Five terrific punk songs which deserve to be played more often 

The Ruts - “Babylon’s Burning”

Punk and reggae aren’t too far apart despite the tendency of one to be aggressive and the other to be pretty cool, and laid back. The Clash were just one punk band that incorporated a reggae rhythm and style to some of their songs. The Ruts had a reggae influence too. 

They’d signed for the fairly new and emerging record label of the time, Richard Branson led Virgin Records. “Babylon Burning” was their first single there and it made the top ten, along with appearances on that BBC Top Of The Pops TV show. It was a great way of getting your music better known.

The song is another classic from that period. After a siren-playing start to set the scene, there’s an amazing bass-led intro and aggressively snarled angry lyrics. Add in the great guitar riffs and the way the tight pacy song ascends in the latter part and it’s such a great tune. Definitely one that stands the test of time, both musically and about the world today too.

The Tubes - “White Punks On Dope”

This was one of the early punk songs, paving the way for many more to follow. The Tubes were an amazing band hailing from San Francisco. They had plenty to make themselves different from the music scene. The dual lead guitar playing and spectacular live performances are just a couple of distinctive elements. 

This song “White Punks On Dope” was deemed controversial, the lyrics were frowned upon and airtime in the US was limited. The song did better in the UK, perhaps more open to having punk songs in the mainstream. It became a top thirty hit there. The song, like their stage shows, has a theatrical style about it. The chorus has a quirky hook and the song overall has so much going on in it, well beyond any simple punk power chord thrash. It’s a great reminder of times gone by when played. Go on, you’ll enjoy it!

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