Punk rock subgenres

A number of overlapping punk rock genres have developed since the emergence of punk rock (often shortened to "punk") in the mid 1970s. Even though punk genres at times are difficult to segregate, they usually show differing characteristics in overall structures, instrumental and vocal styles, and tempo. However, sometimes a particular trait is common in several genres, and thus punk genres are normally grouped by a combination of traits and twee.

Primary punk rock genres

Anarcho Punk

Anarcho punk is a section of the punk subculture that consists of bands, groups and individuals that support anarchism through their music. It is also used as an umbrella term to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content. It was formed in the mid-1970s in the United Kingdom. Prominent examples are Crass, Nause, Discharge, and Chumbawamba.

Christian punk

Christian punk (or Christ punk as it is also called as a reference to crust punk) is a form of Christian alternative rock and a subgenre of punk rock with some degree of Christian lyrical content. Given the edginess of punk and some of its subgenres, such as hardcore punk, many bands have been rejected by the Christian and CCM music industry, and due to Christian nature of Christian punk, members of the punk subculture some Christian churches reject Christian punk. The Crucified and Headnoise are examples of Christian punk.

Garage Punk

Garage punk is a subgenre of punk rock that is heavily influenced by garage rock. Formed in the late 1980s, it is characterized by a sound and an image that is dirty, ugly, raw, sleazy, and menacing. Often, it focuses on lo-fi aesthetics over catchy melodies. New Bomb Turks, Mudhoney and The Horrors are good examples of this genre.

Glam Punk

Glam punk (also called glitter punk) fuses elements of punk rock and glam rock. Iggy Pop is a good example of this genre.

Hardcore Punk

Hardcore punk or hardcore is a subgenre of punk rock that was formed in the late 1970s. Its sound is generally heavier, faster, and thicker than the sound of the earlier punk bands. It has spawned in a diverse collection of subgenres and has often been combined with subgenres of heavy metal. Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat are three good examples of hardcore punk.

Horror Punk

Horror punk is a subgenre of punk rock that uses horror movie themes as the lyrical content. The lyrics are often tales that are related to horror films, black humor, and horror stories or novels. Horror punk bands might also dress up in black clothes, skeleton costumes, and skull face paint. The Misfits are the prototype and pioneering band in the horror punk genre.

Nazi Punk

Nazi punk is a subgenre of punk that promotes neo-Nazi beliefs. A Nazi punk can also refer to a neo-Nazi who is part of the punk subculture. Rock Against Communism is when a Nazi punk plays music similar to hardcore, Oi! or heavy metal.

Noise Rock

Noise Rock (or Noise Punk) is a subgenre popular in Japan and Britain in the early '80s two places assosiated with the subgenre and Bristol, England and Kyushu, Japan popular Noise Punk bands include Confuse, Gai, The Swankys, Disorder, Chaos U.K., Dust Noise, Screaming Noise, and The Wankys. But some American noise rock bands include Killdozer, Sonic Youth, Lightning Bolt, and Neptune.

Oi!

Oi! is a working class street-level subgenre of punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. It had a goal to unite punks, skinheads, and other working class youths. Notable early Oi! bands include The Cockney Rejects. Angelic Upstarts, The 4-Skins and The Business.

Riot Grrrl

Riot Grrrl is a feminist punk/indie genre and movement. Its popularity peaked in the 1990s. The movement consists of female-centric bands, festivals and shows; group meetings, networking, collectives, and support groups; free workshopping, self-defense courses (like Home Alive), activism (often with benefit concerts), and underground fanzine culture. Bikini Kill and Bratmobile are two prominent examples of bands that are in the Riot Grrrl movement.

kate Punk

Also known as skatepunk, skate-punk, skate-thrash, surf punk, or skate-core, skatepunk is a subgenre of punk that derived from hardcore punk. It is defined by four note basslines, surf-like drums, and fast, Ramones-style guitar, with lyrical themes that reference or center around skateboarding. Its name comes from the fact that many skate punks were skaters, and that skate punk was popular among skaters.

Punk rock fusion genres

2 Tone

2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a music genre created in England in the late 1970s by fusing elements of ska, punk rock, rocksteady, reggae and pop music; the term refers to colors, not musical tones. The Specials, The English Beat, Madness and The Bodysnatchers are good examples of 2 Tone bands.

Celtic Punk

Celtic punk is a subgenre of Celtic fusion. It is basically punk rock with influences to Celtic music. Often, the bands will add Celtic instruments such as bagpipes, fiddle, tin whistle, accordion, mandolin, and banjo. The Real McKenzies and Flogging Molly are prime examples of Celtic punk bands.

Chicano Punk

Chicano punk refers to the punk bands of Mexican American ethnicity that originally came out of Chicago's Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods during the mid-late 1990's, with such bands as Los Crudos, and later spread to the Los Angeles punk scene. It can also refer to a subgenre of Chicano rock. Los Illegals and Cruzados are two Chicano punk bands.

Cowpunk

Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock that combines punk rock with country music and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style. The term cowpunk has also been applied to several bands that play a fast form of Southern rock. The Gun Club, Nashville Pussy, and the Reverend Horton Heat are all examples of cowpunk bands.

Deathrock

Deathrock is a term used to identify a subgenre of punk rock that splintered off the emerging West Coast hardcore scene by incorporating elements of Horror films and Dadaism. Deathrock bands play louder and faster than gothic rock bands and often share bills with Psychobilly and Horror Punk bands. California bands Christian Death, 45 Grave and TSOL and Nevada band Theatre of Ice are examples of early deathrock bands.

Folk Punk

Folk punk, in its most general sense, is a genre (or set of genres) of music that combines elements of folk and punk rock music. The term can also describe the people, culture, etc. that surround such a genre. Flogging Molly and Against Me! are folk punk bands.

Gypsy Punk

Gypsy Punk emerged in the turn of the century, headed by Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz. The subgenre combines Gypsy, Klezmer or Eastern European music and Punk rock. The subgenre typically has violin, acoustic guitar, accordion, and tenor saxophone, along with electric guitar, bass, and drums.

Pop punk

Pop punk (also known as punk pop and other names) is a fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Because many mainstream pop punk bands came from Southern California, it is sometimes called the SoCal Sound. Blink-182 and MxPx are good examples of pop punk bands.

Psychobilly

Psychobilly is a genre of music generally described as a mix between late-1970s punk rock and 1950s American rockabilly. It is often characterized by lyrical references to horror and exploitation films, violence, lurid sexuality, and other topics generally considered taboo; although often presented in a comedic or tongue-in-cheek fashion. Psychobilly bands include The Meteors and Demented Are Go.

Punk blues

Punk blues is a fusion of punk rock and blues music. It also can take influences from garage rock. The White Stripes, Flat Duo Jets are good examples of this punk subgenre.

Punk metal

Punk metal is an umbrella term, or cross-genre term used to describe music that fuses elements of heavy metal with hardcore punk. Often the fusion involves extreme metal genres. Styles of punk metal include crossover thrash, metalcore, grindcore, crust punk, thrash metal, sludge metal, thrashcore and subsequent fusions between those styles.

ka punk

Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk. The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting genres. The more punk-influenced style often features faster tempos, guitar distortion, onbeat punk-style interludes (usually the chorus), and nasal, gruff, or shouted vocals. The more ska-influenced style of ska punk features a more developed instrumentation and a cleaner vocal and musical sound.Some examples of ska punk bands are bands such as Less Than Jake, Rancid, Operation Ivy, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, Mustard Plug, Skankin' Pickle, Catch-22, Bomb The Music Industry, Choking Victim.