The Dictators

A band who epitomized punk before punk rock became a musical or cultural phenomenon, the Dictators embraced the joys of junk culture -- professional wrestling, greasy hamburgers, late night television, fast cars, and cheap beer -- along with roaring music that was unapologetically simple and straightforward. What was most surprising was that they were doing this in 1973, and their debut album, 1975's The Dictators Go Girl Crazy!, appeared two months before the first Ramones LP. Initially, their sound was burly hard rock, though by the time they issued 1978's raucous Bloodbrothers, their attack grew leaner, faster, and more emphatic. Bloodbrothers was also the final album from their first era, but the Dictators stubbornly refused to die, staging occasional reunion tours and re-emerging with an excellent reunion album, D.F.F.D., in 2001. Founder Andy Shernoff revived the Dictators again in 2021, releasing a handful of singles and hitting the road.