Top 20 Greatest L.A. Punk Albums of All Time: The Complete List
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8. Black Flag
Nervous Breakdown
Every ten years or so, a band comes along that just blows everything all to hell. In 1978, Black Flag became that band. They didn't completely crystallize until Henry Rollins came aboard for 1980's Damaged, but the effect of the Nervous Breakdown EP can't be overstated. The opening riffs of the title track sound like a bomb dropped on tepid, skinny tie bands like The Cars and Blondie. This wasn't cutesy retro pop rock & roll. Instead, it feels like the full-throttle scream of an anxious, unmedicated teenager punching a hole in the wall. --Nicholas Pell
7. X
Under the Big Black Sun
Some bands come out of the gate with both barrels blazing, while others hit their stride later in their career. X somehow managed to do both, releasing three spectacular records in three years, each better than the last. Under the Big Black Sun, however, stands out by incorporating country, '50s vocal pop and straightforward rock elements into the mix, all the while keeping their trademark dual-sex moaning and wailing. --Nicholas Pell
6. Circle Jerks
Group Sex
Group Sex is not subtle, but there's not much time for subtlety when your longest song clocks in at 1:36. No intros, no bridges, no bullshit, just Keith Morris' whiny scream. The Circle Jerks aren't as overtly political in their song-writing as some of their contemporaries, but the core fury is there. "Beverly Hills" and "World Up My Ass" are as antagonistic and irritated as anything you'll find. --Kai Flanders
See also: Still a Malcontent: A midlife crisis spawns Keith Morris' new band Off!
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