Proto-Punk · GenresWhat is proto-punk?
Protopunk is a term used to describe a number of performers who were important precursors of the punk rock movement of the mid-1970s and later, or who have been cited by early punk rockers as influential. Their varieties of music span the spectrum from the avant garde pop of the Velvet Underground, the dirty Detroit rock n roll of The Stooges and the MC5 to the political messages of Patti Smith.
Artists to start with
Albums to hear first
New York Dolls
...For the Whole World To See
Funhouse
…For the Whole World To See
White Light / White Heat
Back in the USA
VU
White Light/White HeatProto-Punk songs
- Run Run Run by The Velvet Underground
- Keep On Knocking by Death
- I'm Waiting for the Man by The Velvet Underground
- Loose by The Stooges
- White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground
- I Heard Her Call My Name by The Velvet Underground
- Roadrunner by The Modern Lovers
- Sister Ray by The Velvet Underground
- Personality Crisis by New York Dolls
- Down On The Street by The Stooges
Proto-Punk on Risocast
The PassengerNeighbouring genres
In the rock & punk family. All genres
alternative rockrockcrust punkart rockart punkdeathrockindietronicaexperimental rockanarcho-punkglam rockgrungehard rockQuestions
- What is proto-punk?
- Protopunk is a term used to describe a number of performers who were important precursors of the punk rock movement of the mid-1970s and later, or who have been cited by early punk rockers as influential. Their varieties of music span the spectrum from the avant garde pop of the Velvet Underground, the dirty Detroit rock n roll of The Stooges and the MC5 to the political messages of Patti Smith.
- Who are the best-known proto-punk artists?
- By Last.fm listening: The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, The Modern Lovers, New York Dolls, Television and MC5.
- What genres are similar to proto-punk?
- On Risocast it sits with alternative rock, rock, crust punk, art rock, art punk and deathrock.
Risocast is free. Install it once and it logs everything you play.
Updated 6 October 2026
Risocast HelpA music log that fills itself in. It records the songs you play on your computer and your phone, turns them into your top songs, stats and a public profile, and finds people whose taste overlaps with yours.
Yes. The app and the website are free.
A song counts once half of it has played, or four minutes — whichever comes first. Songs of 30 seconds or less, and videos or podcasts over 20 minutes, never count.
On Windows, anything that shows up in Windows' media controls: Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, browsers, foobar2000, Windows Media Player and more (VLC, iTunes and MusicBee through their free media-controls plugin). On Android, any music app — it reads the same now-playing info your lock screen shows. You can also connect Spotify or import from Last.fm.
Yes. Plays are counted on your device and sent when you're back online, and the phone app opens without a connection.
It does the same core job — scrobbling, automatically — without plugins per player, and adds taste matching: see who listens like you and how much your taste overlaps.
Your profile and listening are public so people with similar taste can find you, unless you make your profile private (then only your buddies see it); your email never is. Nothing is sold and there are no ads; anonymous usage analytics (Microsoft Clarity, Google Analytics) show what to improve. See the privacy policy for the details.
More in Help, the guides and the privacy policy.
Welcome to Risocast
RisocastYour music, logged. Your people, found.
A small player that sits in your tray, writes down every song you play, and shows you who listens like you.
243 songs logged today
Android is coming to Google Play. Get notified
How logging works
On Windows, Risocast reads the system media controls, so any player counts: Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, browsers, foobar2000. No plugins.
On Android the app reads what any music app is playing (it's coming to Google Play). Anywhere else, connect Spotify or a Last.fm username.
Taste twins
See how much your taste overlaps with anyone's, and find the people who listen most like you. The match comes from what you both actually play, not a list of favourites.
Open PeopleWeekly Disc and Taste Map
Every week becomes a disc of your top songs. Every record you play goes on a map, grouped by genre.
Real ones, from the maker's own listening.
Download Risocast
Risocast is free for Windows 10 and 11. Android is coming to Google Play; on any other device, use the web app with Spotify or Last.fm.
- Version 4.0.9 · Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) · about 100 MB
- Updates itself: new versions download in the background and install on restart.
- Every installer is published with its SHA-256 checksum on the releases page.
FeaturesGuides
Track music on WindowsLog YouTube MusicApple Music statsFind people like youPlayers that workLog VLCLog foobar2000Log MusicBeeiTunes on WindowsLog DeezerLog TidalLog SoundCloudAmazon MusicWindows Media PlayerSpotify historyTop songs of all timeWhat genre is it?Describe your tasteExport your dataComing from Last.fmCompare