The first wave of punk aimed at distancing itself from the pretentiousness and posturing of 1970s rock.
Punks strove to dismantle the tame acts that were now standing as pre-eminent rock and roll.
Rock no longer stood for the left field, for the rebels, for the counter-culture.
Stripped down and pure is the way they wanted it, in contrast to the over the top musical effects and emphasis on musical virtuosity that had become staples of rock and roll.
In December 1976, the English fanzine Sideburns famously published an article containing an illustration detailing how to play three chords and the instruction - 'Now form a band'.
Some leading English punk figures rejected not just their contemporaries but also their predecessors including Elvis, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
Many in the scene discounted nostalgia, developing nihilist sentiments all set to a background of economic recession, unemployment and disillusionment in late 70s Britain.
Many punk bands emulated the bare musical structures of 1960s garage rock, songs tended to be shorter but retained the verse-chorus form and 4/4 time signature.
However, with the second wave and the development of hardcore all boundaries of music were tested.
Production tended to be minimalist in an attempt to achieve the real and unmanipulated effect of the live performance.
However, the second wave of punk, though still containing key elements such as energy and aggression began to expand its musical range with a wider variety of tempos and more complex instrumentation.
Many interacted with the reggae and ska subcultures, incorporating their rhythms and production styles.