“Life-changing”: Clem Burke’s favourite punk albums
It is difficult to pinpoint the exact origins of the punk-rock explosion; it is a genre that defies everything, including international borders. However, it is impossible to overlook the influence of New York City on the development of punk. After all, it was the concrete streets of the ‘Big Apple’ that provided a home for venues like CBGBs or Max’s Kansas City, along with squats filled to the brim with budding young musicians, like Clem Burke. Rising to success as the drummer for Blondie, Burke had a front-row seat to the punk boom of New York’s East Side, and he remained dedicated to the genre throughout his life.
Originally hailing from New Jersey, Burke was always destined for musical greatness, and he began playing the drums during his childhood in the 1960s. During those early days, the young drummer took colossal inspiration from figures like Keith Moon, leading him to increasingly covet the wilder and more anarchic side of the musical spectrum. By the time the 1970s rolled around, he was immersed in the abrasive sounds of groups like The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, and The New York Dolls – it was only a matter of time before he entered into the punk revolution in his own right.
It was in early 1975 that Burke was recruited as the drummer for Blondie, one of the many groups populating the sticky floors of the CBGB club during that period. He remained one of the very few constants in the history of the New York band, sticking with them through thick and thin from their journey to new wave and pop stardom. Although Blondie quickly eclipsed the confines of the punk space, reaching for something a little more expansive, Burke always remained true to his punk rock roots.
Performing with countless different groups and throwing himself into various different side projects over the course of his illustrious career, Burke routinely found time to espouse his deep love for the punk genre. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that his record collection was always skewed towards punk rock. Back in 2019, he revealed ten of his favourite life-changing albums to Goldmine, and his picks featured a healthy representation of the rebellious style.
Two of Burke’s picks come from the progenitors of punk, The Stooges. Detroit’s finest export, the Iggy Pop-fronted band, provided a much-needed alternative to the landscape of ‘peace and love’ hippie rock during the late 1960s, blazing a trail for all future punk and alternative rock in the process. “Ron and Scott Asheton on guitar and drums, respectively, laid down the blueprint for the musical punk-rock explosion of the mid 70’s,” Burke declared, highlighting the band’s self-titled debut, along with their magnum opus Fun House as notable favourites.
As well as the architects of the punk movement, Clem Burke also heaped praise onto his fellow New Yorkers, The Ramones, selecting their eponymous debut from 1976. “From the very first time I saw the Ramones, I got it, and I knew they were special,” he shared. “They are probably only second to The Beatles as the most influential rock-and-roll group of all time. […] Life changing? Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy changed the whole damn world.”
Burke, as a dedicated fan of the leather-clad punks, once got the opportunity to drum with The Ramones for a handful of shows following the departure of Richie Ramone. Ultimately, his playing style didn’t fit with the blitzkrieg approach of the legendary group, but that certainly didn’t sway his opinion against the band.
The final punk album included in Burke’s list is one of his own, Blondie’s seminal 1978 album Parallel Lines. Although this was the record which saw the band move increasingly further away from their CBGB roots, it was still awash with all the attitude and defiance that made punk such a revolutionary movement. At the core of its punk-adjacent sound was Burke’s drumming style, and that continued to be a highlight of the band’s output for many years after the album’s release.
New York’s punk scene didn’t last forever, quickly developing into a diverse range of styles from new wave to hardcore, but its influence has been incredibly long-lasting. Inspiring multiple generations of defiant artists, the East Village scene which gave Clem Burke a name in music still sounds as revolutionary today as it did all those years ago.
Clem Burke’s favourite punk albums:
- The Stooges – The Stooges (1969)
- The Stooges – Fun House (1970)
- Ramones – Ramones (1976)
- Blondie – Parallel Lines (1978)
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