List of post-punk bands

This is a list of post-punk bands, both from the original post-punk movement as well as from the post-punk revival.

Post-punk is a musical movement that began at the end of the 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock "explosion". The essential period that is most commonly cited as post-punk falls between the years 1977-1984. After 1984, numerous bands continued to release music in this style, but with the advent of alternative rock as a more catch-all term for underground bands in the mid-'80s, they were not always referred to as post-punk. and their status as part of the post-punk movemenet is sometimes disputed.

The post-punk revival is a movement in modern rock music, being part of the larger indie/garage rock, punk, and dance genres. The post-punk revival draws in part on the conventions of the original post-punk sound from the early 1980s, yet is also equally inspired by '90s genres such as shoegaze, Britpop, garage revival, and post-hardcore, as well as '80s new wave. Thematically it is often an extension of and reaction to the more pop-oriented punk music of the 1990s. The movement began and is most prominent in English-speaking countries such as the US, the UK, and has been especially tied to the New York City and London music scene.

Post-punk influences

Bands that influenced the original post-punk movement.
* David Bowie - For both his early Ziggy Stardust work and experimental Berlin-era output, notably "Low".
* James Brown
* Can
* Chic
* George Clinton
* Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band
* Marc Bolan and T. Rex
* The Doors
* Brian Eno - For his art rock albums "Here Come the Warm Jets", "Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)", and "Another Green World".
* Faust
* King Tubby
* Kraftwerk
* Genesis (Peter Gabriel era)
* Giorgio Moroder
* Neu!
* Lee "Scratch" Perry
* Iggy Pop - For "The Idiot" and "Lust for Life".
* Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett era)
* The Residents
* Roxy Music
* Suicide
* Donna Summer - For the Giorgio Moroder-produced track "I Feel Love."
* Tangerine Dream
* Scott Walker - For his atmospheric song "The Electrician."
* Robert Wyatt
* The Velvet Underground

Notable record labels that released post-punk artists

* 4AD
* 99 Records
* Beggars Banquet Records
* Cherry Red Records
* Creation Records - More known for late '80s post-punk influenced artists.
* Factory Records
* Falling A Records
* Fast Product
* Fiction Records
* Fresh Records
* Independent Project Records
* Industrial Records
* Korova
* Mute Records
* Postcard Records
* Radar Records
* Ralph Records
* Red Rhino
* Rough Trade Records
* Some Bizarre
* Strange Fruit Records
* Touch and Go
* Zoo Records

Post-punk bands (1977-1984)

0-9

* 17 Pygmies
* 23 Skidoo

A

* A Certain Ratio
* Abecedarians
* Adam and the Ants
* Aimless Device
* The Alarm
* Altered Images - Early singles and first LP were post-punk. Shortly after they shifted into a more new wave style.
* Alternative TV
* And Also the Trees
* APB
* The Armoury Show
* Artery
* The Associates
* Au Pairs
* Ausgang
* Automatic Pilot

B

* Bauhaus - Considered progenitors and members of the gothic rock genre.
* Big Black
* Big Flame
* Big in Japan
* The Birthday Party
* Blitz - Started as an oi! band, but switched to an artier post-punk style with 1983 LP "Second Empire Justice"
* The Bloods
* Blue in Heaven
* Blue Orchids
* Blurt
* B-Movie
* The Bolshoi
* Boots For Dancing
* The Boys Next Door - Evolved into The Birthday Party
* Breathless
* Bunnydrums
* Bush Tetras
* Buzzcocks

C

* Cabaret Voltaire - Considered early pioneers of industrial music specifically, and electronic music in general.
* Certain General
* The Chameleons
* The Chills - New Zealand
* Christian Death
* Choir Invisible
* Chrome
* Chumbawamba - Their first LP "Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records" was a highly political post-punk album.
* The Church
* Cindytalk
* Clan of Xymox
* Classix Nouveaux
* Clock DVA - Earlier albums were very post-punk.
* Cocteau Twins
* Coil - Eclectic electronic duo, closely linked to the early industrial scene.
* The Comsat Angels
* Cool It Reba
* Cortex - Sweden
* The Cramps
* Crawling Chaos
* The Creatures
* Crime and the City Solution (ex-The Birthday Party)
* Crispy Ambulance
* The Cult
* Cultural Amnesia
* The Cure

D

* Da!
* Dalek I
* The Dancing Did
* Dangerous Birds - Early band of Thalia Zedek (Uzi, Live Skull, Come)
* Danse Macabre - One of New Zealand's early contributions to post-punk
* Danse Society
* Danielle Dax
* Dead Can Dance - The post-punk influence is evident on their earliest works.
* Dead or Alive - Their earliest singles
* Death Cult - Intermediate band between the earlier Southern Death Cult and later The Cult
* Death In June - Having produced punk rock as Crisis, members of Crisis eschewed their previous work in favor of a more experimental approach and founded Death In June. The post-punk influence is evident only during the early works by the group.
* Delta 5
* Department S
* Depeche Mode
* De Press - Norway
* Lizzy Mercier Descloux
* Desperate Bicycles
* Devo - Predated and then coexisted with the post-punk movement, anticipating its integration of krautrock and dance into punk, though with the bleakness of post-punk they had a humorous side.
* Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft - Early industrial pioneers.
* The Diagram Brothers
* Die Haut
* Disciplina kičme - Serbia, ex-Yugoslavia
* Dislocation Dance
* Drowning Craze - Earlier group of Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins)
* The Durutti Column

E

* Echo & the Bunnymen
* Einstürzende Neubauten
* Eight Living Legs - New Zealand
* EKV - Ex-Yugoslavia
* Električni Orgazam - Serbia, ex-Yugoslavia. Their early works.
* Elvis Costello & the Attractions - See Imperial Bedroom; an album released by the group in 1982 that had some post-punk feel to it in songs like "Beyond Belief"
* Empire - Formed by guitarist Bob Andrews and drummer Mark Laff after leaving Generation X)
* Essential Logic
* ESG
* Eurythmics - First album only.
* Eyeless in Gaza

F

* Factrix
* Fad Gadget
* Faith Global ("Earth Report" EP)
* The Fall - The Fall's music changes drastically in "phases" designed by rotating band membership. However, their music has remained consistently post-punk throughout their career.
* The Feelies
* Felt
* The Fire Engines
* Fischer-Z
* Flesh for Lulu - Pre-new wave/rock albums were very post-punk informed.
* Flying Lizards
* Foetus
* John Foxx
* Fracture
* Fra Lippo Lippi

G

* Gang of Four
* Gene Loves Jezebel
* Girls at Our Best!
* GIT - Argentina
* Glaxo Babies
* God's Gift
* The Glove
* Miki Gonzales - Spanish-Peruvian musician.
* Grauzone
* The Gun Club

H

* Nina Hagen - Early work was very post-punk informed.
* Heroes del Silencio - Spain
* The Homosexuals
* The Human League - 1977-1980 output only (later work is classified as new wave or synthpop)
* Human Sexual Response

I

* Icicle Works - First album was very post-punk informed
* Idoli - Serbia, ex-Yugoslavia (especially "Odbrana i poslednji dani" album)
* I'm So Hollow
* The Individuals
* In the Nursery - Pre-neo-classical work was very Joy Division inspired
* In Camera

J

* Japan
* Jilted John
* Josef K
* Joy Division - Acknowledged by many as a founding group of post-punk, and an influence on a variety of future bands and derivative forms, particularly gothic rock.

K

* KaS Product
* Killing Joke
* Kino - Russia
* Kirlian Camera
* Klaus Nomi
* Kleenex - Switzerland
* Kommunity FK
* KUKL - Iceland (pre-Sugarcubes project featuring Björk)

L

* The Laughing Clowns - Post Saints post-punk/jazz project
* The Leather Nun - Sweden
* The Legendary Pink Dots
* Legião Urbana - Brazil
* The Lemon Kittens - Early project of Danielle Dax
* LiLiPUT - Switzerland
* Liquid Liquid
* Live Skull
* Lords of the New Church (ex-members of The Damned and The Dead Boys gone post-punk)
* Lori and the Chameleons
* Lene Lovich
* Lowlife - Formed by Will Heggie after he left Cocteau Twins
* Ludus
* Lydia Lunch

M

* Magazine - Formed by Howard Devoto, founder of early punk legends Buzzcocks.
* Malaria!
* Mars
* Mass
* March Violets
* Maximum Joy (ex-The Pop Group)
* Medium Medium
* The Mekons
* The Membranes
* Mercenarias - Brazil
* Metal Urbain - France. Their first single was the first release by Rough Trade Records.
* Minimal Compact
* Minny Pops
* Mission of Burma
* The Mob
* Modern English
* Modern Eon
* Moev
* The Monochrome Set
* Monte Cazazza
* Musta Paraati - Finland

N

* The Names
* Nervous Gender - Helped found the synthpunk style of post-punk.
* New Model Army
* New Order - Formed from the remaining members of Joy Division after Ian Curtis' death.
* Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
* Nightmares in Wax (pre-Dead or Alive)
* The Nightingales
* Norma Loy
* The Normal

O

* Oingo Boingo
* The Opposition
* Orange Juice
* Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Earliest records were stark electronic post-punk releases.
* John Otway

P

* Pale Fountains
* Paralisis Permanente - Spain
* The Passage
* The Passions
* Paraf - Croatia, ex-Yugoslavia.
* Pekinška Patka - Serbia, ex-Yugoslavia. Their later works.
* Pere Ubu
* Pink Military
* Play Dead
* Poison Girls
* The Pop Group
* Prefab Sprout
* The Prefects
* Primitive Romance
* The Psychedelic Furs
* Public Image Ltd. - Formed by John Lydon, former vocalist of the Sex Pistols.
* Pulp (early)
* Pylon

R

* The Raincoats
* Redex
* Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
* Red Noise
* Red Zebra
* Rema-Rema
* Rip Rig + Panic (ex-The Pop Group)
* Romeo Void
* The Room
* Rowland S. Howard
* Royal Family & the Poor

* Sad Lovers & Giants
* Savage Republic
* Scars
* Scattered Order
* The Screamers - Helped found the synthpunk style of post-punk.
* Screen 3
* Scritti Politti - Early material was post-punk before lead singer Green Gartside went pop.
* Section 25
* Severed Heads
* Sex Gang Children
* Shades of Pale
* Shock Headed Peters (ex-Lemon Kittens)
* Shoes for Industry
* Shriekback
* Siekiera - Poland
* Siiiii
* Simple Minds
* Siouxsie & the Banshees - Also influential in the development of gothic rock
* The Sisters of Mercy
* The Slits
* The Smiths
* Soda Stereo - Argentina
* The Soft Boys
* Soft Cell - Earliest releases were very experimental electronic post-punk
* Sonic Youth
* Sort Sol
* The Sound
* Southern Death Cult
* Spasmodique
* Spasmodic Caress
* Spear of Destiny (ex-Theatre of Hate)
* Spizzenergi
* Storm Bugs
* Stripey Zebras
* The Stranglers
* Strawberry Switchblade
* Suburban Lawns
* Swans - Earlier albums heavily influenced many modern industrial rock outfits.
* Swell Maps

T

* Talking Heads
* The Teardrop Explodes
* Tears for Fears - Mostly heard on their debut "The Hurting"
* Television
* Television Personalities
* Theatre of Hate
* The The
* Theoretical Girls
* This Heat
* This Mortal Coil - Project created by 4AD label head Ivo Watts-Russell, featuring members of Cocteau Twins, Modern English, Dead Can Dance, Breathless, etc.
* The Three Johns (Mekons side project)
* Throbbing Gristle
* The Tiller Boys (Buzzcocks side project)
* Titãs - Brazil. Earlier albums
* Toiling Midgets
* Tones on Tail (Bauhaus side project)
* Winston Tong
* Trisomie 21
* Tubeway Army
* Tunnel Vision
* Tuxedomoon - Making music that, ostensibly, was intended for various independent film projects, Tuxedomoon's albums are often categorized as film music.

U

* U2 (early)
* UK Decay
* Ultravox
* Ut

V

* Virgin Prunes
* Visage
* Violent Femmes

W

* Wah! (Heat, The Mighty, etc.)
* Wall of Voodoo
* Way of the West
* Whitehouse
* The Wild Swans
* The Wipers
* Wire - Starting as a first wave British punk group, Wire's sound quickly grew to encompass post-punk and was instrumental in the development of synth-pop and techno music.
* Wire Train
* Wolfgang Press

X

* XTC (some early songs)
* Xmal Deutschland

Y

* Yello
* Young Marble Giants

Z

* The Zones (some songs on their "Under Influence" album)
* Zounds

Post-punk-influenced bands (1984-1991)

Bands that appeared soon after the initial movement, yet carried the same aesthetic styles and influences. Many of these bands would cross over into alternative rock, shoegaze, post-hardcore, coldwave, and twee pop.

* Agata Kristi
* Asylum Party - France
* Blonde Redhead
* The Boredoms
* Cranes
* Curve
* Deception Bay
* Disco Inferno - Debut LP [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:7j67gj4ro6i9 In Debt] was an homage to Factory Records and Wire.
* Drive Like Jehu
* Elastica
* Garten Kirkhof
* For Against
* Half Man Half Biscuit
* His Name Is Alive
* The House of Love
* James
* Jane's Addiction
* The Jazz Butcher
* The Jesus and Mary Chain
* Kitchens of Distinction
* Lippy's Garden
* Little Nemo - France
* Love and Rockets
* Medicine
* The Mighty Lemon Drops
* Moonshake
* Morrissey
* My Bloody Valentine
* The Ocean Blue
* Opera Multi Steel
* Pink Turns Blue
* Psi-Com
* Pixies
* Radiohead
* Red Hot Chili Peppers - have been cited as being highly influenced by Gang of Four.
* Red Temple Spirits
* Ritual Tension
* Scratch Acid
* Slowdive
* The Snake Corps
* Spoon
* Springhouse
* The Stone Roses - As heard on their earliest singles (influenced by The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Chameleons).
* Uzi
* The Wedding Present
* Zero Le Creche

Post-punk revival bands (Late 1990s-2000s)

Bands from the second wave of post-punk along with those significantly influenced by the genre.

!

* !!!
* ¡Forward, Russia!

A

* A Place to Bury Strangers
* A Spectre Is Haunting Europe
* The Acidiks
* Ambulance LTD
* Antarctica
* Apartment
* Apollo Heights
* Arctic Monkeys
* Art Brut
* Asobi Seksu
* Astral
* Audra
* Autodrone
* The Automatic
* Avantgarde

B

* Babyshambles
* Battle
* be your own PET
* Beautiful Skin
* Bell Hollow
* Bellmer Dolls
* The Black Angels
* Black Ice
* Blacklist
* Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
* Black Wire
* Bloc Party
* The Blood Arm
* the Blood Brothers
* The Bravery
* The Brides
* British Sea Power
* Boy Kill Boy

C

* CSS
* Castrati
* Ceremony
* The Chalets
* The Chaste
* Chromatics
* The Cinematics
* Clearlake
* Clinic
* Clor
* The Cloud Room
* Cockatoo
* Colder
* Communique
* The Cribs
* Cruel Black Dove

D

* Dandi Wind
* Datarock
* Daysleepers
* The Dead 60s
* Dead Disco
* Death from Above 1979
* The Death of a Party
* The Departure
* Dirty on Purpose
* Dirty Pretty Things
* Dogs
* Duchess Says
* Los Dynamite

E

* Editors
* Elefant
* The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
* Entertainment
* Erase Errata
* Every Move a Picture

F

* Facing the Day
* The Faint
* Film School
* Fine China
* The Floor
* Francis 7
* Franz Ferdinand
* Frausdots
* French Kicks
* Funeral Crashers
* The Futureheads

G

* Githead
* The Glass Set
* GoGoGo Airheart
* Gotterdammerung
* The Grates

H

* Hard-Fi
* Haymarket Riot
* The Hives
* The Holy Kiss
* Hot Hot Heat
* The Horrors
* Humanzi
* The Hunt

I

* Ikara Colt
* I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
* Interpol
* Into the Black
* Infadels
* The Invisibles
* The Intelligence

K

* The Killers
* Kill Hannah
* Kittens for Christian
* Klaxons

L

* Lansing-Dreiden
* LCD Soundsystem
* Le Butcherettes
* Les Georges Leningrad
* Les Savy Fav
* Liars
* The Libertines
* Lifelover
* The Light Brigade
* Lomax
* The Long Blondes
* The Longcut
* Louis XIV
* Longwave
* The Lost Patrol
* Love in the Shadows
* Love Is All
* Love of Diagrams
* Low Art Thrill
* Low Sunday

M

* The Maccabees
* Madelia
* Mahogany
* The Make-Up
* Mannequin Depressives
* The Mary Onettes
* Maxïmo Park
* Men, Women & Children
* Metric
* Misfortune 500
* Moldig
* Monsters Are Waiting
* Moving Units

N

* The National
* Nazca
* Neils Children
* Neptune
* New Young Pony Club
* Noisettes

O

* The Open
* The Opposite Sex
* The Organ
* OVIDEO

P

* Performance
* Pilot to Gunner
* Pink Grease
* Placebo
* Polysics
* Portugal. The Man
* Pretty Girls Make Graves
* The Prids
* The Primes
* Prosaics
* The Public
* The Photo Atlas

Q

* Q and Not U

R

* Radio 4
* Radio Vago
* The Rakes
* The Rapture
* Razorlight
* The Retrosexuals
* Revel Hotel
* The Robocop Kraus
* Rock Kills Kid

* Selfish Cunt
* Serena Maneesh
* She Wants Revenge
* Shiny Toy Guns
* SHITDISCO
* Shock Cinema
* Shoot Out the Lights
* Sixteens
* Sleepmask
* Sluts of Trust
* Snowden
* The Sounds
* Soviet
* theStart
* Stellastarr*
* The Stills
* Stylex
* The Strokes
* The Sugar Report

T

* These Arms Are Snakes
* These New Puritans
* Three Dollar Bill
* Thrushes
* Thunderbirds are Now!
* Tokyo Police Club
* Trembling Blue Stars
* Turn Pale
* Turpentine

U

* The Unicorns

V

* The Vanishing
* Veil Veil Vanish
* Tom Vek
* Vernian Process
* VHS or Beta (formed before 1998)
* The Violets
* Vola and the Oriental Machine
* V.SoRRoW

W

* The Walkmen
* The Warlocks
* We Are Scientists
* We Miss the Earth
* Weep
* White Rabbits
* White Rose Movement
* Wilderness
* The Wombats

X

* Xinlisupreme
* Xiu Xiu

Y

* The Young Knives
* The Young Werewolves

Z

* zZz