thelastcoolgrind

Hardcore punk, often referred to as simply hardcore, is a subgenre of punk rock that originated primarily in North America after the popularization of punk rock in the late 1970s. Hardcore punk was generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. Early hardcore has a quick tempo with drums and vocals in time, whereas modern hardcore punk has drums and vocals which may not be on beat with the tempo.[1]

Despite never achieving the popularity of the original punk rock movement, by the 1980s hardcore had sprouted underground scenes across America, including particularly notable ones in California, DC, New York, and Boston.

Hardcore has spawned several fusion genres and subgenres, some of which experienced mainstream success, such as Thrash Metal, melodic hardcore, metalcore and post-hardcore. It has also spawned the straight edge movement and its associated movements like hardline and youth crew.

While most hardcore bands have never been adopted into the mainstream some of its early pioneers have garnered appreciation over time. For example Black Flag had an album listed on on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time[2], while the Dead Kennedys have seen one of their albums reach Gold status over a period of 25 years.[3] More recently bands like the Gallows and Rise Against have seen some success playing hardcore on major labels, however most bands and scenes continue to exist within the underground.

Characteristics
.Style

The musical style of Hardcore differs from traditional punk rock by being played and sang faster and more aggressive. While punk was traditionally played fast and raw, early hardcore emphasized this to an even further degree. Most early punk rock songs retained a traditional rock 'n' roll verse-chorus form and 4/4 time signature. However, Hardcore broke from this format. In critic Steven Blush's description, "The Sex Pistols were still rock'n'roll...like the craziest version of Chuck Berry. Hardcore was a radical departure from that. It wasn't verse-chorus rock. It dispelled any notion of what songwriting is supposed to be. It's its own form."[4]

This distillation of punk was further emphasized through dress. While 1977-era punk had used DIY clothing as well, such as torn pants held together with safety pins, the dressed-down style of the 1980s hardcore scene contrasted with the more elaborate and provocative fashion styles of late 1970s punk rockers, which included elaborate hairdos and avant-garde clothing experiments. Hardcore punk fans adopted a dressed-down style of T-shirts, jeans, and crewcut-style haircuts.

.Etymology

The origin of the term hardcore punk is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A. may have helped to popularize the term with the title of their 1981 album, Hardcore '81.[5][6][7] Until about 1983, the term hardcore was used sparingly, and mainly as a descriptive term. (i.e. a band would be called a "hardcore band" and a concert would be a "hardcore show").[citation needed] However, in New York City, as early as the middle of 1982, the slogan "New York Hardcore" was adopted by fans.