The Adicts

Some of the original British punk bands of the 1970s went on to stardom, critical acclaim, even the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: the Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks, the Clash. Even less successful ones like the Damned and the Undertones are still cited as influences and revered. Then there are the Adicts. Formed in the coastal town of Ipswich in 1976, the group boasts the longest-running lineup of any punk act -- not that this credential helped the Adicts weather the perils of the new-wave '80s or the general indifference rock historians have shown the band ever since. And yet, dressed in A Clockwork Orange-inspired boiler suits and led by a face-painted madman named Monkey, the outfit has managed to survive and continue releasing records, coasting on the spastic irreverence and dumb-fuck pop hooks of hits like "Joker in the Pack" and "Viva la Revolution." The Adicts may never win any awards (or spelling bees, for that matter), but their take on classic punk is timeless, chaotic fun.