ENGLISH 351 - Punk, Post-Punk, New Wave, 1976–81: Five Years of Protest That Changed Popular Music

No doubt punk rock was fermenting before the fall of 1976: in the punk-poetry of Patti Smith, the gender provocations of the New York Dolls, the self-harm self-loathing of Iggy Pop, and the agit-prop of the MC5 (not to mention the pop-punk of Queens’ own The Ramones). But if punk has a birthday it’s November 26, 1976, when the Sex Pistols brought anarchy to the UK. Once that can of worms had been opened, it was everything everywhere all at once: post-punk followed on punk’s heels so quickly that it was barely post; new wave was coined as an anodyne marketing term to placate music directors who were afraid of punk. This is a course about punk and its siblings. In this course we’ll study the history and the artifacts of the first wave of punk rock, fall 1976-summer 1981. We’ll read some of the best writing about the period, both from the period itself and contemporary writing, both public-facing and scholarly. We’ll dive deep into some of the most important singles of the era, sharpening our skills for writing about rock & pop. And we’ll think together about the efficacy of popular art to effect political change.
Units: 4
Course Type: Seminar