The Sex Pistols are fantastic. The Stooges were punk. The term "proto-punk" gets applied to them (and the Modern Lovers, Patti Smith, MC5, etc) because the term "punk" wasn't in wide use at the time they were making their early music. Big deal. Labels are usually retroactive anyway. Their music absolutely had the sound that would later be called punk...had they made exactly the same music in 1977 or 1978, no one would even consider not calling them punk.
As for the Ramones and the Clash, I rate them about equally. The Ramones are better for adrenaline rush rock, like the Buzzc o c ks. The Clash were more expansive in their sound and more varied. But less pure energy and straight ahead rock. It's very mood-dependant to me.
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"Blow your tuneless trumpet, the choice is yours / We don't want the glamour, the pomp and the drums / The Dublin messiah scattering crumbs"
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