Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Black Flag (band)

Role / Field:

Pioneering American punk rock band, foundational to hardcore and post-hardcore genres.

Born:

1976

Century / Era:

1976s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Black Flag is an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was founded as Panic by guitarist Greg Ginn, and singer Keith Morris. They are widely considered to be one of the first hardcore punk bands, as well as one of the pioneers of post-hardcore. After breaking up in 1986, Black Flag reunited in 2003 and again in 2013, however due to a legal dispute two versions of Black Flag were formed, one under the Black Flag name featuring Ginn and a revolving door of touring musicians and the other, FLAG, featuring Morris, Chuck Dukowski, Bill Stevenson among other ex-Black Flag members.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

This resulted in a highly public lawsuit between Ginn and FLAG, ultimately ending with both versions to exist and tour. The second Black Flag reunion lasted well over a year, during which they released their first studio album in nearly three decades, What The... (2013). Ginn announced Black Flag's third reunion in January 2019. Black Flag's sound mixed the raw simplicity of the Ramones with a style of atonal guitar soloing compared to that of the New York Dolls' lead guitarist Johnny Thunders, and, in later years, frequent tempo shifts.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The lyrics were written mostly by Ginn...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A Day at the Races (album) — Contemporary (Born in 1976) (1976): Queen's fifth studio album, a companion piece to A Night at the Opera.
• Adolph Zukor — Contemporary (Died in 1976) (1976): Pioneering Hungarian-American film producer, co-founder of Paramount Pictures.
• Agatha Christie — Contemporary (Died in 1976) (1976): The 'Queen of Crime,' a master of the mystery genre, best-selling author of all time.
• Alexander Calder — Historical peer (Died in 1976) (1976): Pioneering American sculptor celebrated for kinetic mobiles and monumental abstract forms.
• Alexander S. Wiener — Historical peer (Died in 1976) (1976): Pioneering American biologist known for discoveries in serology and immunogenetics.
• Aaron Swartz — Historical peer (Born in 1986) (1986): Pioneering programmer, activist, and hacktivist known for RSS, Markdown, and progressive organizing.
• Adolph Caesar — Historical peer (Died in 1986) (1986): Acclaimed American actor known for his deep voice and Off-Broadway staple status.
• Alberto Sordi — Historical peer (Died in 2003) (2003): Pillar of Italian Cinema, master of Commedia all'italiana comedy.
• Althea Gibson — Historical peer (Died in 2003) (2003): Pioneering American tennis and golf star who broke racial barriers in sports.
• Alden W. Clausen — Historical peer (Died in 2013) (2013): American businessman, former President of the World Bank and Bank of America CEO.
• 1976 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1976

Frequently Asked Questions about Black Flag (band)