20 Greatest Punk Albums Ever Made

Although punk's days as a tidal wave mainstream entity have long come and gone, it has remained as an influential genre within music. Original pioneers of punk such as the Ramones, Sex Pistols and The Clash all hold staggering legacies to this very day. On top of this, some modern names such as Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, IDLES and Slaves are all slowly emerging from the underground.

Over the decades since its initial conception in the 70's, punk has slowly splintered in a number of sub-genres that prioritise different aspects of punk. Ska punk highlights the cheery, energetic aspects of punk, while hardcore punk moves the scales the complete opposite direction with its grinding, brutal and devastating aggression.

Through all these variations and changes, the umbrella of punk now encases hundreds, maybe even thousands of albums. This article will embark on the near impossible task of narrowing down these countless albums, to just 20 of the greatest records ever to appear under the enduring label of 'punk rock'. A list of honourable mentions are also included at the end.

Despite having a band name that has not aged well, Sham 69's breakthrough record, 'That's Life', was a crucial release in the history of British punk. Released during the peak success period of punk rock in 1978, this crucial record had to fight against some stern competition in order to stand out from the crowd.

'Hurry Up Harry', the lead single from this record, ended up being one of the few punk rock singles to break into the top 10 of the UK charts when it scarped 10th in 1978. The now timeless punk anthem, 'Angels With Dirty Faces' soon followed and managed to make it into the top 20 of the UK charts in the same year.

Like many other punk bands, Sham 69's stay in the music scene was fleeting and they disbanded in 1979, just four years after their initial formation. However, they reformed in 1987 and are still an actively touring band to this day.