All of the 100 Greatest Hardcore and Punk Records...

Here are the rules I've given myself:

1. All these records had to be released as vinyl

2. Up to two albums by any one artist (rarely)

3. Released between 1976 and 1989

4. No compilations or collections of previously released songs - So No 'Flex your head' (a compilation), No Black Flag's 'The First Four Years' (a collection of previously released eps), No Agnostic Front's 'Live at CBGBs' (live records if more than half of the songs aren't unreleased at the time the record came out).

5. While I definitely give credit for being influential, it's a personal list of my taste. The Sex Pistol's Never Mind the Bollocks is very low on the list and there are no Ramones records on there. I know - blasphemy.

The Records:

1. The Crucifucks - self titled 12" (1984)

The greatest Punk record of all time? I think so.

2. The Cro-Mags - Age of Quarrel 12" (1986)

If the Crucifucks is the greatest punk record, this is the greatest Hardcore record. Simply amazing.

3. Youth of Today - We're Not In This Alone 12" (1988)

Youth crew hardcore's magnum opus. Very positive.

4. Bad Brains - Rock For Light 12" (1983)

The greatest band of all time - arguably invented hardcore. Note: the Roir tape wasn't considered because it wasn't released on vinyl. Rock for light is better anyway.

5. Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotten Vegetables 12" (1980)

Kill the Poor, California Uber Alles, Holiday In Cambodia, Let's Lynch The Landlord, Chemical Warfare to name a few songs - all classics - on this album. Need I say more.

6. Suicidal Tendencies - self titled 12" (1983)

'All I wanted was a Pepsi' may just be the most famous lyrical punk phrase.

7. Minor Threat - self titled 7" (1981)

They weren't the first or the last - but what a record. Invented the term straight edge.

8. Black Flag - Jealous Again 12" (1980)

I'm a big Rollins fan for sure, but this is my favorite Black Flag record.

9. Misfits - Walk Among Us 12" (1982)

Their debut album - 5 years after their first single - might just be their finest work.

10. Descendents - Milo Goes To College 12" (1982)

Pop Punk godfathers. Chicks like this stuff, too.

11. Circle Jerks - Group Sex 12" (1980)

14 songs under 16 minutes and not a dud among them (maybe the jokey-joke title track).

12. Dag Nasty - Can I Say 12" (1986)

Very influential to the melodic hardcore and emo stuff out today. But that's not the reason it's so high on the list. The reason it's so high on the list is that it is so amazingly good. 23 years later and it doesn't sound very dated. Groundbreaking album.

13. Exploited - Punk's Not Dead 12" (1981)

Debut album by these english cartoon punks. They're still around today and have had countless releases, but if you told me this was the only thing you had by them, I would say you have a pretty solid Exploited collection. This is punk.

14. The Feederz - Ever Feel Like Killing Your Boss 12" (1984)

Now this is the punk spirit I'm talking about. Sandpaper cover, olivia newton john cover song, and odes to anal sex with jesus.

15. Dead Kennedys - In God We Trust 12" (1981)

Dead Kennedys at their most hardcore. Nazi Punks - Fuck Off!

16. Germs - (GI) 12" (1979)

Only studio album by these LA punk legends.

17. Black Flag - Damaged 12" (1981)

This record is harsh. Introduced the world to Henry Rollins - It's been nice.

18. MDC - Millions of Dead Cops 12" (1982)

Classic hardcore album takes on the cops, war, corporate amerika, rednecks, Mcdonalds, and (of course) John Wayne.

19. Skrewdriver - Hail to the New Dawn 12" (1984)

Certainly the most controversial choice on this list. This band is the most infamous band in punk rock. Just having this record on my list will have people calling me a nazi. Lyrically less racist than the average SOD or MOD record.

20. DOA - War On '45 12" (1982)

Only 8 songs and 3 or them are covers - but this rocks.

21. GG Allin & the Jabbers - Always Was, Is and Always Shall Be 12" (1980)

Already a sociopath and he was just getting started.

22. Uniform Choice - Screaming For Change 12" (1986)

Kind of started the wave of straight edge youth crew stuff of the late '80s. This record's so great you can look past the lyrics stolen from a greeting card and the spoken word piece.

23. Rollins Band - Life Time 12" (1987)

I can't decide if this record or Damaged is Henry Rollins' peak. Burned Beyond Recognition.

24. Gorilla Biscuits - Start Today 12" (1989)

Who doesn't love this record? If this had come out in 1995, they would of been bigger than Green Day.

25. Bruisers - Intimidation 7" (1989)

This 4 song 7" might be the best American oi! record ever released. Maybe the best oi! record period.

26. Youth Brigade - Sound and Fury 12" (original version) (1982)

Confusing release as they released a record of the same name a year later with some of the same songs re-recorded and some songs left off with some new songs put on. Even more confusing for people living in the digital age is that the original version has been re-released (sans 'Something's Gonna Change') as 'Out of Print' and the second version under the name 'Sink with California'. In either case, they're both good, but this is more raw and doesn't have some of the silly songs (a rap song, a parody sung to children) that plagued the second version.

27. Reagan Youth - Youth Anthems For The New Order 12" (1984)

Great packaging. Only 7 songs but nothing is missing. Fun Fact: The 1994 movie, Airheads stars a band called the Lone Rangers, played by Adam Sandler, Steve Buscemi, and Brendan Fraser, who take over a radio station to get their song played. Their song is their version of the Reagan Youth classic Degenerated.

28. Fear - The Record 12" (1982)

A classic. My favorite style of punk - the 'fuck you' kind.

29. Rich Kids on LSD - Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare 12" (1987)

Great album. I loved the comic book that came with it. Did I mention that packaging counts.

30. Dicks - Peace? 7" (1984)

The Dicks were awesome. This one has a theme - It's against war.

31. 7 Seconds - Walk Together Rock Together 12" (1985)

Only 7 songs long. 5 of them are great, 99 red balloons for the girls, and a sort-of rap song.

32. Social Distortion - Mommy's Little Monster 12" (1983)

Not a dud on here. Whatever happened to these guys? I thought that they could of 'made it'.

33. Iron Cross - Skinhead Glory 7" (1982)

American skinhead classic. Crucified.

34. Warzone - Lower East Side Crew 7" (1987)

Tired of all the slick production these new bands like Fallout Boy have - well here's your answer. Why is this out of print?

35. Agnostic Front - Victim In Pain 12" (1984)

Recently reissued on bridge 9 records on vinyl with it's awesome original packaging. I remember seeing this when I was pretty young and I didn't know what to make of it. They seemed like the real deal and kind of scary. This was about 'the streets'. What would Jello think?

36. Flipper - Generic 12" (1982)

Debut album by... nevermind, you wouldn't understand anyway.

37. Dayglo Abortions - Feed Us A Fetus 12" (1985)

The cover was a drawing of Ronald and Nancy Reagan with a plate in front of them with an bloody aborted fetus on it - ready to be eaten. What's more punk than that?

38. Crimpshrine - Quit Talkin' Claude 7" (1989)

The best of Gilman street bands. I consider this pop punk. If only Greenday sounded more like this...

39. FOD - Shatter Your Day 12" (1986)

Yes, the highest rated Boston Hardcore record on this list is FOD. Blasphemy.

40. Avengers - We Are The One 7" (1977)

Three of their best songs on one 7" slab of vinyl.

41. Swiz - self titled 12" (1988)

spurned ex of Dag Nasty replies with diatribe… I'll face you straight to hell.

42. Clash - London Calling 12" (1979)

I'm not the biggest Clash fan, but this one works.

43. Poison Idea - Kings of Punk 12" (1986)

The title of the record says it all.

44. Negative Approach - self titled 7" (1982)

This 10 song 7" has been voted best hardcore 7" by numerous entities. I don't have it that high, but I understand what they're talking about.

45. Ruts - The Crack 12" (1979)

Amazing debut record. Too bad the singer died and they went all reggae after this.

46. Antidote - Thou Shalt Not Kill 7" (1983)

Ahead of its time. Probably more of a blueprint for future NYHC than Victim in Pain by Agnostic Front.

47. Youth of Today - Break Down The Walls 12" (1986)

The record cover alone was groundbreaking. This was the first record cover I remember with a live action shot. I remember going to a record store and trying to find a good album just by how good the artwork was and how good the name was. I got some winners and I got some duds. After this record, you could walk into a record store, and if you saw a picture of muscly guys with real short hair (or shaved) screaming on stage… well, you weren't going to get some alternative jazz fusion when you put it on the turntable. How many record covers copied this formula.

48. Articles of Faith - What We Want Is Free 7" (1982)

Debut 7" of influential chicago hardcore band.

49. Sick of it All - Blood, Sweat, and No Tears 12" (1989)

Sick of it All are legends, and this is their best. What's not to like about it.

50. Slapshot - Back on the Map 12" (1986)

Boston Hardcore? More Oi! than hardcore. Only 7 songs, but it did really put Boston back on the map.

51. Misfits - Horror Business 7" (1979)

52. The Fartz - World Full Of Hate 12" (1982)

53. Naked Raygun - All Rise 12" (1985)

54. D.I. - Team Goon 12" (1983)

55. GG Allin & the Aids Brigade - Expose Yourself to Kids 7" (1988)

56. Bad Religion - Suffer 12" (1988)

57. Gang Green - Another Wasted Night 12" (1986)

58. Husker Du - Zen Arcade 12" (1984)

59. JFA - Blatant Localism 7" (1981)

60. Mentally Ill - Gacy's Place 7" (1979)

61. Judge - Bringin' It Down 12" (1989)

62. Bhopal Stiffs - E.P.A. 12" (1988)

63. Government Issue - The Fun Just Never Ends 12" (1985)

64. Adolescents - self titled 12" (1981)

65. Toxic Reasons - God Bless America 7" (1984)

66. SNFU - If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish 12" (1986)

67. Blitz - Voice of a Generation 12" (1982)

68. Fang - Landshark 12" (1982)

69. Subhumans (UK) - The Day The Country Died 12" (1983)

70. Operation Ivy - Hectic 7" (1988)

71. The 4-Skins - The Good, the Bad & the 4-Skins 12" (1982)

72. Corrosion of Conformity - Technocracy 12" (1987)

73. Underdog - The Vanishing Point 12" (1989)

74. Screeching Weasel - Boogadaboogadaboogada! 12" (1988)

75. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols 12" (1977)

76. Weirdos - We Got the Neutron Bomb 7" (1978)

77. Gray Matter - Take It Back 12" (1986)

78. Flipper - Love Canal 7" (1981)

79. TSOL - Dance With Me 12" (1981)

80. MDC - Multi Death Corporation 7" (1983)

81. Half Off - The Truth 12" (1987)

82. Damned - Damned Damned Damned 12" (1977)

83. American Standard - Wonderland 12" (1989)

84. Leatherface - Cherry Knowle 12" (1989)

85. Unity - You Are One 12" (1986)

86. Bl'ast - Power of Expression 12" (1986)

87. Buzzcocks - Spiral Scratch 12" (1977)

88. Subhumans (canada) - self titled 12" (1979)

89. Lemonheads - Hate Your Friends 12" (1987)

90. Attitude Adjustment - American Paranoia 12" (1986)

91. GISM - Detestation 12" (1984)

92. SS Decontrol - The Kids Will Have Their Say 12" (1982)

93. Chelsea - self titled 12" (1979)

94. Agent Orange - Living In Darkness 12" (1981)

95. GBH - City Baby Attacked By Rats 12" (1982)

96. Life Sentence - self titled 12" (1987)

97. Business - Suburban Rebels 12" (1983)

98. M.I.A. - Murder in a Foreign Place 12" (1984)

99. D.R.I. - Dirty Rotten EP 7" (1983)

100. BGK - Nothing Can Go Wrogn! 12" (1986)