So this is part of a discussion that hijacked a General Discussion thread. The first part is another poster, the second is my reply. Thoughts?
What do you think makes a band punk, other than what the record stores classify them as. Don't get me wrong, I know punk when I hear it, but are thier some accepted definitions used to classify it?
Unlike most genres, punk isn't defined by the musical style as much as by the lyrics and meaning behind it. There are two things that make a punk band punk.
The first, and least important, is it's musical style cannot be classified in any other way. This is why many punk bands sound NOTHING alike (listen to Blue Oyster Cult and Flogging Molly back to back for an example of that).
However, this does not always define a punk band. After all, Nirvana is not punk, but alternative, and MANY alternative bands have very different musical styles as well. The BIGGEST thing that defines punk is their lyrics. A punk band is defined by its anarchist, anti-societal, rage against the machine, protesting lyrics. Of course, not all punk songs contain these messages, but a punk BAND is defined by the majority of its songs in this way.
Good example of this is Greenday. Many people don't realize they are punk because they're mainstream, which is normally an oxi-moron. However, if you listen to their lyrics, they're VERY punk.
