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…)

The eighth single to be released by Stiff, Silver Shirt was a far cry from the punk rock with which the label is associated. (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…)

Roogalator were more funk than punk, but they were one of the first bands to release a single on the fledgling Stiff Records in the summer of 1976. (more…)

A slightly startling 45 years ago, on 18 February 1977, Stiff Records released the first UK punk album – Damned Damned Damned. (more…)

The Pink Fairies were the oldest and hairiest band on Stiff Records – and released the second single on the indie punk label. (more…)

Buzzcocks began 1977 with the release of their landmark Spiral Scratch EP – opening the door for a wave of indie punk labels. (more…)

Richard Hell’s debut single is one of the first examples of New York punk. It also defines the sound of what would later become known as post-punk… even though, strictly speaking, it’s more pre-punk. (more…)