Look ma, a coffee table book on punk rock…sort of. Though not oversize, Punk 365 (Abrams) is certainly thick and full of pictures from the original punk rock-new wave era of the late ’70s.

The original punk explosion was an artistic/critical success but failed in the mass marketplace. One of the few bands that really struck gold–Blondie–went from subway surf rock and girl group extensions to cover disco, reggae, and the emerging style of rap. The Clash sold the most records with the dance-leaning “Rock the Casbah” (still a biting piece of Joe Strummer vitriol) and the garage thump of “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” The Sex Pistols wouldn’t see big money until decades later, while The Ramones would become more legendary after their break-up, the most cash coming in for merchandise after the deaths of bassist DeeDee and singer Joey.

All that said, some amazing albums and singles came out of that era, inspiring and influencing so many bands that would follow, including the ca-ching cash register-scoring groups of the ’90s and today. And the visuals from that time now gone are captured in this remarkable book by Holly George-Warren, with shots by photographs that include Bob Gruen, Ebet Roberts, Roberta Bayley, Jill Furmanovsky and others.

In addition to iconic groups such as The Pistols and The Clash, there are punk godfathers such as Velvet Underground and Flamin’ Groovies, as well as post-punk outfits like Jesus and Mary Chain, who certainly do fit into the legacy. This is a fine cross-generational book for punk, power-pop, and new wavey enthusiasts of all kinds.

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