Rolling Stone readers name Green Day the best punk band of all time

by John Lucas on Aug 3, 2011 at 12:38 pm
Green Day: the greatest of all time?

The readers of Rolling Stone have spoken, and the greatest band in the history of punk rock is Green Day.

No, really. Even Rolling Stone seems a little taken aback by this, with its online article attributing Green Day's victory to the fact that the band linked to the poll from its official site, and that the fan site Green Day Authority did the same. Now, nothing against Green Day—really!—but it just ain't right that the likes of the Clash or the Sex Pistols didn't make the top spot. Am I wrong?

Here's how they stacked up against the readers' other picks:

1. Green Day
2. The Clash
3. The Ramones
4. The Sex Pistols
5. Dead Kennedys
6. Iggy and the Stooges
7. Black Flag
8. The Misfits
9. Social Distortion
10. Bad Brains

The list has already generated considerable debate in the Georgia Straight editorial department, with one wag who shall remain nameless (let's call him Mike U.) opining that the Ramones "blow donkey dicks" because "the songs all sound the same."

Another staffer (let's call him me) noticed that the list is made up mostly of American acts, and that the inclusion of Social Distortion and the Misfits over U.K. bands such as the Damned and the Buzzcocks is just a wee bit totally fucking outrageous.

What are the real top 10 punk bands of all time? Should local heroes like D.O.A. and the Subhumans be included? Or is the ranking of artists in this way a pointless waste of energy? Tell us in the comments below.

Comments (10) Add New Comment
Brad Chee
Aug 3, 2011 at 2:36 pm
What, no Blink 182?
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Nitwit
Aug 3, 2011 at 2:42 pm
All a survey like this proves is that uneducated poop-brains answer surveys like this. Green Day, really c'mon.
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Adrian Mack
Aug 3, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Real punks listen to jazz
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Martin Dunphy
Aug 3, 2011 at 5:42 pm
This got me Googling for other lists. One I found, a top-100 list, didn't even mention Green Day (but that wasn't so remarkable given that it was compiled by an individual).
Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly made the grade, but not a whiff of the Pogues! Big mistake. Ignore the ballads, if you like, but give the Pogues a real listen. They set those two bands on the road.
And how about the Dead Milkmen?
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Coast Guarder
Aug 5, 2011 at 8:09 am
big up the Dead Milkmen...and if Iggy and the Stooges make the list then where are the Kinks?????
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HellSlayerAndy
Aug 5, 2011 at 11:12 am
Black Flag is understandable, but Bad Brains make the cut over Rise Against, Bad Religion, Rancid or even Sonic Youth, which people think are punk? People who remembered Black Flag and the DKs, forgot DOA, Subhumans, Gang Green, Circle Jerks, MDC, etc, but went for the Misfits and Social Distortion???

It just seems a little strange that 'customers' who recommend 'bad brains', see them ahead of those other bands even though all of them are way more popular and been at it continuously for decades?
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Orson B. Jective
Aug 5, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Looking at the overall douchebaggery of this list, I'm surprised that The Offspring didn't make the cut. Between them and Green Day, one could easily fill the top two spots on another list, be it "Worst punk bands of all time" or, even more to the point, "Bands that for some reason are considered punk by some people but really never were".
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powdakilla
Aug 5, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Did someone just rank Rise Against, Rancid, and Sonic Youth over the Bad Brains, Get the f#$k outta here.
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Craig Stapleton
Aug 6, 2011 at 9:03 am
Depending on what you think "punk" is, I think the NY Dolls, MC5, Buzzcocks, Damned and The Stanglers had a bigger impact on the whole "punk" ideology much more average bands like the Misfits and Black Flag! Green Day got voted in by the young kids who's only knowledge of punk is Green Day! A good band, just not #1.
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dread nugent
Aug 7, 2011 at 6:47 am
Hank Williams was the original punk ... followed by Jerry Lee Lewis ... the rest are all just walking in already broken in shoes .... no Jim Morrison ...well ... then no Iggy as we know him ... and then lets talk about Peter Laughner ... who took the best page from all of them and wrote some of the best songs most of you have never heard ... as for the best of the classic explosion? ... Ramones .... effing Green Day... a less talented Undertones at best .. I like a fair amount what Green Day did ... but just cuz you dress in a "conditioned" punk look don't mean your a real punk ... besides what punk once stood for back in 76 is all gone... now they just market your "rebellion" to you .. it means little... effing Blink 182 ... ya .. lol ... ABC Afterschool Special "punk"... barely ... and that is ramblings from a cranky 50 year old who was around before "punk" ... but please .. go and rock out to Blink 182 and The Black Halos if you must ... its your youth and you can spend it as you please.
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