Before punk had a name, Iggy Pop was inventing it with the Stooges. His stage performances, smearing himself with peanut butter, cutting himself with glass, diving into hostile audiences, were acts of confrontation that made even the most outrageous rock performers look tame. The music was equally primal: Ron and Scott Asheton's caveman riffs and rhythms created a sound that was raw, dumb, and perfect.
The Stooges were commercial failures who became the most influential band that nobody bought records by. Iggy's solo career, particularly his Berlin-era collaborations with David Bowie, produced The Idiot and Lust for Life, albums that bridged punk, new wave, and art rock. He's outlasted nearly every artist he influenced.
Key Albums
Proto-punk at its most unhinged. The guitar tone alone influenced a generation.
Bowie-produced art-rock that anticipated post-punk and industrial.
The title track's drumbeat became one of rock's most recognizable rhythms.
Why They Matter
Iggy Pop and the Stooges invented punk rock before punk rock existed. His confrontational performance style and the Stooges' raw, minimalist approach became the template that the Ramones, Sex Pistols, and every punk band after them built on.