[Western Music] Hardcore Punk Masterpieces and Popular Songs – Beginner’s Guide
Hardcore punk emerged in the late 1970s as an aggressive evolution of punk rock.
Many people might associate it with a barrage of ultra-fast tracks barely a minute or two long—relentlessly extreme and intense.
While that side is certainly one of hardcore punk’s defining characteristics and appeals, its depth—especially as it later fused with metal, rock, and more to spawn numerous subgenres—cannot be summed up in a single word.
In this piece, we’ve selected representative and classic tracks—focusing mainly on the 1980s—by pioneering bands of hardcore punk.
We hope this serves as a helpful introduction to the genre as well!
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[Western Music] Hardcore Punk Classics and Popular Songs – Beginner’s Guide (1–10)
Rise AboveBLACK FLAG
An absolutely indispensable presence in any history of 1980s hardcore punk is Black Flag, the band that took the anarchist symbol of the black flag as its name.
Formed in California in 1976 around guitarist Greg Ginn—the leader and the only original member—their main period of activity was limited to several years in the ’80s.
Even so, the early albums they released during the era when the charismatic frontman Henry Rollins was in the band are revered as seminal texts of ’80s U.S.
hardcore and enjoy immense popularity.
Here I’d like to introduce Rise Above, the anthemic opening track from their landmark debut album Damaged, released in 1981.
Beyond the intense impact of the cover art—showing Rollins smashing a mirror with his fist—the oncoming assault of Ginn’s inventive, destructive guitar and Rollins’s screams is just as shocking.
That said, it’s not a difficult listen; the straightforward, undeniably cool sound is something even newcomers to hardcore punk can easily enjoy.
As an aside, Dirty Projectors’ album Rise Above—a singular presence on the indie scene since the 2000s for their cutting-edge sound—is a strange and fascinating work that reinterprets Black Flag’s Damaged purely from memory.
If that piques your interest, be sure to check it out.
California über allesDead Kennedys
Alongside bands like Black Flag, Dead Kennedys were pioneers of California punk.
With vocalist Jello Biafra—known for his highly distinctive vocal style and ironic lyrics—and guitarist East Bay Ray—who combines technical prowess with great taste—the band formed in 1978 and released four original albums before disbanding in 1986.
They later reunited in 2001 with vocalists other than Biafra, but they haven’t been producing new recordings, so if you’re interested in the band, you should listen to all four albums.
The song featured here, California über alles, was their debut single released in 1979 and was re-recorded for inclusion on their debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, released the following year in 1980—one of their signature tracks.
It’s a classic that opens with a simple bass line and tight drums; Biafra’s vocals, brimming with a unique tension and humor, agitate the listener, and Ray’s loud guitar—rooted in rockabilly, among other styles—explodes.
Especially considering the dramatic shift in mood in the latter half, you can understand that hardcore punk is by no means a genre that pursues speed alone.
Do They Owe Us A Living?Crass
There exist bands with their own ideas and philosophies—quite different from hardcore punk groups that just give in to their initial impulses and blast loud, fast noise.
Formed in Essex, England in 1977, Crass became a legendary group known for radical and forward-thinking activities until their split in 1984: grounding themselves in anarchist politics and a hippie lifestyle, founding their own label, and releasing work and performance art with a DIY spirit.
Even the story of their formation—hippie-generation artist Penny Rimbaud on drums and poetry meeting punk vocalist Steve Ignorant, nearly 15 years his junior—makes it clear they were unlike typical punk bands.
Crass truly embodied “punk” in the deepest sense, and you can’t grasp their reality by listening to just a few tracks.
But if the overwhelming message of their anthemic fan favorite “Do They Owe Us A Living,” included on their 1977 debut album The Feeding of the 5000, stirs something in you, dive deeper into their world through other releases and biographies.
Start TodayGorilla Biscuits
Seeing the title of this track, some of you might be thinking, “This looks kind of familiar…” Right? For those in the know, it’s super famous: the company name “Yugen Gaisha Start Today,” founded while Yusaku Maezawa—the legendary entrepreneur who once played drums in the hardcore band Switch Style—was active, is directly taken from this absolutely classic song “Start Today” by Gorilla Biscuits.
In the late ’80s straight-edge to New York hardcore scene, Gorilla Biscuits were a charismatic presence, and its members are also known for later forming big-name bands across the youth crew to post-hardcore spectrum, like CIV, Youth of Today, Quicksand, and Rival Schools.
Though Gorilla Biscuits themselves broke up after about five years, they later reunited, thrilled fans with energetic activity, and even toured Japan.
The title track of their 1989 masterpiece—and only full-length—Start Today features razor-edged hardcore-born sonics with brilliantly dynamic shifts, and that melancholic harmonica that comes in mid-song is just too cool.
Its powerful message—“Start today”—continues to inspire both today’s kids and the adults who once were kids, no matter the era.
Walk Together Rock Together7 Seconds
Many fans were saddened when 7 Seconds, the American hardcore punk stalwarts, announced their breakup in 2018—a memory still fresh in our minds.
Armed with a fast sound and irresistibly sing-along melodies, they were not only a hugely popular hardcore punk band but also had a massive influence on the melodic hardcore acts that followed.
Their knack for crafting standout melodies is exceptional, and they’ve created numerous anthems that fire up punks with a positive vibe.
The track highlighted here, “Walk Together, Rock Together,” is the title song from their 12-inch EP released in 1985—one of their most popular works alongside their highly acclaimed 1984 debut album The Crew.
It was later reissued as a compilation with added tracks and live recordings.
With its breakneck drums, loud guitars, and catchy choruses working in perfect harmony, it feels like a blueprint for melodic hardcore: simple, yet an undeniably cool killer tune.
The tempo change in the latter half that shifts the mood completely is a particularly nice touch.