Punk The Best Punk Bands Of All Time  

Ranker Community
Originally by Ranker Community
567.4k votes 28.9k voters 410k views 296 items

List Rules The definition of "punk" is nebulous - if you don't consider a band punk, feel free to vote em down

The subject of who is the greatest punk band has fueled argument and debate for decades. Punk and punk inspired musical acts are more common than ever but the underground punk acts of the 70s and 80s will always be remembered for creating a culture for rebellion. From 80s punk to today's top punk bands, which are the best punk rock bands of all time and the best punk bands ever? These punk rocks are also making some of the best rock songs of 2018.

Good punk bands aren't hard to find, there's plenty of great punk music out there, thanks to the many punk groups on this list. Don't see your favorite punk rockers below? Click Rerank to add your list of your favorite punk bands here or vote up the punk acts you love and help create the definitive list of the greatest famous punk bands of all time.

list ordered by

1
7,262 3,855
Ramones is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Ramones, Rocket to Russia, End of the Century

2
8,038 3,387
The Clash is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
London Calling, The Clash, Black Market Clash

3
7,366 3,339
Sex Pistols is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle

4
6,488 2,456
Dead Kennedys is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, Nazi Punks Fuck Off, Bleed for Me

5
4,157 3,008
The Stooges is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Raw Power, Fun House, The Stooges

6
4,628 3,082
Black Flag is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Damaged, In My Head, My War

7
5,012 3,297
Misfits is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Legacy of Brutality, Famous Monsters, Walk Among Us

8
4,626 3,169
Bad Religion is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Recipe for Hate, The Empire Strikes First, Stranger Than Fiction

9
4,035 2,179
Buzzcocks is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Singles Going Steady, Buzzcocks, Product

10
4,223 2,252
The Damned is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Phantasmagoria, The Black Album, Not of This Earth

11
3,694 2,617
Minor Threat is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Complete Discography, Minor Threat, First Demo Tape

12
3,596 2,540
Bad Brains is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
God of Love, I Against I, Bad Brains

13
4,024 3,228
Rancid is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
…and Out Come the Wolves, Let's Go, Indestructible

14
3,503 2,045
Descendents is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Everything Sucks, Milo Goes to College, I Don't Want to Grow Up

15
6,059 6,168
Green Day is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
American Idiot, Dookie, 21st Century Breakdown

16
5,440 2,589
Stiff Little Fingers is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Inflammable Material, Now Then…, Nobody's Heroes

17
4,846 4,183
The Offspring is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Smash, Americana, The Offspring

18
4,234 3,128
NOFX is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Punk in Drublic, Pump Up the Valuum, The War on Errorism

19
3,612 2,759
Social Distortion is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Social Distortion, White Light White Heat White Trash, Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell

20
2,866 2,013
Circle Jerks is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Group Sex, Golden Shower of Hits, Oddities

21
3,204 2,506
Joy Division is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Unknown Pleasures, Closer, Substance

22
2,269 2,288
Hüsker Dü is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Zen Arcade, Flip Your Wig, Warehouse: Songs and Stories

23
2,492 1,873
New York Dolls is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
New York Dolls, One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This, Cause I Sez So

24
2,564 1,254
The Cramps is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
pigonthewing added Stay Sick!, Smell of Female, Flamejob

25
2,611 1,916
Fugazi is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
The Argument, Repeater, 13 Songs

26
2,085 1,832
X is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Los Angeles, Under the Big Black Sun, Live at the Whisky A Go-Go on the Fabulous Sunset Strip

27
2,480 2,193
Operation Ivy is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Lint Rides Again, Energy, Plea for Peace

28
2,401 1,487
The Jam is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
All Mod Cons, In the City, Setting Sons

29
2,711 2,577
Dropkick Murphys is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
The Warrior's Code, Unity, The Singles Collection

30
2,170 715
Iggy Pop is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Corey Watson added The Idiot, Lust for Life, Zombie Birdhouse

31
2,784 1,769
Siouxsie & the Banshees is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Nocturne, Once Upon a Time: The Singles

32
2,452 1,483
The Exploited is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
The Massacre, Beat the Bastards, Horror Epics

33
1,989 1,678
Dead Milkmen is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
The King in Yellow, Beelzebubba, Big Lizard in My Backyard

34
1,856 1,731
MC5 is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Kick Out the Jams, The Big Bang!: Best of the MC5, Back in the USA

35
2,421 1,822
Suicidal Tendencies is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Suicidal for Life, The Art of Rebellion, Join the Army

36
1,981 1,396
The Dead Boys is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
All This and More, Night of the Living Dead Boys, Younger

37
1,940 1,166
Generation X is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Micksandy added Generation X, Kiss Me Deadly, Valley of the Dolls

38
2,305 1,499
The Stranglers is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
VaniadeBie-vernet added No More Heroes, The Stranglers, Aural Sculpture

39
2,618 2,274
Pennywise is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Land of the Free?, About Time, Home Movies

40
1,534 1,564
Minutemen is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Double Nickels on the Dime, My First Bells, Introducing the Minutemen

41
3,618 4,325
Blink-182 is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Enema of the State, Dude Ranch, blink-182

42
1,998 1,225
Crass is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Merry Crassmas, Acts of Love: Fifty Songs to My Other Self, The Feeding of the 5000

43
1,658 1,420
Agent Orange is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
jinxiethelucky added Living in Darkness, This Is the Voice, Virtually Indestructible

44
2,095 1,473
Blondie is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
GeorgeRainey added Parallel Lines, Heart of Glass, Blondie

45
2,332 1,461
Sham 69 is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
The Adventures of Hersham Boys, The A Files, The Game

46
1,601 1,431
The Vandals is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Christmas With The Vandals: Oi to the World!, Hitler Bad, Vandals Good

47
1,363 1,363
Richard Hell & The Voidoids is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
Destiny Street, Funhunt: Live at CBGB's & Max's, Time

48
1,507 1,456
Butthole Surfers is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
MadameLil added Electriclarryland, Hairway to Steven, Locust Abortion Technician

49
1,682 1,150
Germs is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
(MIA) The Complete Anthology, Live at the Whisky, First Show Ever

50
1,453 1,384
Johnny Thunders & the Heartbre... is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list The Best Punk Bands Of All Time
L.A.M.F. The Lost '77 Mixes, So Alone, Down to Kill