Guardian's songs that embody punk...

That's possibly the best music article I've ever seen in The Guardian, in all honesty. Admittedly, it's normally atrocious for music, and there are some bad choices, but for once there's some breadth of knowledge, and some enthusiasm. Harry Pussy and Jeff Mills are inspired choices, imo. But then again, I'd say Atari Teenage Riot in their original incarnation were the apex of punk.

I don't think it's something that should remain resolutely underground, whether it's overground or underground or wombling free is of no interest to me. But it should be wild and free in spirit, and generally aggressive/confrontational. I think those are the only parameters I'd apply. I don't think that selection is narrow, it's kind of refreshing to have fairly wide boundaries.

Punk gatekeepers are pretty annoying, and I’ve never been afraid to be annoying. Honestly, I very rarely listen to punk anymore. If I’m going to play something from 1977, odds are it’ll be Go For Your Guns or Two Sevens Clash. That being said, I always saw punk as a type of music, not an attitude. Rimbaud was a punk- fuck off. Punk any later than 78 is like Dixieland in 1980 - it may have existed, but it can’t be taken seriously. Punk in the 90’s, let alone today? There’s a reason kids who listen to old music like Fleetwood Mac, Toto, Journey and Kate Bush, all of whom were the polar opposite of punk. Being the generous person I am , I’ll give hardcore until 83. A lot of the stuff on the list is ugly, like extreme metal. The best punk IMO had hooks and riffs and could be traced back to You Really Got Me and Can’t Explain. I never cared about the sociology.