Throwdown

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The results of the UK vs US Punk Rock Throwdown are in. So, who reigns supreme? Take a look!


Sex Pistols vs Ramones
WINNER: THE RAMONES
Ramones (55%, 2,224 Votes)
Sex Pistols (45%, 1,806 Votes)

Ramones
The Ramones took this one in a battle that I thought would be a little closer.



The Clash vs Blondie
WINNER: THE CLASH
The Clash (84%, 3,272 Votes)
Blondie (16%, 606 Votes)

The Clash
Okay, in hindsight I realize that this might not have been a fair fight. The reason I pitted Blondie against the Clash was that these bands, both of which started out as “punk,” hit the top 10, a rarity for the genre. However, the Clash’s influence and remarkable career is incomparable. The masses have spoken.



The Jam vs X
WINNER: THE JAM
The Jam (57%, 1,635 Votes)
X (43%, 1,227 Votes)

The Jam
This was a classic battle with the Jam (England’s finest) edging out X (LA’s best).



Buzzcocks vs New York Dolls
WINNER: BUZZCOCKS
Buzzcocks (68%, 2,028 Votes)
New York Dolls (32%, 934 Votes)

The Buzzcocks
This one surprised me. Buzzcocks scored an overwhelming victory over punk progenitor’s the New York Dolls.



Wire vs Television
WINNER: TELEVISION
Television (53%, 1,145 Votes)
Wire (47%, 1,008 Votes)

Television
A close race between Wire, known for short, terse songs, and Television, known for long, snaky songs. Although they only released three albums (two in the 1970’s and a reunion album in 1993), Television gets the crown.



Siouxsie & the Banshees vs Patti Smith
WINNER: SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES
Siouxsie and the Banshees (57%, 1,447 Votes)
Patti Smith (43%, 1,103 Votes)

Siouxsie and the Banshees
Another shocker. I never imagined that Siouxsie would beat Patti by such a wide margin, especially considering Ms. Smith was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is still recording and touring frequently.



Gang of Four vs Mission of Burma
WINNER: GANG OF FOUR
Gang of Four (66%, 1,219 Votes)
Mission of Burma (34%, 628 Votes)

Gang of Four
A decisive victory for the beloved Gang of Four, whose influence can be heard in many of today’s young indie bands, especially Bloc Party.



The Modern Lovers vs The Soft Boys
WINNER: THE MODERN LOVERS
The Modern Lovers (61%, 881 Votes)
The Soft Boys (39%, 554 Votes)

The Modern Lovers
Robyn Hitchcock’s crew was no match for Jonathan Richman’s band.



Slits vs Plasmatics
WINNER: SLITS
Slits (61%, 981 Votes)
Plasmatics (39%, 639 Votes)

Slits
Slits handedly defeat shock punks, Plasmatics.



The Fall vs Pere Ubu
WINNER: THE FALL
The Fall (71%, 1,024 Votes)
Pere Ubu (29%, 413 Votes)

The Fall
I expected Mark E. Smith and his Fall to win, but not by quite such a large margin.



Damned vs Dead Boys
WINNER: DAMNED
Damned (71%, 1,309 Votes)
Dead Boys (29%, 535 Votes)

Damned
Damned kill Dead Boys.



UK: 8 wins
US: 3 wins

Union Jack
As many of you noted, it’s kind of a silly question, trying to determine whether the UK or US spawned the better punk bands. Both countries can be proud of the amazing music that rang out from its shores in the mid-to-late 1970’s. Regardless of your preference, there’s no denying the overwhelming impact all of these bands have had on the world of rock and roll, fashion, and culture.”This is a chord, this is another, this is a third. Now form a band. Loud fast rules!”



Comments (3)

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COMMENTS (3)
redmond katz said:

Wot? No, Dead Kennedys?

meghan said:

Hey, good point, WTF?

Douglas said:

I focused on the first wave of punk mid to late 1970s. Dead Kennedys are really considered hardcore. Maybe I’ll do a hardcore battle next.



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