The Buzzcocks

Roaring barre chords, relentless drumming, speedy rhythms, songs that tumble out with barely a pause for breath — all hallmarks of punk rock, right? The Buzzcocks, leaders in the original new wave “class of ‘77” that knocked England’s music scene on its ass, had all that. But the Manchester quartet also put catchy melodies and clever wordplay into songs that pushed emotions far from their peers’ angry rebellion and flip nihilism.