Oi

Oi! is a sub-genre of [punk music]? that sought to return punk to the working-class street. It began in the latter part of 1977, fusing the styles of early punk bands such as the Clash? and the Ramones? with early British rock like the [Rolling Stones]? and [The Who]?, and was seen as promoting unity between punks and skinheads. Originally, the style was called "street-punk" or "reality-punk"; it wasn't until the early 1980s that the movement was labeled "Oi!" by music journalist [Gary Bushell]?.

The original oi bands included [Cock Sparrer]?, the [Cockney Rejects]?, [Angelic Upstarts]?, [Slaughter and the Dogs]?, Skrewdriver?, the Lurkers?, and [Sham 69]?. They were followed by the Business?, the [Last Resort]?, the 4Skins?, [Combat 84]?, Infa-Riot?, and others.

Because many skinheads were recruited by racist organizations such as the [National Front]?, some histories of rock music dismiss all oi as racist. However, none of the original streetpunk bands were particularly racist with the exception of Skrewdriver, who didn't make their views public until the early 1980s. Skrewdriver's early material is usually considered classic oi, but by the mid-1980s Skrewdriver was leading a small neo-Nazi? rock scene. Their music was recognizably oi, but they sought to distance themselves from punk in general, preferring the term "R.A.C." ("rock against Communism").

At about this time, the oi movement began to lose momentum in the U.K., but oi scenes were forming elsewhere in Europe, Japan, and North America. In the mid-1990s, a revival of interest in oi music began, with new bands emerging and older bands recieving more recognition. With this revival came a concerted effort to distance oi from racism.

Recent oi bands include the Templars?, the [Wretched Ones]?, [Those Unknown]?, the [Lager Lads]?, and Oxymoron.