b. American punk rock
American punk rock originated during the urban crisis years of the 1970s, but it appealed primarily to young white listeners. Bands such as the Ramones, who hailed from Queens, New York, stripped 1970s rock music of its heavy production and instrumental virtuosity, presenting short, energetic songs with simple messages of despair, alienation, or defiance. Other pioneering punk bands, including the Patti Smith Group, Blondie, and Richard Hell and the Voidoids, also originated in New York City. Though influenced by contemporary developments in British music and culture, punk rock in the United States was heavily identified with New York and reflected its status as a symbol of despair.