Hardcore punk is a subgenre of punk rock that originated in North America around 1980. The new sound was generally thicker, heavier and faster than earlier punk rock.[1] The songs are usually short, fast and loud, covering topics such as politics, personal freedom, violence, social alienation, Straight Edge, war, and the hardcore subculture itself.[2][3][4]

Hardcore spawned several fusion genres and subgenres, some of which had mainstream success, such as melodic hardcore, metalcore, and thrash metal.