by Robert Fitzgerald
University of North Carolina Press
5/27/2025, paperback
SKU: 9781469685458
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Few politicians produced the musical reaction that Ronald Reagan did. His California-branded conservatism inspired countless young people to pick up guitars and thrash out their political angst. Punk bands across the United States took aim at the man, his presidency, and the idea of America he was selling to voters nationwide. Small yet vibrant scenes across the country emerged to challenge the communal norms and social values projected on them by the popular media and consumer culture. Punk enthusiast Robert Fitzgerald argues that these songs' lyrics aren't just catchy and fun to scream along with; they also reveal the thoughts and feelings of artists reacting to their political environment in real, forthright, and uncensored time.
In candid detail, Fitzgerald shows how these lyrics illustrated what young adults felt and how they reacted to one of the most influential and divisive leaders of the era. Punk lyrics are seemingly simple, the author argues, but they sketch out a complex, musically inspired countermovement that is as canonical in the American songbook as the folk and rock protest music that came before.
Reviews:
"For every band you recognize, there are about five you probably haven't heard of; Hardcore Punk in the Age of Reagan excels at cataloging these bands. It doesn't matter if the band was well-known or extremely under the radar. Fitzgerald treats those smaller bands with the same respect as the legends who endured. . . . For as researched as it is on these punk rockers' responses, it is just as researched on Reagan's flawed policies."--Dying Scene
"Hardcore Punk in the Age of Reagan is a memorable cataloging of Reagan's crimes as articulated through the lyrics of punk bands of the era. Fitzgerald's writing is entertaining and informative, and this book is a welcome and novel addition to Reagan-era studies for historians as well as anyone who loves punk music."--Kevin C. Dunn, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
"Fitzgerald forces us to take 1980s punk seriously, making the case that punk rock lyrics served as a form of cultural criticism and anger directed at Ronald Reagan's presidency. Perfect for historians, political scientists, or anyone wanting to know more about a key political and musical moment."--Kevin Mattson, Ohio University
About the Author:
Robert Fitzgerald is assistant principal of the Thomas Metcalf Laboratory School, an admittedly un-punk position, and a lifelong punk fan.