An anti-establishment rock music genre and movement that emerged in the mid-1970s in the US, UK and Australia, with groups such as the Ramones, Sex Pistols and the Clash creating a new musical movement. Punk rock was typified by short, fast, hard music, with stripped-down instrumentation and often political or nihilistic lyrics.

Punk rock became a major phenomenon in the UK during the late 1970s, but its popularity elsewhere was more limited. During the 1980s, forms of punk rock emerged in small scenes around the world, often rejecting commercial success and association with mainstream culture.

By the turn of the century, punk rock's legacy had led to development of the alternative rock movement.