Punk rock music was a complete musical revolution. But like many forms of music, the history of punk rock can tell us about more than just the history of the rock bands themselves. Pictures of punk rock music and musicians are able to give us a glimpse into important facts about the history of the world that gave rise to the punk rock movement.
Foundations in Working Class Musicians
The earliest incarnations of punk rock music can be found in musicians working as garage bands in the 1960s. These musicians were different from musicians of previous eras because they completely lacked musician and vocal training. They often lacked musical training simply because they were from working-class families and could not afford it. Punk rock pictures from this era show homemade outfits and clothes that were clearly not as “fancy” as the leisure suits that many musicians wore before punk rock.
Room for Anger About American Politics
Punk rock was not the first type of music to be political, as rock, country, and blues that came before it was all avenues for expressing political discontent. But by the late 1960s, punk rock musicians were offering music that was full of anger about the political environment. They were coming into prominence during a decade that saw Civil Rights and Anti-War protests. The music both reflected the generation and inspired it.
England’s Punk Rock and Economical Upheaval
In England, punk rock formed around a collapsing economic system. The UK’s economy was failing when punk rock began to take off in earnest, and many punk rock pictures demonstrate an unhappy and unemployed youth with time on their hands. Their unhappiness would find its way into punk rock lyrics and would find freedom of expression at punk rock concerts.
