It was the headiest, ballsiest, and most original music era we have ever lived through. Punk rock at the turn of the eighties had a simple message that was exectuted to perfection: Unplug from the corporate machine. Find your own voice. Do it yourself.

They were the best of times.

The beauty of recorded music is the chance to carry on into the next generation, and today we celebrate the sounds that still inspire from the garages of decades past to the ends of the Earth. Starting with Minutemen, of course.

The portrait of D. Boon, George Hurley, and Mike Watt at the top of this page, along with all those that follow, were created by Ben Towle as part of his Year of Weekly Portraits project. He toiled through the 52 weeks of 2011, jamming econo on some of the best punks the world has ever known.

Feel these with your eyes, then dig out your cassete tapes or surf around the tubes and listen to each one all over again. Punk rock changed our lives, and it will never stop.

Henry Rollins of Black Flag.

J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.

Gibby Haynes of Butthole Surfers.

Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth.

Steve Albini of Big Black.

Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat.