The Undertones Essentials

Northern Ireland's Undertones soundtracked scores of teen crushes and heartbreaks through the years, fusing punk's energy and power with the melodic guitar hooks and lovelorn lyrics of ‘60s garage pop. No wonder they made such an impact on the UK charts in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s; some even say they helped to invent pop punk. These are instant anthems for bored youth, electric and hooky, with lots of harmonies—music you want to hear when you're cruising your dead town after all the squares go to bed, looking for some trouble to get into.