So why is The Damned’s Damned Damned Damned on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
When I lived in England in the late 1990s, I made it a point to explore the country’s punk rock history, and so when I throw on Damned Damned Damned, I’m pulled back to living across the pond – not during Thatcher’s reign, as it turns out, but in the waning days of John Major’s tenure as UK prime minister.
Alongside bands like Stiff Little Fingers (see: Inflammable Material, #952 of best 1,000 albums ever), Sham 69 (Angels With Dirty Faces, #970), and The Buzzcocks, The Damned are a great old school British punk band that has mostly flown under the radar in the U.S. compared to the far better known Sex Pistols and Clash.
What’s fun about The Damned is that they have a truly distinctive sound, incorporating elements of goth and even psychedelia into a punk framework that leverages killer hooks on their best songs.
Sidenote: how amazing is “The Damned” as a name for a punk band? Can’t get better than that. Don’t even try it.
And for my money, “New Rose” is The Damned’s best song of all, featuring fast-paced, driving guitar riffs and aggressive, shouted vocals. In the tradition of proper punk rock, the lyrics celebrate youthful rebellion.
“Neat Neat Neat” is high-energy punk rock with fast-paced drumming and a fun, shout-along chorus. The lyrics paint a picture of a chaotic and disordered world.
“Feel the Pain” is a creepy, slower, goth-y change-up that also somehow feels a little Ramones-ish at the same time.
“Stab Yor Back” drives home the anti-establishment attitude of The Damned and has nice, snarling vocals along with a super catchy chorus that’s Stab Yor Back! Stab Yor Back! Stab Yor Back!
Some stats & info about The Damned – Damned Damned Damned
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Punk Rock, Rock Music, British Bands, Old School Punk, British Punk
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 5 out of 5 stars
- When was Damned Damned Damned released? 1977
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #536 out of 1,000
The Damned’s Damned Damned Damned on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from The Damned’s Damned Damned Damned that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
No crime if there ain’t no law, no cops left to mess you around, no more dreams of mystery chords, no more sight to bring you down.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.