abstract:Proto-punk is a term used retrospectively to describe a number of musicians who were important precursors of punk rock in the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, or who have been cited by early punk musicians as influential. Typically, these artists were not themselves considered punk; furthermore, the typification is not widely regarded to have been the result of a distinct musical genre as these precursors came from a wide array of backgrounds, styles, and influences.