Best 1970s Punk and New Wave Songs

The best punk songs of the 1970s (70s), ranked — each one links to the album it came from, on vinyl, CD or Amazon Music.

All song lists Punk and New Wave albums Best Punk and New Wave albums of the 1970s All 1970s songs

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1

ST

Search and Destroy

The Stooges · from Raw Power (1973)

Proto-punk at its most dangerous.

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2

PS

Gloria

Patti Smith · from Horses (1975)

Poetry and punk collide.

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3

RA

Blitzkrieg Bop

Ramones · from Ramones (1976)

Two minutes, all hook, year zero for punk.

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4

SP

Anarchy in the U.K.

Sex Pistols · from Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)

The snarl that detonated UK punk.

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5

TE

Marquee Moon

Television · from Marquee Moon (1977)

Ten minutes of interlocking guitars that invented art-rock.

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6

TH

Psycho Killer

Talking Heads · from Talking Heads: 77 (1977)

Bass guitar, French lyrics, and the most creepy chorus in new wave.

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7

DA

New Rose

The Damned · from Damned Damned Damned (1977)

Often called the first UK punk single.

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8

EC

Alison

Elvis Costello · from My Aim Is True (1977)

The debut's centrepiece — new wave that was really just a great song.

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9

WI

Three Girl Rhumba

Wire · from Pink Flag (1977)

Two minutes of distilled post-punk intelligence.

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10

BL

Heart of Glass

Blondie · from Parallel Lines (1978)

The disco crossover that punk was supposed to hate and couldn't resist.

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11

BU

Ever Fallen in Love

Buzzcocks · from Love Bites (1978)

The most perfect two-minute punk-pop song.

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12

PO

Roxanne

The Police · from Outlandos d'Amour (1978)

Reggae tension under Sting's most unglamorous love story.

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Tap the artwork or "Listen" to find the track on Amazon Music; "Watch" opens a YouTube search; the song title opens its album page. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases and sign-ups.