A rock genre that developed between 1974 & 1976 in the UK, US, and Australia. It is rooted in garage rock, but steered clear of mainstream 1970's rock. Punk bands created fast, hard-edged music, typically with short songs, stripped down instrumentation and often political anti-establishment lyrics. It embraces a DIY ethic, many bands self-produced recordings and distributed them through informal channels. The term "punk" was first used in relation to rock music by American critic's in the early 70's, by late 1976 bands such as the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and the Ramones were recognized as the vanguard of a new musical movement. The following year saw punk rock spreading around the world, it became a major cultural phenomenon in the UK. By the beginning of the 1980's, faster, more aggressive styles had become predominant. At the end of the 20th century, punk rock had been adopted by the mainstream, as bands such as Green Day, The Offspring and Blink-182 brought the genre widespread popularity.