Cover von Billy Bragg's Album "Workers Playtime" von 1988 (Those: www.billybragg.co.uk )
In the second half of the 1970s, especially in London and New York City, the punk rock scene grew up and produced two internationally successful bands in the British capital with the sex Pistols and The Clash. The punk scene grew up in the context of the rise of the fascist "British National Party", reflected the rebellion of young people against the monarchist authorities and fascist elements in the United Kingdom; Nevertheless, the scene was repeatedly hiked by fascist elements, which hiked brawls at concerts of bands with progressive songs such as Sham 69.
The sex pistols were particularly known with the two songs "God Save the Queen" and "Anarchy in the U.K.". Her “protest” also included the obvious wearing of fascist symbols such as swastika t-shirts; But her songs were better, like the parody of the British national anthem:
God save the Queen
The fascist regime
They made you a moron
A potential H bomb
God save the Queen
She ain't no human being
There is no future
In England's dreaming
Many of the advanced bands were part of the "Rock Against Racism" concert series, which was directed against British pop stars, among other things, who drew attention to themselves with evil reactionary headlines, as Eric Clapton ("Keep Britain White!") Or or David Bowie (expressed his support for fascism and his admiration for Hitler in interviews with the "Playboy", among others). Also in the FRG there was quickly a counterpart to "Rock Against Racism" with "Rock against Right", which-from the communist federal government-was not yet such a bourgeois-democratic meaning. In these actions in England, however, it can also be kept in mind that many activities against the British National Party and their influence of leadership of the Trotskyists were subject to.
The Clash - also part of "Rock Against Racism" - landed their biggest hits with "London Calling" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go", but also had far more political and combative numbers. In 1979 - before the London workers' part of the London was actually an uprising against the police - the song "Guns of Brixton" was released, which deals with the situation of a son of Jamaican immigrants in the quarter, which between police force and the consequences of the Economic crisis grows up. In keeping with this, “Guns of Brixton” already consists largely of elements of the rocksteady / reggae, which at that time became popular by the migrants in England. However, only a few black bands were commercially successful, most likely to be called the song "Pass the Dutchie" from the musical Youth, 1982. In 1979 the label 2 Tone Records was founded, under which the Ska - Sprover of Rocksteady and Reggae in Jamaica - a revival in the United Kingdom experienced, where mainly white bands like "Madness" made a name for itself with their cover version of "One Step Beyond", "The Specials" or "The Beat". In addition to these groups, the fusion of elements of the SKA and the skinhead scene also found their expression in “2 tone”, the best-known example was the “Bad Manners”. Among the most advanced known "2 tone" songs are:
"Rock Against Racism" and "2 Tone" musicians like Elvis Costello also had an important influence on later left folk singers such as Billy Bragg, who started his music career in 1981 after he had bought up from the British Army for £ 175, and end the 80s and early 90s had some successes.