What's the difference between pop punk and punk rock, and if I listen to a lot of pop punk but not a lot of punk rock, can I still be a punk?
Thanks for the question, of course I can answer that!
Punk is fast, angry, and usually highly political. There are often aggressive, brash, or just plain vulgar lyrics.
Pop punk is punk's cleaner, more popular, and more agreeable younger brother. Pop punk takes a few things from punk.
Pop punk is often either less political or subtly so. Take Green Day for example! They are a political band absolutely, but the takes are either less radical or not explicitly said. Punk on the other hand has something to say and will do just that. That is to say that punk is direct, not that it won't use metaphors. On the other hand, every Dead Kennedies song is political, whereas Sum41 has plenty of songs that just aren't.
They sound different! Pop punk sounds *poppier!* It has a cleaner sound (every instrument and vocal is more distinct), often some sort of autotuning/electronic additions, and it is much more rhythmic/melodic.
It takes the fashion and glamorizes it. Punk fashion comes from need (durability and safety with leather, layering for warmth, cheap clothes, patch repairs, etc.) and makes it cleaner.
Because of the cleaner sound and lyrics, it's also more marketable. This means that you get more pop punk on radio stations and stuff like that.
One thing to note is that these things aren't necessarily bad, they're just different (:
Also, note that genres like skate punk, pop punk, and melodic punk can sometimes sound similar, and that genres are messy. It's okay for things to not be clean-cut sometimes!
I don't know you personally, but I don't love all classic punk either. The Exploited and The Sex Pistols aren't for me, and that's okay!
As far as listening to pop punk and still being a punk, of course you can call yourself that! Everyone has to start somewhere and as you listen to more pop punk, you'll find other genres you love too! No one comes out of the womb being punk, and intense music is legitimately an acquired taste. If you never expand your music taste past pop punk, that's okay too!
If you want to ease into something a little different, try these:
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