In the late ‘70’s the short lived UK Punk explosion really shook things up and was quickly followed by the Post Punk movement - a broad genre of musicians departing from the raw simplicity of punk and adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-rock influences. Inspired by punk's energy and DIY ethic but determined to break from rock cliches, artists experimented with styles like funk, electronic music, jazz, and dance music; the production techniques of dub and disco; and radical ideas from art and politics.

Early Post Punk bands included Siouxsie and the Banshees, Wire, Public Image Ltd, Cabaret Voltaire, Magazine, Pere Ubu, Joy Division, Talking Heads, Devo, Gang of Four, The Slits, The Cure, and The Fall and the movement was closely related to the development of genres such as goth rock, neo-psychedelia, no wave, and industrial music. By the mid 80s, Post Punk had dissipated, but it provided a foundation for the later alternative and indie genres.