The Sex Pistols
These jokers were as much media construction as genuine article. That doesn’t mean that the music wasn’t good, though. Glen Matlock and Steve Jones (who wound up starting a band called the Professionals that might be musically stronger than the Pistols) are really an underrated duo, the latter possessing the guitar talents that many in the early punk scene did not. Regardless of who was good at what – and Sid was good at nothing – this band was able to release just one proper full length before the wheels fell off. It’s a classic. You’ve probably heard it roughly 10,000 times.

The Damned
Releasing the earliest single from a punk band in the UK, the Damned aren’t as hugely famous as the Pistols. The Damned’s first three records, though, represent as strong a trio of releases from a UK band as exist – well maybe the Clash have ‘em there. Either way, the ‘80s weren’t too kind to these folks as they devolved into a weirdo goth group. Stay away from that nonsense, but otherwise, it’s all tasty stuffs.

The Clash
The most varied in its tastes outta this class of bands, the Clash were able to eventually include reggae, ska, dub and funk into its punk. London Calling is generally heralded the most frequently. But the band’s second full length, 1978’s Give ‘em Enough Rope, moves between rock genres pretty adroitly for a group that was formed to just mess around subsequent to seeing the Ramones.

The Boys
Never as big as its peers, the Boys were able to create an amalgam of pop and aggression that came off so clean that it’s hard to understand why it wasn’t a more popular band. There some transgressions – and some out of place metally guitar sounds - here and there with a few lyrics contradicting one another in relation to the band’s allegiance to the Beatles, but all is forgiven. As a side, “First Time” was covered pretty well by the Canadians in Teenage Head – hunt it down.

Alternative TV
Maybe closest to the Clash outta this grouping here, Alternative TV weren’t ever destined to make a huge impact on the genre. Founded by zinester Mark Perry, Alt. TV work around some reggae music as well as its punk. And in an interesting turn of events the group even ran through some demos with Genesis P. Orridge. The result was just a buncha experimental noise with some kraut sounds tossed in, but there wasn’t another punk group that woulda been capable of such feats.

The Buzzcocks
One of the first bands function outside of the London scene, the tightly wound, forward thinking dudes from Manchester released a single that pretty much blew everything else outta the water. It’s first full length album - Another Music in a Different Kitchen – is really all the required listening tied to this group. Later discs, after the departure of Howard Devoto, just weren’t as strong. And regardless of how lame Magazine turned out to be, the songwriting skills he took with him were apparently what made the Buzzcocks.