Essay On Punk Subculture

By the mid-1970s something was stirring. When music became way too safe, punk emerged to challenge everything. The first “punk rock” scene appeared in New York in 1973 (Harry 8). The Punk Era resurrected culture and music over a thirty year period. With angst, rebellion and outrageous ideals, punk coalesced into an international movement. The punk rock culture is something everyone has been exposed to due to the colossal impact of new ideologies, fashion and music carried for over forty years and into the present day.
Punk subculture of the 1970s heavily influenced new ideologies. Ideology is the individual discernment of the ‘lived experience’ of human existence itself (Eriksen). Punk ideologies are a varied group of political and social ideals associated with the Punk subculture (“Punk Ideologies”). Above all, the punk culture was concerned with freedom of the individual, which created beliefs in such concepts of individualism, anarchism, anti-authoritarianism and free thought. Punk ideologies often shared critical views of the world and usually are expressed through the punk rock genre of music, independently-published literature and punk zines (“Punk Ideologies”). Punk culture originated as a movement of rebellion, aggression, and general discontent but it has evolved into an overt socio-political movement. Punk lyricists express discontent with individuals and institutions influencing society. Anarchism is the political ideology most often associated with punk today. Most punks who support Anarchism are known as anarcho-punks (“Punk Ideologies”). Essentially, anarchism may be defined as opposition to all government forms. Related to Punk subculture, anarchism is used as a political philosophy based on pacifism and common own...

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...e Used were taking the scene by storm. While showing pop-punk characteristics, there was a darker and more depressing undertone. Many listeners have created an entirely separate genre for this type of music called “emo” (“History of Pop-Punk”). Due to the previous obscurity of the genre, pop-punk began to fall in eminence, though remained a large scene in subculture. During this period, “pop-punk” underwent a few changes and did what could be called as a successful process of “taking back the sound” (“History of Pop-Punk”).
In conclusion, punk rock has impacted our culture in many ways. The “punk rock” culture has influenced new ideologies, fashion and music that have been carried for over forty years and into the present day. Punk taught society to rebel, speak your mind, and question everything you’re told. When life became too safe, punk challenged it all.