Satta Massagana was the debut single of The Abyssinians, arguably the greatest of all the vocal groups to come out of Jamaica. (more…)

Another of the early single releases on Stiff Records came with this “double B-side” from pub rock veteran Sean Tyler and The Tyla Gang. (more…)

Ever since it came out in May 1977 this has been my favourite single. (more…)

It’s March 1977 when The Clash, the second most talked-about band in UK, put out their first single. (more…)

Ian Dury’s debut single is one of the most iconic singles in the pantheon of punk – recorded by a man almost twice my age at the time. (more…)

Motörhead were never a punk band. But in terms of velocity and volume, attitude and aggression, they had a lot more to do with punk than many of the chancers who rebranded themselves to cash in on a trend. (more…)

I can vividly remember Less Than Zero, the song that launched Elvis Costello’s career, coming out in March 1977 when I was at college. (more…)

Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric is one of the greatest singles to come out of the punk era. Even if it’s not typically punk. (more…)

Here’s a lost masterpiece blending jazz, funk, blues and soul – and psychedelia – by The Loading Zone, a long-forgotten late-1960s band from San Francisco. (more…)

Eater might not have left much in the way of a musical legacy but they were one of the first punk bands – and also the youngest. (more…)