creation became a blueprint for independent punk publishing and today, typewritten, hand-stapled, black and white booklets are synonymous with the punk aesthetic.

It has been 40 years since the emergence of punk. In 1977, during the Queen's long-awaited silver jubilee, the version of the national anthem topping the charts was far from patriotic. Johnny Rotten's infamous rendition of "God Save the Queen" was one of many controversies in the watershed year that marked punk's birth. A generation of disaffected young people who'd grown up in tower blocks and lived on the dole rejected the hippy mindset and embraced punk's subversive ideals. Now, Pressed presents an A-Z of the music, style and impact felt by the ultimate anti-establishment movement.