List of punk cities
For much of its history, punk music has been focused on energetic live shows and local music scenes, due to the non-marketability of most punk music and to the anti-corporate politics of many punk bands. As such, certain cities throughout the world have been important centers of the development of punk. The most significant are London and New York City, the birthplaces of the genre, though other scenes have brought regional variations to the core sound.
For each city, significant local events, bands, record companies and venues are listed in alphabetical order.
- Austin, Texas (Big Boys, Butthole Surfers, Dicks, Lower Class Brats)
- Belfast (Good Vibrations Records, Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones)
- Berkeley, California (Beserkley Records, Berkeley Square, Gilman Street Project, Green Day, Lookout! Records, Rancid)
- Boston (Bastard Squad, Dropkick Murphys, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mission of Burma)
- Cleveland (Devo, Disastrodrome, The Pagans, Pere Ubu, Rockets from the Tomb)
- Chicago (Big Black, Screeching Weasel, Urge Overkill)
- Columbia (In/humanity, Antischism, Guyana Punch Line, Stretch Arm Strong)
- Detriot (MC5, Don't-Ask, The Sillies, The Stooges, Bookie's Club 870, Nebula Records)
- Durban (Wild Youth, Power Age)
- Gainesville, Florida (Less Than Jake, Hot Water Music, Discount, Against Me!, No Idea Records)
- London (The Clash, The Roxy Club, Sex Pistols, The Bromley Contingent, 100 Club Punk Festival)
- Leeds (Chumbawamba, Fast Product, Gang of Four, The Mekons)
- Long Beach, California (The Middle Class, SST Records, Sublime, Suburban Lawns)
- Los Angeles (Bad Religion, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, The Germs, NOFX, X)
- Manchester (Buzzcocks, The Fall, Factory Records, Joy Division)
- Milwaukee (Death, Violent Femmes)
- Minneapolis (Babes in Toyland, Dillinger Four, Husker Du, The Replacements, Twin Tone Records)
- Minot, North Dakota (the Liberty, the AMP)
- New York City (CBGB, The New York Dolls, Ramones, Patti Smith, The Velvet Underground)
- Olympia, Washington (Bikini Kill, Riot grrl, Sleater-Kinney)
- Örebro, Sweden (59 Times the Pain, Liberator, Millencolin, No Fun At All)
- Pittsburgh (Anti-Flag, Aus Rotten)
- Portland, Oregon (The Wipers, Poison Idea)
- Prague, Czech Republic (Destyl)
- Richmond, Virginia (Avail, Hoi Polloi, Sixer, Gwar)
- San Francisco (The Avengers, Dead Kennedys, Flipper, Mabuhay Gardens, Negative Trend)
- San Pedro, California (The Minutemen)
- Seattle (The Berserkers, The Gits, The Screamers)
- Stockholm (Ebba Grön)
- Terengganu (Joe Kidd, Mallaria, The Pilgrims, Rator)
- Ukiah, California (AFI)
- Vancouver, British Columbia (D.O.A., Dayglo Abortions)
- Washington DC (Bad Brains, Dischord Records, Fugazi, Minor Threat, straight edge punk)
