Black Flag

Black Flag are an American punk rock band formed in Southern California in the late 1970s, widely credited as one of the founding forces of American hardcore punk. Fronted at various points by singers including Keith Morris and, most famously, Henry Rollins, the band became known for a relentless touring ethic that helped build the American underground music circuit almost from scratch, playing clubs, halls and makeshift venues across the country at a time when few punk bands could get booked anywhere.

Musically, Black Flag pushed beyond simple three-chord punk aggression, incorporating heavier, slower, more sludge-like riffs into later work, an evolution guitarist Greg Ginn steered as the band's chief songwriter and the founder of their label SST Records. That label became hugely influential in its own right, releasing music by numerous other underground bands and helping shape the American independent music scene of the 1980s.

Black Flag's aggressive sound, DIY ethic and confrontational live shows left a lasting mark on hardcore punk and influenced generations of alternative and metal musicians that followed. Songs like «Rise Above» and «Nervous Breakdown» remain touchstones of the genre, and the band's iconic four-bar logo became one of punk's most recognizable symbols.