It’s safe to say we wouldn’t have had the wave of alternative music of the 90s and beyond without the underground punk scenes of the 80s. Grunge was created directly out of the influence of definitive 80s punk bands, and it was grunge that pushed alternative music into the mainstream in 1991. Here are three underground punk bands from the 80s that changed alternative music forever.Minor ThreatThis band is easily one of the most influential punk bands in history. Hailing from the Washington, D.C. hardcore punk scene in 1980, vocalist Ian MacKaye made more sense than other hardcore punk bands. His lyrics contained themes of rejecting traditional societal standards, focusing on personal autonomy. That’s how he created the straight edge ideology, which inspired countless punk fans to abstain from the use of drugs and alcohol. Ultimately, he straight edge movement is one of the most important and defining features in punk music of the late 20th century and into the 21st century. Black FlagBlack Flag is among the most recognizable hardcore punk bands of the 80s. They’re widely recognized now, but at the time, they were the kings of the underground. In 1981, they penned their signature track “Rise Above” on their debut album, Damaged. They established their place among the top Southern California hardcore punk bands of the time. In 1984, they abandoned their signature fast-paced sound with an album that predicted the grunge movement. My War contained slower-paced, more sludge-like tracks. Subsequently, it was heavily influential on the grunge movement of the late 80s and early 90s. DescendentsGraciously, we can thank Descendents for their massive influence on an incredible number of bands of the 90s. Additionally, they were heavily influential within the grunge movement as well. The Southern California band was an early pioneer of melodic hardcore and pop-punk with the release of their 1982 debut studio album, Milo Goes To College. Descendants influenced defining alternative bands such as Green Day, Blink-182, Foo Fighters, NOFX, and countless others. Also, they had a massive influence on the second and third waves of emo in the 90s and 2000s, with bands such as Jimmy Eat World, The Get Up Kids, and All-American Rejects citing the band as an influence.Photo by Erica Echenberg/RedfernsThe post 3 Underground Punk Bands From the 80s That Changed Alternative Music Forever appeared first on VICE.