This list is prejudiced against the later thrashy styles that eventually cropped up as I don't personally care for that whole metal sound that crept in. I also left off compilations, which I really think may be a good jumping in point for a genre like this. Hell, I'd say just picking up the Let Them Eat Jellybeans compilation could give a better overview than any of these individual records. A few other exclusions as I ran out of room in some cases or a few other bands that I just don't personally like that others consider a big deal. But, here's 25 that are about as good as this stuff got for my money...feel free to complain.


Black Flag – Damaged
The Adolescents – S/T
Husker Du – New Day Rising
Bad Brains – S/T
Circle Jerks – Group Sex
Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
The Dicks – Kill From The Heart
The Big Boys – Lullabies Help The Brain Grow
Minor Threat – Out of Step
Misfits – Static Age
MDC – Millions of Dead Cops
Social Distortion - Mommy's Little Monster
TSOL – Dance With Me
Angry Samoans - Back from Samoa
Descendants – Milo Goes to College
Flipper – Generic
Suicidal Tendencies – S/T
Agent Orange – Living In Darkness
FEAR – The Record
X – Los Angeles
Naked Raygun – Throb Throb
DOA – Hardcore ‘81
Subhumans – Incorrect Thoughts
The Germs - GI
Redd Kross - Born Innocent

how about crass

Don't like 'em much, really. Personal prejudice. Don't like the music or their smelly anarchist/vegan/hippies with mohawks vibe.

I could only come up with 10 so far, so I'll make it a running list.
Comment as you will:
Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks
Naked Raygun - Throb Throb
Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade
Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
Bad Brains - I Against I
Big Black - Songs About Fucking
Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising
Fear - Fear (The Record)
Rancid - Rancid (2000)
Shellac - At Action Park
Jesus Lizard - Goat
(All in no particular order)

Not much for modern on that list, not that I'd really have many suggestions.

I kinda separated Sex Pistols and such from this, I was more focusing on the hardcore punk era not the earlier stuff. If I was lumping all that together, the list would be very, very different indeed.

And yeah, list is pretty era specific. I've not honestly heard much of anything more recent of the style that's made me wanna replace anything on the list, but I do admit my exposure to more modern stuff is pretty limited.

This is why the whole concept of "Genre-Specific Essentials" is flawed.
Because I wouldn't consider X to be hardcore. Not by a long-shot, or I would have included Under the Big Black Sun or Los Angeles in my list.

Hmmm.

Los Plugz, The Dickies, The Germs?

Refused?

Germs in there...love the Plugz, but they came under the not really so much a hardcore band to me...although I can see that going either way. Dickies good suggestion I guess... borderline if they really fit under the tag to me, depending how narrow you list the genre.

I've only heard a little of the Refused and didn't like 'em, but it seems plenty of other people do.

I do kinda agree with Todd that it gets kinda silly and hard to do with making a really narrow genre. Makes it pretty limiting if you get too specific, but if you make it too broad, you end up with the same handful of albums popping up all that time.

that would be almost hardcore experimental prog rock...

Hardcore queers are one of those types of dudes that get really pissed off when you mislabel their band's genre. Almost comedically so.

they get pissed off for a lot of reasons. it's part of the image.

cro-mags - age of quarrel


where do groups like the Jesus Lizard and McLusky fall?

I've been trying to figure out what genre they would fall into, as well.

"Post-Hardcore"?

Although, I'm gonna add Goat to my list here, because I think they still fit (just like Big Black, Shellac, and all the Albini stuff).

these are the only ones i can agree on.

also, a true "hardcore" list should feature:

Youth Of Today
Scream
7 Seconds
D.R.I.
Corrosion Of Conformity
Dag Nasty
Government Issue
Uniform Choice

leaving these out is criminal.

please leave youth of today off this list

I remember seeing Dag Naasty, Government Issue and COC off that list, but personally I don't think any of 'em put out albums competitive with the ones I picked, but ya know, opinions and all that.

Mostly I don't care for the bands that sound half metal like COC, also why I wouldn't put on the Cro-Mags...and tossing on a Minor Threat was the best I was able to muster for straight edge.

highly influential hardcore band. if this is "essential hardcore list", than they must be included imo.

I don't really know how you can say a mid 80s straight edge band popping up is all that influential over a host of other bands.

a mid 80s straight edge band that influenced hundreds (possibly thousands) of kids to start bands and really give a boost to and define the straight edge hardcore scene.

yeah, wouldn't wanna feature them.

But straight edge sucks...at least I didn't totally ignore it. Gave Minor Threat a shout.

with a comment like that, i now question your knowledge of it.