What are the definitive proto-punk, punk, post punk and hardcore songs?

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I am making a mix for a teenager and I would like to make it filled with the seminal, almost theme songs of punk and hardcore in America. Basically, the music that shaped my brain.
I'm thinking like, SSD: The Kids will Have Their Say, DYS: Wolfpack, Black Flag: Nervous Breakdown, The Voidoids: Blank Generation, X: Nausea, Wire:12XU, Minor Threat: Straight Edge, etc.
So I guess, if you had to pick one song by each of these bands that was most definitive of their music, their era and their place in musical history, what would it be? Also, a teenage dude should be able get off on it.

The Minutemen
Black Flag
The Stooges
The MC5
Simply Saucer
The Misfits
The Cro-mags
The Germs
Negative Approach
Wire
The Ramones
Television
Minor Threat
SSD
DYS
Iron Cross
S.O.A.
Suicidal Tendencies
Descendents
The Dicks
Big Boys
Butthole Surfers
Really Red
Government Issue
The Voidoids
Gorilla Biscuits
Chain of Strength
Pere Ubu (or rftt)
Electric Eels
Velvet Underground

This by no means a complete list. Any suggestions are welcome-- there are young minds to shape!

― Palimate, Monday, 25 July 2005 18:54 (twenty years ago)

This is an exhaustive task.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:10 (twenty years ago)

Any list of definitive hardcore songs, in my opinion, would have to include:

- "Rise Above" by Black Flag
- "Pay to Cum" by Bad Brains
- "Institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies
- "Filler" by Minor Threat (or anything off that first 7", really)
- "Live Fast Die Young" by the Circle Jerks
- "Catholic Boy" by CH3
- "We Gotta Know" by the Cro-Mags
- "Girl Problems" by SOA
- "Fucked Up Ronnie" by DOA

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:13 (twenty years ago)

Wire is British.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:18 (twenty years ago)

Project X Dancefloor Justice
Judge The Storm
Youth of Today Slow Down, Dude
The Untouchables Nicfit
SOA Any Song

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:21 (twenty years ago)

The Minutemen - "Little Man with a Gun in His Hand"
Black Flag - "Rise Above"
The Stooges - "Loose" or "Down on the Street"
The MC5 - "Black to Comm"
The Misfits - "Hybrid Moments"
The Cro-mags - "We Gotta Know"
The Germs - "Lexicon Devil"
Wire - "12XU"
The Ramones - "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment" (live version from It's Alive)
Television - "Little Johnny Jewel"
Minor Threat - "Filler" or "Small Man Big Mouth"
S.O.A. - "Girl Problems" or "Blackout"
Suicidal Tendencies - "Institutionalized"
Descendents - "Suburban Home"
Butthole Surfers - "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave"
Really Red - "Prostitution"
The Voidoids - "Blank Generation" or "Love Comes in Spurts"
Pere Ubu (or rftt) - "Non Allignment Pact" or "Final Solution"
Velvet Underground - "Foggy Notion" or "White Light/White Heat"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:37 (twenty years ago)

The Sex Pistols - "Anarchy in the UK"
Mission of Burma - "Academy Fight Song"
Dinosaur Jr. - "Repulsion"
The Clash - "White Riot"
The Damned - "Neat Neat Neat"

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

You've outdone yourselves, awesome. Slow Down Dude! Fucked Up Ronnie! This is my favorite post in ilm history. Keen eye Korn- Wire is British, but I was just thinking theme songs of American punk + HC and Minor Threat covered it and it sort of in 2 seconds captures an entire ethos. I am trying to stick mainly to American stuff though, because that is a whole other cd (Blitz, Warsaw, The Slits, Buzzcocks).

― Palimate, Monday, 25 July 2005 20:08 (twenty years ago)

Dicks - "Hate the Police"
Dead Kennedys - "Nazi Punks Fuck Off"
Husker Du - "Girl who Lives on Heaven Hill"

― Ben Dot (1977), Monday, 25 July 2005 23:23 (twenty years ago)

The Minutemen - "This Ain't No Picnic"
Black Flag - Tough... got to go with "Police Story" on Let Them Eat Jellybeans (NOT the version on "Damaged")
The Stooges - "TV Eye"
The MC5 - "Kick Out The Jams"
The Misfits - "Bullet"
The Germs - "Caught In My Eye"
Negative Approach - "Nothing"
Wire - "12XU"
The Ramones - "Blitzkreig Bop"
Television - "See No Evil"
Minor Threat - "Minor Threat"
Fuck the rest of Boston/DC
Descendents - "Suburban Home"
The Dicks - "Hate The Police"
Big Boys - "Red/Green"
Butthole Surfers - "Mexican Caravan"
The Voidoids - "I'm Your Man"
Pere Ubu (or rftt)- "Sixty Seconds Over Tokyo"
Velvet Underground - Too many...

― Hiawatha, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 01:08 (twenty years ago)

I don't know what's "definitive" but here's what I think would be the most immediately catchy, punk-kid friendly:

Black Flag - Rise Above (or Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie)
The Stooges - TV Eye (or Search & Destroy)
The MC5 - Looking at You
The Misfits - She (or Bullet)
The Germs - Manimal (or Lexicon Devil)
Wire - Practice Makes Perfect
The Ramones - Judy is a Punk (or Beat on the Brat)
Television - See No Evil
Pere Ubu - Final Solution (or 30 Seconds Over Tokyo)
Velvet Underground - Venus in Furs or Heroin if you think he'd like those, otherwise maybe White Light White Heat if it needs to be poppy.

I'd also include
Bad Brains - Sailin On
Something from the first Christian Death album (I don't remember titles)
Suicide - Ghost Rider
Devo - Jocko Homo

Does this have to be US only (plus Wire)?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 01:31 (twenty years ago)

Also, Residents - Satisfaction
and if you wanted to go more toward the proto- side how about stuff like
Godz - Radar Eyes
Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues
and other Nugget-y stuff.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 01:35 (twenty years ago)

A big omission on the Post Punk end so far is Gang of Four. I'd say "Damaged Goods" is pretty much the definitive post-punk song.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:02 (twenty years ago)

A big omission on the post punk end so far is Gang of Four. I'd say "Damaged Goods" is pretty much the definitive post-punk song.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:02 (twenty years ago)

Also, two really obvious songs not mentioned here: Television - "Marquee Moon" and Fugazi - "Waiting Room"

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:04 (twenty years ago)

What about something by the Dictators or Blondie?

― Sevenalole, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:34 (twenty years ago)

Post-Punk wise:

"She Is Beyond Good & Evil" by the Pop Group
"Analisa" by Public Image Ltd.
"To Hell with Poverty" by Gang of Four (tho' "Damaged Goods" of course works)
"CHANGE" by Killing Joke
"Digital" or "Warsaw" by Joy Division

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:46 (twenty years ago)

and just give the kid a copy of _Milo Goes to College_

― kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:59 (twenty years ago)

forget ye not the dils, bitches! "you're not blank" is possibly my favorite punk song ever

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:50 (twenty years ago)

Proto-Punk:
Dead Boys Sonic Reducer
Pere Ubu (or Rocket From The Tombs): Heart Of Darkness
Modern Lovers Road Runner
NY Dolls Trash

Punk
Anti-Nowhere League: So What (British, but Metallica covers it)

Post Punk
Skank Bloc Bologna: Scritti Politti
PIL Public Image
Feelies Boy With Perpetual Nervousness (or early indie)

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 20:39 (twenty years ago)

Also: post your final mix!

― Ben Dot (1977), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 21:47 (twenty years ago)

The Comsat Angels - "Home is the Range"
Chain Gang - "Son of Sam"

Not enough women on this list:
The Slits - "Shoplifting"
Essential Logic - "Quality Crayon Wax O.K."
The Flying Lizards feat. Vivien Goldman - "Her Story"
Lizzy Mercier Descloux - "Torso Corso"

― Cheeseburger-style funbox to GO! Fries come in regular and crepuscular size (Eas, Thursday, 28 July 2005 00:54 (twenty years ago)

Absolutely without tokenism: what are anthemic, influntial, female involved punk, proto/post punk and HC tracks in the USA?

X: Nausea
The Germs: Caught in my Eye
Blondie: X Offender
Patti Smith: Piss Factory
Black Flag: Slip It In
Velvet Underground: Sister Ray

Other than that, I am hard pressed, for the USA. GB is a whole 'nother story.
More on the US-- There were The Runaways, but they were not really self-directed enough nor were the Shaggs, or the GTO's. There were a number of great girl garage bands who created music in the spirit that would later buoy punk rock and hardcore, but I only have 78 minutes for 30 years of music. I mean The Bags, Chalk Circle, Teenage Jesus + The Jerks, Sonic Youth, Talking Heads, etc. I know there are some great tracks. I am also leaving off Gang Green, The F.U.'s, Alone in a Crowd, Side by Side, Teen Idles, Desperate Bicycles, Agnostic Front, Fear, Warzone, Chain of Strength so, what can you do? It is not a no women policy, anymore than punk and hardcore had any kind of no women policy. Oops!

― Palimate, Thursday, 28 July 2005 05:15 (twenty years ago)

- Plasmatics - "Masterplan" (some might quibble with their punk cred, but fuck'em)
- The first 7" by the Beastie Boys (when they were still playing hardcore) featured Kate "Luscious Jackson" Schellenbach still on drums.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 28 July 2005 12:47 (twenty years ago)

six years pass...

Mau Maus - the kill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XjT_yIWJS4
(ignoring any oi/punk issues)

Anti-System - breakout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKDQCb6pCv8

The Samples - government downfall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tgCyY2NRu0

― meisenfek, Friday, 16 September 2011 06:19 (fourteen years ago)

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