To think the 'punk' era of music was essentially over by 1978?

[StirlingWork]

I listened to a track by punk band The Toy Dolls last night - it was their only UK hit - 'Nellie the Elephant' - reached no.4 in the UK charts in December 1984. This is a track that although it reached a high chart position it NEVER seems to get radio airplay - so it was nice to listen to it and replay the associated memories.
In the UK, the peak of the punk era in my opinion was 1977 - with the Silver Jubliee and the Sex Pistols track 'God Save the Queen' and associated controversy. When the Sex Pistols split up in early 1978, being the iconic UK punk group, within a year or so the UK punk scene slowly came to a halt only to be replaced by New Wave, a few years later Ska and the New Romantics.
Whenever, anyone says punk to me - I associate the movement with the year 1977, after which it all seemed to go downhill.

Pelleas - ha - yes I first discovered Pick of the Pops in August 1997 - Alan Freeman was presenting it then. It subsequently became the only thing I insisted on listening to on the radio!

Der der der der-der-der, der der der der ...

What about the 90's?

1977 was punk's last independent hurrah and the Post Punk / No Wave that followed was some of the best music ever, leading into New Wave and even New Romantics stand up to modern day scrutiny.

At which point it all got a bit pointless and then too manufactured again.

Interesting. I have heard it said that the 1980s began in 1979.

Video killed the radio star by Buggles, and Bang Bang by BA Robertson were 1979 but are just so ‘80s.

I went to a silver jubilee party. I wore some very splendid Union Jack socks.

raspberryk - with hindsight I wasn't particularly sold on 90s music so thank goodness I'm not a 90s child!

Chatons - that song 'Money - that's what I want' I cant remember the name of the band but I think came out in 1979.

Sorry Chatons - meant to say that 'Money' song sounded very 80s too.

Chatons Retrospectively, I think the musical transition from the 70s to the 80s is one of the strangest - I see the period between 1978 and 1981 as a mini period of its own - the 70s finished in 1978 and the 80s didn't really start until 1981.

Pelleas - what I would do to see the likes of Legs and Co et al on Top of the Pops!!

If you want to find out more about the LA punk scene, you could read 'Under a big black sun' by John Doe and Tom deSavia. There is a second book 'More fun in the new World' also.
The books have contributions from many of the bands choronzon mentioned, and others. I have recently read both of these and it's sent me down a bit of a US punk rabbit hole :)

Oh, yes. You used to see them when they screened old TOTPs in their entirety, but that hardly ever happens now because so many of the episodes were presented by people who've since been discredited, so they tend to edit to bands only.

thetemptationofchocolate - thanks for the heads up on the book. I associate US punk more with New York for some reason - didn't realise it was LA as well - thought they had their own music scene - shows how much I know!

They’ve been showing old TOTP on BBC 4 for about 10 years now.
They started in 1976 or so and now it’s 1989. There have been a few they couldn’t show due to certain disgraced presenters.

What about the 90's?

What about them indeed.

FlamingoandJohn - yes they're now up to Sept 89 - just love the fashions of the time! Brings back memories of my first ever job for £1.25 and hour!!

I'm old enough to remember. It went from punk to New Wave by about that time.

£1.25 an hour? Jesus, I was on 99p an hour!

@Stirling Money is a Beatles song, covered by the Flying Lizards. Not to be confused with the Flying Pickets

bellinisurge - 99p !! - I'm talking about August 1989.

StirlingWork, Money = The Flying Lizards.

CuriousaboutSamphire - that's the one!!

You've just created our list for tonight's music fest.

We start with Bauhaus...

Thanks!

You're welcome Curious

Gosh, this has taken me back.