The Damned, T.V. Smith's the Adverts

The first UK punk single, first UK punk LP, first UK punk tour of the U.S. – arguably no Brits can lay claim to the OG title as much as the Damned. “New Rose,” that barreling first official release, has all the fixings: Brian James scratches razor-sharp guitars, Rat Scabies pummels primitive beats, and Dave Vanian fronts it all with an everyman howl. Damned Damned Damned, the 1977 album “New Rose” lives on, went on to inspire the thrashing hardcore of the Eighties, while over time Vanian’s deepening baritone influenced the goths. Eleven albums and decades of lineup changes later, salute these innovators for all things speedy, spooky, and, well, damned. – Carys Anderson