104.2m all-time streams (1 Aug '26)

X was the first L.A. punk band to be taken seriously, and at a time when many wondered how punk could thrive in the land of all that was mellow, X played music that was as raw, passionate, and powerful as anything coming out of New York, London, or any other major city.

X's melding of punk's speed and ferocity with the sounds of rockabilly, blues, country, and other roots music styles proved wildly influential, as were the off-kilter harmonies of John Doe and Exene Cervenka.