The Pogues
London, UK
PERFORMER
By demonstrating that the spirit of punk could live in traditional Irish folk music, the Pogues were one of the most radical bands of the mid-'80s. Led by Shane MacGowan, whose slurred, incomprehensible voice often disguised the sheer poetry of his songs, The Pogues were undeniably political, many being in favour of working-class liberalism but implicitly radical.