You did an excellent job describing the style and its background, and you did an admirable job compiling your list (and I hear you about the difficulties involved when one has to stick to things reissued on CD). However, while I understand that these things are highly subjective, I don't think even the most broad-minded hardcore fans would consider certain enteries (Descendents, Ries of Spring, Bad Religion (at least "

Sorry - comment got cut off somehow. Here's the rest:

suffer" era), Misfits) hardcore, but it is however a very good "starter" punk list (and the rest is really just subgenre quibbling anyway), so good job!

Thanks for commiserating, I appreciate it. I think it all depends on which hardcore fans you talked to on a given day - those four bands definitely hewed closely enough to hardcore's sonic template, shared much the same audience, or have enough historical/critical association with hardcore to merit inclusion. If nothing else, they're good examples of the mutations that developed within the genre.
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To each their own, though. Beyond Minor Threat-Bad Brains-Black Flag, it's pretty difficult to reach an objective consensus.

A lot of it is also that what was considered hardcore at the time & what is considered hardcore in retrospect differ at points. The only one you could really make a definitive argument against is Rites of Spring, since they were a "Revolution Summer" band and were therefore consciously anti-hardcore (although all the more reason to have them on the list, I guess). They are also handy in that you can nicely tell your curious younger patrons that, yes, they were the first emo band, and no, it's not really debatable, even if your friends did say it was My Chemical Romance ;).

Your first point is excellent. Your second point, regarding Rites of Spring and the origins of emo, is GENIUS.

It might be worthwhile to have a list of proto-emo bands/records for listener advisory, just to see if younger patrons take to the trailblazers readily, or at all.

can't BELIEVE I'm reading this at work... on work time! I met my husband at the record store... I was the manager, he the pizza delivery guy with a brother that worked for me. When we first met he was totally into death metal, and punk (!) then lost the death metal for punk only in his late teens.
He was totally into Revelation Records... I not as much. I preferred SST artists... Interesting that you didn't really mention record lables, per se. Despite SST, for example, releasing Black Flag, Minutemen, Meat Puppets and many more, many customers (and me!) came to have favorite labels and were really focused on exploring a whole roster.

Keep the columns comin'--

I have a friend who does an internet radio show with interviews once a month, the next one features East Bay Ray from Dead Kennedys. He talks about his experiences, musical influences, and his latest solo project. I won't post the advert here, but let me know if you'd like the dates/times/url. Last one was John Bonnar from Dead Can Dance, and it was fascinating.

No, it sounds great! Please go ahead and post the when and where as a comment. A Dead Can Dance interview too... very nice.