SPIN's 30 Essential Punk Albums Of 1977
October 28th marks the 30th anniversary of Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols' release and SPIN's not taking the date lightly, devoting their next issue entirely to PUNK, man. The mag's got Lydon on the cover, pics of iconic punks reunited, and lists. Two of 'em! We figured '20 Best Singles Of '77 (By Bands That Had Not Yet Released Albums)' wasn't gonna get you that flared up, so have a gander at their picks for the slightly more broad category '30 Essential Punk Albums Of '77':
Blondie - Plastic Letters
The Boys - The Boys
The Clash - The Clash
Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True
The Damned - Damned Damned Damned
Dead Boys - Young Loud And Snotty
The Dictators - Manifest Destiny
The Diodes - The Diodes
Ian Dury - New Boots And Panties!!
Eater - The Album
Eddie & The Hot Rods - Life On The Line
Iggy Pop - The IdiotThe reasonable Stereogum reader would ask "Where's the SHIT LIST stamp?" Ahh, you know us well. But honestly, with a list this specific (and unranked), how could you miss anything? Or did they?
Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
The Jam - In The City
The Jam - This Is The Modern World
Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F.
Radio Birdman - Radios Appear
Ramones - Leave Home
Ramones - Rocket To Russia
Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Blank Generation
The Runaways - Queens Of Noise
The Saints - (I'm) Stranded
The Stranglers - Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers - No More Heroes
Suicide - Suicide
Talking Heads - Talking Heads 77
Television - Marquee Moon
The Vibrators - Pure Mania
Wire - Pink Flag
Posted at 3:42 PM
When you get to the point that you're forced to include Eddie and the Hot Rods, Ian Dury, and TWO Stranglers albums to fill out a list, that list ceases to be a group of "essential" records and becomes "hey, here are some neat albums you might like."
There actually are some essentials here (and I think most of us would generally agree on what they are), but do you really NEED Eater's The Album and Radio Birdman's Radios Appear to understand punk music? I think not.
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I'm with "d" above - this could easily have been a better 25 record list. I have not taken the time to check my collection, but my gut tells me there are some more records outside the NY-London axis that hit in '77 and should be on the list and as are as punk as say Ian Drury. Patti Smith? - was her first cd '76 instead?
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oh yeah, the adverts and stiff little fingers' '77 cds should be on the list
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that reminds me: is anyone making lame mission of burma jokes this week?
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Wasn't The Real Kids s/t 77?
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i don't think that just because that it took record execs another year to figure out where ohio is that pere ubu and devo shouldn't make the list of essential first punk albums.
same thing goes for two years it took to get the leeds bands to put down albums: gang of four, the fall, the mekons, delta 5.
all these are much more important to what happened in punk then half the albums on this list.
and if a 30th anniversary should be celebrated, it's for marquee moon.
how about that for getting upset at such an inane list?
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No Ohio???
The Dead Boys were originally from Cleveland, before they relocated to NYC, and Cheetah Chrome and Johnny Blitz's pre Dead Boy's band, Rocket from the Tombs, did also spawn Pere Ubu. The Ohio punk connection is in that list.
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It does my heart good to see The Dictators' "Manifest Destiny" on anyone's list of anything.
"Sleepin' with the TV on / Dreamin' William Powell dies"
DwD
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wire's pink flag is one of the best things i've ever heard
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Totally weak list. Maybe they should have asked some one that was actually alive in '77.
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And no frigging Siouxsie?
X-Ray Spex?
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Well, L.A.M.F and Blank Generation are the two I skimmed through to look for and they're both there, but yeah, The X-Ray Spex should be up there as well.
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Both of those bands released their first albums in '78.
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If I have said it once, I'll say it a thousand times: The Best Punk Album of 1977 (or ever) is The Second Annual Report of Throbbing Gristle.
Everything else is just pop music.
I will give Spin credit for Suicide, though.
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You definitly forgot The Adverts!
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