Punk Rock Playlist

When the Guerrilla Girls formed their activist art collective in the 1980s, the punk music scene was exploding with a similar DIY energy.

Tired of the relentless sexism of the male-dominated art world, the Guerrilla Girls deployed bold poster and mail campaigns that they designed and funded themselves to publicly call out individuals and institutions by name. They used irony as an aesthetic, often employing hot pink colors and ultrafeminine language (“XOXO” was one of their famous sign-offs) to deliver scathing critiques.

It’s not hard to see how the Guerrilla Girls and the punk movement were driven by the same subcultural rage. Punk emerged in direct response to a professionalized music industry that had abandoned rock’s rebellious roots. To be punk meant being outside of mainstream society and major record labels. It meant making music with whatever was available, using sonic dissonance, screaming vocals, and provocative lyrics to shock people out of their complacency.

Inspired by this shared history between the Guerrilla Girls and punk, and in the spirit of DIY, Getty staff member Jeffrey Wood curated a playlist in honor of the exhibition “How to Be a Guerrilla Girl” to share with his colleagues. It quickly grew to over 50 songs. Wood explains:

“As my sister Wendy and I graduated high school in the early ’80s, we came of age in the Los Angeles punk scene. Women such as Alicia Armendariz (aka Alice Bag) of the Bags, Teresa Covarrubias of the Brat, and Su Tissue of the Suburban Lawns are some of the women musicians who inspired us. My pirate Guerilla Girls Radio is pure amateur; it may be rough at the edges, but it’s a labor of love!”

Listen to a selection of songs below.

X-Ray Spex, “Oh Bondage, Up Yours!” (1977)

Poly Stryrene formed her band X-Ray Spex in 1976 with an ad: “young punx who want to stick it together.” The group’s 1977 single “Oh Bondage, Up Yours!” is about fighting all restrictions to self-expression and creativity. Their now classic album Germfree Adolescents addresses anti-consumerism and anti-capitalism and was a major influence on the 1990s riot grrrl movement.

The Bodysnatchers, “Ruder Than You” (1980)

This 2 Tone all-girl ska band from the early 1980s delivers rude girl music to live by. “Rude girl” is a Jamaican, ska, and reggae term for a young woman who is unapologetically herself; 2 Tone combined Jamaican reggae with the energy and activism of punk—most importantly through its mix of Black and white musicians—to stand for racial equality. Many anti-racist music festivals in Britain featured a combination of 2 Tone and reggae with punk bands.

The Slits, “Typical Girls” (1979)

The Slits formed in 1976 and are considered the first all-girl punk band. They opened for the Clash and played alongside Buzzcocks and the Sex Pistols. Ari Up formed the group as a teenager; she would later go on to join the New Age Steppers and become a selector (DJ) and toaster (a vocal style where a DJ chants, speaks, or sings over a dub or instrumental track) in Jamaica known as Medusa. Viv Albertine was first in a short-lived band with Sid Vicious called the Flowers of Romance. Palmolive was replaced by Budgie, who later joined Siouxsie and the Banshees. I was fortunate to see the Slits live at the Troubadour before Ari Up’s untimely passing from cancer.

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, “Bad Reputation” (1980)

Joan Jett, alongside Cherie Currie, was famously in one of Los Angeles’s original all-girl bands, the Runaways. She went straight to the offices of Creem magazine when the Runaways got a bad review to show herself in person and demand an answer. She also produced one of LA’s best punk bands, the Germs. Jett continues to hold court as a true artist who rocks.

Sonic Youth, “Kool Thing” (1990)

Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, now a powerful solo artist performing with an all-girl band, sings:

Hey, Kool Thing…are you gonna liberate us girls from male white corporate oppression?

What is more punk than that?

The Dickies, “Banana Splits” (1979)

My sister Wendy and I just loved seeing the Dickies live at places like the Starwood since our high school days in the late ’70s. They were from the San Fernando Valley and one of the earliest Hollywood punk bands.

The Selecter, “Carry Go Bring Come” (1980)

The Selecter, fronted by Pauline Black, is one of the best examples of 2 Tone’s ethos, with an equal number of Black and white musicians to champion equality and anti-racism, plus highly danceable beats and a political message of unity. Every time I saw the Selecter live through the decades, Black spoke to the audience and challenged them to both think and dance. This song is a cover of a classic 1964 Jamaican ska/rocksteady song by Justin Hinds and the Dominoes.

The Go-Go’s, “Cool Jerk” (1982)

Wendy and I went to countless shows by the Go-Go’s, who, along with X, were the house bands of Whisky a Go Go through the ’80s. Their very early days were part of the Hollywood punk scene, and they got their start at the Masque alongside the Germs and the Screamers.

The Brat, “High School” (1980)

The Brat, a Chicano punk band that formed in 1978, was fronted by Teresa Covarrubias. She later joined the Chicano art collective Asco (Spanish for “nausea” or “disgust”), whose original members were Harry Gamboa Jr., Glugio “Gronk” Nicandro, Willie F. Herrón III, and Patssi Valdez. 

Lene Lovich, “Joan” (1979)

Wendy and I are superfans of Lene Lovich, following her since the late ’70s. I caught her live at Magic Mountain—yes, the amusement park—which featured live New Wave and punk bands in the ’80s. I especially love this song, which references Joan of Arc. Some of the lyrics remind me of the joy, defiance, and audacity of the Guerilla Girls:

Like Joan of Arc you must be brave and listen to your heart
Imagination is essential to creative art
So look into your mind and use what you may find
The answer lies behind your eyes
It’s not that far

Lunachicks, “Jan Brady” (1990)

The Silver Lake club Dragstrip 66 used to hold monthly drag nights, and one of the themes was called “Night of a Thousand Jans.” It ended in a police raid with drag queens in full Jan Brady attire performing in the helicopter spotlights.

Malaria!, “Geld/Money” (1982)

Malaria! was an all-girl band from ’80s West Berlin. I have Malaria! cassettes that I have played umpteen times.

Listen to the playlist on Spotify or below.