The 100 Most Popular Punk/Post-Punk/etc Songs (1976-1982) Voted by SHF Members

A month ago I decided it might be fun to gauge forum interest in Punk/Post-Punk, specifically the biggest years (between 1976-1982). I also included some genres influenced by punk like No Wave, New Wave, the onset of "College Rock", etc. We started with 500 songs. Many classics which are widely regarded among the greatest songs of any genre. Also I brought back a lot of the more obscure stuff. From Spizz Energi to Tuxedomoon to This Heat to the Glaxo Babies. Around 250 artists were included and we barely scratched the surface.

The music from this period has had a lasting influence that far exceeded it's popularity in America at the time. Like the Velvet Underground or the Stooges from an even earlier time, it's gained new generations of fans.

Anyway thanks to all who participated. Since we did not do albums I would be interested in seeing your Top 10 lists from this period. As well as your favorite songs as this list represents what was the most popular with the forum. Feel free to discuss anything related.

Without further ado here are the Top 100 Songs.

Top 100 Songs
1. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
2. London Calling - The Clash
3. Marquee Moon - Television
4. God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols
5. Anarchy in the U.K. - Sex Pistols
6. Ever Fallen In Love - Buzzcocks
7. Blitzkrieg Bop - Ramones
8. Transmission - Joy Division
9. Senses Working Overtime - XTC
10. Public Image Ltd. - Public Image
11. Shot By Both Sides - Magazine
12. Pretty Vacant - Sex Pistols
13. Holiday In Cambodia - Dead Kennedys
14. California Uber Alles - Dead Kennedys
15. What Do I Get - Buzzcocks
16. Blank Generation - Richard Hell & the Voidoids
17. Train In Vain - The Clash
18. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker - Ramones
19. A Forest - The Cure
20. Another Girl, Another Planet - The Only Ones
21. See No Evil - Television
22. (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais - The Clash
23. New Rose - The Damned
24. Neat Neat Neat - The Damned
25. Dead Souls - Joy Division
26. She's Lost Control - Joy Division
27. Pyscho Killer - Talking Heads
28. Once In a Lifetime - Talking Heads
29. Watching the Detectives - Elvis Costello
30. Los Angeles - X
31. Radio, Radio - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
32. Clampdown - The Clash
33. Complete Control - The Clash
34. Bodies - Sex Pistols
35. Beat on the Brat - Ramones
36. Atmosphere - Joy Division
37. Orgasm Addict - Buzzcocks
38. (Get A Grip) On Yourself - The Stranglers
39. Boredom - Buzzcocks
40. 12XU - Wire
41. Teenage Kicks - The Undertones
42. Oh Bondage, Up Yours! - X-Ray Spex
43. (I'm Stranded) - The Saints
44. A Town Called Malice - The Jam
45. Temptation - New Order
46. Everybody's Happy Nowadays - Buzzcocks
47. That's Enertainment - The Jam
48. Poptones - Public Image Ltd.
49. I Am the Fly - Wire
50. Friction - Television
51. I Wanna Be Sedated - Ramones
52. Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus
53. Smash It Up (Parts 1 & 2) - The Damned
54. Pump It Up - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
55. Boys Don't Cry - The Cure
56. Hong Kong Garden - Siouxsie & the Banshees
57. In the City - The Jam
58. White Riot - The Clash
59. Suspect Device - Stiff Little Fingers
60. At Home He's A Tourist - Gang of Four
61. Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
62. Disorder - Joy Division
63. Ceremony - New Order
64. A Message To You Rudy - The Specials
65. Final Solution - Pere Ubu
66. Totally Wired - The Fall
67. Guns of Brixton - The Clash
68. Chinese Rocks - Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers
69. Cars - Gary Numan
70. Born To Lose - Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers
71. Why Can't I Touch It? - Buzzcocks
72. That's When I Reach For My Revolver - Mission of Burma
73. I Found That Essence Rare - Gang of Four
74. Christine - Siouxsie & the Banshees
75. Killing An Arab - The Cure
76. Sonic Reducer - Dead Boys
77. Submission - Sex Pistols
78. Alison - Elvis Costello
79. Rock Lobster - B-52s
80. Harmony In My Head - Buzzcocks
81. Pretty In Pink - Psychedelic Furs
82. People Who Died - Jim Carroll Band
83. Atrocity Exhibition - Joy Division
84. The Magnificent Seven - The Clash
85. Pinhead - Ramones
86. No More Heroes - The Stranglers
87. Typical Girls - The Slits
88. Making Plans For Nigel - XTC
89. Life During Wartime - Talking Heads
90. You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory - Johnny Thunders
91. Start! - The Jam
92. English Civil War - The Clash
93. Nightclubbing - Iggy Pop
94. Dark Entries - Bauhaus
95. The Eton Rifles - The Jam
96. Israel - Siouxsie & the Banshees
97. Pictures On My Wall - Echo & the Bunnymen
98. Golden Brown - The Stranglers
99. Jocko Homo - Devo
100. Happy House - Siouxsie & the Banshees

 

All classic...I own every single track in one form or another.

 

Me too; own every one listed. While this wouldn't have been My Top 100 there isn't a song on the list I dislike. In fact out of the 500 we started with only a couple I don't care for.

 

What's cool about this is I couldn't quite wrap my head around this while it was in motion, but I look at the outcome and think, dang, this is a tight list. Sure, there's a little "right artist, wrong song" here and there, but really, all things considered, very impressive! I can't imagine seeing a better real-life list.

 

Well, Joy Division certainly dominate that list.

 

Good list, but a little heavy on a few acts. No room for Blondie?

 

No Blondie songs made it into the Top 100. This isn't a personal list, it was a series of polls where the top voted songs moved on. Blondie and countless others simply didn't make it that far.

 

Yes Joy Division, the Clash and Sex Pistols dominated, which wasn't a big surprise. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is actually my least favorite JD song that made the Top 100. Still great but I prefer others.

 

Interesting. Do you have the data compiled for #101-200?

 

Too many multiple entries. A band's most popular song should have cancelled out their other songs.

 

No. I could probably do it but it would take awhile. I think "Hanging on the Telephone" did the best.

 

I'd love to see the next 100, not just for Blondie, there must be some real gems on that list.

 

Well it's just how it worked out. I didn't have time to do polls on 250 artists to determine which one song to use for this poll.

 

Go to search forum, type in Punk Battle Round 2 and you should see the individual polls.

 

I never did vote in any of the polls, because I'm not that heavily into these styles of music. I commented a few times on what I had heard and heard of and liked, until they started coming too fast for me to keep up ...

I don't recall seeing Kid by the Pretenders on any of the polls; that would be my favourite song from the era, followed by Somebody Got Murdered by the Clash. From the top 100, I'm definitely a fan of London Calling, Senses Working Overtime, Train in Vain, Another Girl Another Planet, Once in a Lifetime, A Town Called Malice, I Wanna Be Sedated and The Magnificent Seven. That's eight, and I know I haven't heard half of them in total. Not too bad.

 

I'm very interested to hear if some people here are curious to a certain highlisted song and are open enough to purchase an album of one (or more) of the bands with that song.

Respect to the OP for all the houres he put in (and now even more for 30 year of albums, for every year each I don't know how many selected lists)

 

It was fun particpating in the polls. Thanks for doing this CupOfDreams.

 

Nice list!

Though I miss this one:

 

Looking at it now I realize how great the song selection is. No "fake new wave" like The Police, Boomtown Rats or Fischer Z. Well done!

 

Pretty good list SHFers have taste.

 

First of all well done to Cupof Dreams. Great list with some there I don't know.

A few surprises - the Jam are well represented but I thought Going Underground was the big classic. I also think Down in the Tube Station at midnight is iconic. Also really surprised Oliver's Army is not in there as Elvis Costello's number one track. And No Squeeze either!

Not sure if this list reflects more of a U.S. view? I missed the polls so wil take a closer look. Good to see Suspect Device in there!

 

Nice list and lots of favorites there! It sure was fun to vote these.
It's always right and heartwarming to see Joy Division dominate the list (well in fact any list), they deserve it and surely are one of my all-time favorite bands ever.

 

I'm glad Joy Division did so well, they well and truly cemented post-punk as being a credible genre, not that there weren't better or just as good bands but every genre needs its foundation and Joy Division well and truly are that. It's actually quite amazing how damn influential they've been considering the amount of time they were together, they're examples of quality not quantity.

The only good that came out of punk was post-punk.

 

I am glad that Senses Working Overtime finished so high. It is the perfect pop song.

 

Who wants to compile a list of the best digital representation of each song?
Has Steve ever remastered any of these bands?