They’re a contender, for sure, although the term “punk” started showing up in rock magazines around 1974. I don’t think we’ll ever come up with an originator everyone will agree on. But the discussion is fun.

I don't think this band has ever been mentioned in this thread, so here they are...

I think a fun conversation would be who isn't punk. Fun because no two people have the same criteria, it's a moving target.

The Velvet Underground are many things but punk is not one of them. I get the point people are making when they say garage rock morphed into punk. I don't deny that The Velvet Underground had a garage quality but they branched it into art or one might say avant garde. It's like a family tree of hominids, you don't find a human at the end of every branch.

Singing street poetry about addiction does not a punk make leads us straight to Patti Smith. She hung out with some bonafide punks and she is much closer to punk than The Velvet Underground but music is mostly a vehicle for her poetic art.

___________________ (symbolic line is drawn) _____________

Television can be poetic and arty but they are first and foremost a kick ass band. I'm not arguing that they are the first but they are certainly punk.