Greatest post-punk bands?

Post-punk has slowly become one of my favorite genres outside of the typical classic rock mold. First post-punk album I listened to was Unknown Pleasures about two years ago and it's still one of my favorites. I've since listened to Closer and a few others and I like the genre a lot, certainly more than punk rock but I don't have a lot of it yet.

Certainly Joy Division ranks among one of the best, even though they've only released two studio albums. Siouxsie and the Banshees are another one I like. What are your favorites? Discuss here! Also, what classifies as post-punk? I've noticed that some post-punk albums are classified as new wave as well. Same goes with electronic music, seems like early electronic has had an influence on many post-punk bands.

All comments welcome!

 

Public Image Ltd. and Gang of Four come to mind immediately. If you haven't already, check out "Second Edition" and "Entertainment!"

 

Aw yes, post-punk, i.e., when "punk" got really, really good.

Magazine is one of the greats, for sure.

 

I actually have First Edition by Public Image! Great album. Looking forward to getting to Second Edition/Metal Box and a few other albums by them as well.

 

wire
buzzcocks
pil
gang of four
joy division /new order

 

Post punk is an extremely diverse and eclectic genre. It was primarily driven by bands who wanted to do something other than hard, fast, three-chord punk rock, and who went in a gazillion different stylistic directions, driven by a desire for artistic freedom.

Wire, Joy Division, Magazine, the Banshees, the Fall, Killing Joke, the Passage, Modern Eon, Teardrop Explodes, Young Marble Giants, the Slits, Gang of Four, the Raincoats, etc. too many bands to mention.

Some of my favorite landmark post punk albums:

PIL - Metal Box/Second Edition
Siouxsie and the Banshees - the Scream, Juju
Wire -Chairs Missing, 154
Magazine - Real Life, Secondhand Daylight
Joy Division - Closer
The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour, Perverted By Language
Killing Joke - What's This For?
The Passage - Pindrop
The Sound - From The Lion's Mouth

 

Post-Punk is a fairly large umbrella. Basically music inspired by the punk movement but usually more experimental. A lot of bands that started in Punk's 1st wave fit better as post-punk. The Fall for example. The peak of Post-Punk was probably 79-83.

New Wave was more commercial and less edgy but a lot of bands blurred the lines from punk to post-punk and others post-punk to new wave.

The late 70s/early 80s was really a creative period and set the foundation for college/indie rock.

 

The first album's cool but the second one is just otherworldly. You're in for an interesting listen.

Also, you may wanna check out the book "Rip It Up and Start Again" by Simon Reynolds.

 

My three favorite post-punk albums are:

This Heat- Deceit
Gang of Four- Entertainment!
Killing Joke- What's This For?

 

About to check out a few of these. Thanks for the thread topic.

 

My list. Need to add a couple things.

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/patient_ot/patient_ots_post_punk_list/

 

My shortlist of some favourites:

Joy Division: both albums (of course)
Killing Joke: s/t
Gang of Four: 'Entertainment'
T.C. Matic: l'Apache'
New Order: 'Power, Corruption and Lies'
Wire: '154,
The Wipers: 'Over the Edge'
Echo & The Bunnymen: 'Ocean Rain' or e.g. 'Crocodiles'
Simple Minds: 'Sons and Fascination'
The Fall: 'The Wonderfull and Frightening World of'
PIL: 'Metal Box' or 'Second Edition' and 'Album' (very underrated!)
Siouxsie and the Banshees: 'Juju'
The Jam: 'Sound Affects'
Japan: 'Quiet Life'
The Sound: 'From the Lion's Mouth'
Cocteau Twins: 'Treasure'

There are so many other great albums, and all completely different sounding. That's the good side of this artistic genre. See this list just as a kickstarter for finding your way in that genre if that's out of your comfort zone.

 

I always rated "The Monochrome Set" as an outstanding post punk band. Really good live also.

Personally I think Joy Division were the first to define the term Post Punk.

 

I like most of the artists mentioned. I'll throw in Tuxedomoon. And This Heat and Monochrome Set deserve a much wider audience.

 

"The Age Of Chance" could scrape into the Post Punk umbrella..but some may class them as pure Indie. I thought they were quite original when came to the fore...and probably a little ahead of their time

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/08/age-of-chance-mash-ups

 

Don't forget Orange Juice, Josef K, Bauhaus, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Durutti Column, Section 25, Crispy Ambulance and Ludus.

 

Couldn't agree more!

 

I'd put XTC in there alongside Magazine, The Bunnymen, the Fall, and The Slits. Andy Partridge and Howard Devoto were the most articulate of that era for me. Mark E. Smith is a world all to himself and beyond categorization.

 

I don't recall anyone using the term 'post-punk' until long after the period in question. At the time it was new wave, or 'New Musick' (used by Jon Savage for a bit) or 'New Pop' once people like Orange Juice and scritti Politti came through.

 

Worried about my ignorance here but I would have The Pretenders at one. The first s/t album started in Punk with Precious and ended in a pure 80s track Mystery Achievement.

 

Simple Minds' first five albums are brilliant (except the merely good debut).

 

Pere Ubu. Even though they put out singles in 1975-76 I think you could consider their greatest record Dub Housing (1978) post-punk.

 

Punishment of Luxury - Laughing Academy was a recent discovery for me that I recommend highly.

 

Liliput/Kleenex
A Certain Ratio

 

Don't forget mission of burma signals and vs albums.