Polish Rock Under Communism: Resistance, Censorship, and Defiance

Poland under communism experienced censorship and state control of the music industry, but never as fully as in the USSR. Protests and worker uprisings, sometimes at great cost to demonstrators, kept authorities wary and forced them to permit more cultural expression than elsewhere in the Eastern Bloc. Officials, for their part, justified their relative leniency by claiming rock music released social tension and generated state revenue.

The state demanded lyric changes, pulled songs from the air and even albums from shelves. Artists were not uncommonly arrested or questioned – but this rarely meant the end of a career. Artists and broadcasters learned to placate censors while preserving artistic integrity. Political, social, and religious themes were at times thinly veiled, at times strikingly direct. Audiences quickly recognized satire, metaphors, and double meanings, and sometimes repurposed songs as protests against later events.

Neither artists nor audiences could be contained. This makes the history of Polish rock a fascinating microcosm to study if one is to understand why European communism fell first in Poland.

After communism’s collapse, many of these groups sought western audiences during Poland’s lean years of economic restructuring. All eventually returned to Poland, however, finding that staying true to Polish identity and offering critical commentary at home mattered more than commercial success abroad. Today, their music remains both a source of nostalgia, entertainment, and a vehicle for social activism.

Below is a history of Polish communist-era rock followed by a histories of a handful of Poland’s most popular, influential, and/or illustrative communist-era rock bands listed in roughly chronological order based on the date the group formed. Some of these bands have histories that span many decades, but their histories under communism will be our focus here. Album and song names are given in both English and Polish, with YouTube links when available.

History of Polish Rock

Early History: Couched in Protest

Most histories of Polish rock are dated to 1957, at the Second Jazz Festival in the resort city of Sopot. In the 1940s, jazz had been popular enough in Poland to have been required a loud and decisive oppression when it was deemed a western bourgeois trend under Stalin. When the great dictator died in 1953, however, a political thaw swept the communist states and the genre came roaring back. By 1956, Sopot’s festival was founded. A year later, in its second annual iteration, American-born German performer Bill Ramsey, known for jazz, swing, blues, and rock, brought these genres to his festival performance. This is often credited with the first live performance of rock in communist Poland.

Of much greater importance than this, however, were the Polish protests of 1956. These started with factory workers protesting low wages in Poznan. The government responded with lethal force, including tanks, resulting in more than 50 deaths. Outrage spread across the country, sparking more protests that increasingly came to demand economic as well as political and cultural changes. The communist policy of jamming western radio signals was specifically targeted, with protestors destroying two jamming stations.

These protests resulted in real change, with the hardline Stalinists in power replaced by reformers who negotiated substantial autonomy from Moscow in exchange for remaining part of the Warsaw Pact. This was made possible, in part, due to close coincidence with Khruschev’s 1956 “secret speech” in which he himself called for destalinization and liberal reforms.

The new Polish government, among other concessions to protestors, dismantled the jamming stations. Thus, from 1957, Radio Luxembourg, the BBC, Voice of America, and Radio Free Europe could be heard across most of Poland freely. All these stations carried jazz programming and, from 1956, rock and roll programming was introduced as well. This thaw in Polish politics and society proved to be much deeper and more durable than in the USSR, where jamming stations were kept running until 1988.

Poles were thus able to follow the development of rock and roll almost from its inception and in nearly real time. By the end of the 1950s, clubs run by universities, theatres, and community cultural centers had regular jazz, rock, folk, and other events featuring local bands.

The Polish Rock Industry Under Communism

One of the first Polish groups to gain wide fame was Rhythm and Blues, formed in 1959. They were known for playing foreign rock and roll, often in English, and having considerable amounts of frivolous fun. In 1960, they were ordered to disband by the authorities, who apparently objected to their style rather than any political meanings within the performances. In what would become a classic Polish response, the group did not disband so much as rebrand. They reformed as “Czerwono-Czarni,” which translates to “Red-Black,” referencing both R&B and the colors of the Polish communist youth group. They also began referring to their music as “big beat,” rather than rock. With these and few other slight adjustments, they continued playing into the 1970s.

These creative workarounds found still more fertile ground when the Polish state also found profit in the music. In the 1960s, the “sound postcard” was invented in Poland. These laminated cards could be placed into a recording machine and have grooves etched into them that could then be played on a record player. Originally conceived of as a novelty for tourists who could use them to record a message home, a service of adding a popular song to the message, re-recorded from a reel-to-reel tape recorder, soon appeared. The songs quickly became the focus and soon kiosks appeared in major cities, often in department stores, offering large books of selections for purchase, including foreign songs.

Sound postcards could originally hold only one song. Despite this and the fact the cardboard and plastic construction left much to be desired in terms of sound quality and durability, the format proved widely popular. Eventually, larger, square versions were created that could hold two songs. Today, fans of the format still exchange and collect these postcards.

Rock bands were generally allowed access to state recording facilities. Thus, while cassette tapes were a popular medium for spreading music informally in the late 70s and 80s, especially when the authorities had not printed enough or any of the recorded music, Polish rock fans were nowhere near as dependent on “magnitizdat” as those in the USSR were.

In 1967, The Rolling Stones were brought in by the state concert authority to play Warsaw’s Palace of Culture, a massive venue best known as the preferred meeting hall for Communist Party conventions. Riots broke out when it turned out that many tickets had gone to Communist functionaries and that hundreds of young fans that turned up could not secure a place inside.

 

Rocking On Until The End

Even the riots of ’67 did not deter the communist authorities from believing that rock concerts could contain social tension. Even as the communist system was deteriorating in the 1980s, concerts, festivals, and radio programs were arranged in ever grander and more permissive numbers and formats.

An annual youth music festival in Jarocin was reorganized in 1980 into a massive 3-day woodstock-esque annual event that carried on even while Poland was under martial law. The Programme Three Music Charts were launched by Marek Niedźwiecki in 1982, also while the country was under martial law, joining the Programme One Music Charts, launched by Bogdan Fabiański in 1980, in presenting Polish and foreign hits. Programme Three is still on the air today. Several bands today known most for their political songs debuted while martial law was in effect.

Censorship occured and even arrests made, but when a song was taken off the air for being too topical or political, this rarely resulted in a band’s complete demise. Polish authorities knew that the more they tried to repress a band, the more popular the band was likely to become. Thus, popular music was allowed to develop and remain connected to the outside world under Polish communism. If compared to the USSR and many other countries within the Soviet Bloc, this arrangement was quite extraordinary.

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Czerwono-Czarni (Rhythm and Blues)

History by Anna Matveeva

Czerwono-Czarni was one of the first and most influential rock bands in Poland. The group originated from a still earlier band, Rhythm and Blues, founded in 1958 in Gdańsk by cultural activist and music journalist Franciszek Walicki, often referred to as the “godfather of Polish rock.” The band, which listed its name in English as “Rhythm and Blues,” found enormous early success performing covers of American rock hits like Jailhouse Rock. They were, at the time, classified as “jazz,” a genre known to be accepted by the authorities. However, after a scathing criticism and blanket ban of the band was issued by a regional Communist party head in Poland, the band was compelled to breakup on June 22, 1960.

That same day, they reformed, with nearly all their former members, under the name Czerwono-Czarni, which means “Red-Black” in Polish. The band’s name came from the red and black interior of the jazz club where they were formed. The colors were also associated with Poland’s Communist Party youth organization, and thus were properly patriotic and youth-oriented. Irony also likely played a role as the new name, in its English translation, kept the same initials as the old band.

Walicki also started using the term “big beat” to describe the band’s genre, drawing the term from rock-and-roll’s early days in the US. Unknown to censors and carrying no political baggage, the term was eventually used by bands across Eastern Europe.

Walicki also actively encouraged young musicians to write and perform in Polish rather than English. This strategy not only helped legitimize rock music in the eyes of the regime, but also aligned with the broader 1960s trend of “polonization” in state socialism, an effort that was both popular and state supported. Thus, Czerwono-Czarni became one of the first groups in Poland to adapt foreign music to local cultural and political realities.

The “new” band made their debut performance on July 23, 1960, in the student club Żak in Gdańsk. The original lineup included Przemysław Gwozdziewski (saxophone), Wiesław Bernolak (guitar), Zbigniew Wilk (piano), Wiesław Damięcki (double bass), and Ryszard Żuk (percussion), with vocalists Marek Tarnowski, Andrzej Jordan, and Janusz Godlewski. Over the years, more than 70 musicians passed through the band, including future stars of Polish music like Helena Majdaniec, Katarzyna Sobczyk, Wojciech Gąssowski, and Seweryn Krajewski. The band collaborated with many different lead singers and experimented with a wide range of sound.

Czerwono-Czarni’s first EP ( Czerwono-Czarni) was recorded on April 23, 1961, and featured four rock ’n’ roll tracks originally performed by Western artists, making it the first Polish record to include foreign rock music. It was later released as a double-play LP with music performed collaboratively with Karen Stanek, another early rock pioneer. This collaboration helped produce “Boy with a Guitar” (“Chłopiec z gitarą”), one of the group’s best-known hits.

They released numerous other EPs and several LPs throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, including 1967’s 17,000,000 (17.000.000), Lovers are Alone in the World (Zakochani są sami na świecie) and Big Beat: The Lord is My Friend (Msza beatowa – Pan przyjacielem moim), both released in 1968, and Be the Girl of My Dreams (Bądź dziewczyną moich marzeń), from 1970. These albums showcased a dynamic blend of musical influences, ranging from jazz instrumentation and Western rock rhythms to folk-inspired melodies and elements of popular Polish balladry.

The vocal performances of the group often carried a theatrical intensity, and the instrumentation was crisp, reflecting both technical training and experimental spirit. Listening to their early recordings today, one can hear the balance between rebellious energy and formal restraint, a product of navigating the cultural politics of the time.

The band participated in major festivals such as the International Song Festival in Sopot and the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole. At the latter, “The Thirteenth” (“Trzynastego”), a collaboration with Katarzyna Sobczyk, premiered. It remains a major hit for both artists. Their performances reached international audiences as well, with concerts in Czechoslovakia, East Germany, the United States, and Canada. A historic highlight came on April 13, 1967, when they opened for The Rolling Stones during their concert in Warsaw.

Czerwono-Czarni disbanded in 1976, but their legacy endures. They not only popularized rock music in Poland but also helped shape the country’s youth culture during a period of cautious liberalization. In 2010, the band was honored with a jubilee concert in Gdańsk to mark its 50th anniversary, bringing together many former members and celebrating a musical legacy that helped define a generation.

 

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Breakout

History by Anna Matveeva

Breakout was a groundbreaking rock band in Poland. Their experimentations with blues would leave a long and lasting impact on Polish popular music and their artistic integrity in the face of political and cultural censorship would remain an inspiration for generations.

The group’s origins can be traced back to a chance encounter in a café in Rzeszów, a major city in southeastern Poland. There, two young music enthusiasts met: Tadeusz Nalepa, a guitarist and composer, and Mira Kubasińska, a singer with a powerful voice. At their first major joint appearance at the Festival of Young Talents in Szczecin in 1963, they won the top prize. Two years later, they co-founded their first group, Blackout. In 1967, the band released its first and only LP, also titled Blackout, which included several hit songs such as “Anna,” “Island” (“Wyspa”), and “Those Bombs Are Falling on Our House” (“Te bomby lecą na nasz dom”).

In 1968, encouraged by their manager and mentor, the influential Polish music promoter Franciszek Walicki, Nalepa decided to reorganize the group to focus more on blues, a genre almost entirely unknown in Eastern Europe at the time. The new formation was called “Breakout.”

The band’s first official performance under the new name took place on February 21, 1968, on the television music show Musicorama. After a short tour of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg in mid-1968, the band returned with better instruments and sound equipment, giving their music a much more refined, professional quality than most Polish bands of the era. This tour also helped establish Breakout as the first Eastern European ensemble to perform high-quality blues, with Nalepa now known as the “father of Polish blues.”

In January 1969, the band released its debut album On the Other Side of the Rainbow ( Na drugim brzegu tęczy), which included the hit song “If You Loved, Hey!” (“Gdybyś kochał, hej!”). The album fused poetic Polish lyrics with blues guitar lines, dynamic drumming, and the gritty vocals of Kubasińska. Nalepa’s songwriting focused on emotional honesty, introspection, and often subtle social critique. Even as their music followed the structure and sound of American blues-rock, the lyrics remained deeply rooted in Polish realities.

Breakout’s most enduring signature hit came with the release of Blues in 1971, an album that is now considered a cornerstone of Polish rock. The track “When I Was a Little Boy” (“Kiedy byłem małym chłopcem”), with themes of innocence, listening to your heart, and staying strong under pressure, became a defining anthem—not only for the band but for an entire generation of listeners.

Their 1972 album Karate became their best-selling record, with the track “River of Childhood” (“Rzeka dzieciństwa”) emerging as a radio favorite and concert staple. Karate demonstrated a shift toward a more melodic, accessible sound while still preserving the group’s blues foundation.

The final studio album by Breakout, Sail of the Earth (Żagiel ziemi), was released in 1980. It formed part of a special “Olympic triptych” of albums created to mark the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Alongside Breakout’s contribution, the triptych included The Way of People (Droga ludzi) by Skaldowie and Na brzegu światła On the Shore of Light (Na brzegu światła) by Budka Suflera. For Sail of the Earth, Tadeusz Nalepa composed music to pre-written lyrics centered on the ideals of the Olympic movement.

The band officially broke up in 1982, after producing 11 studio albums over the span of 22 years. Yet the legacy of Breakout did not end there. Nalepa and various former members have staged multiple reunions, often blending lineups from both Breakout and their predecessor, Blackout.

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Budka Suflera

History by Anastasia Kulaga

Budka Suflera first formed in 1969. Founder Krzysztof Cugowski was still in high school student and created the band with friends. The name, originally “Prompter’s Box,” written in English, was translated and polonized to “Budka Suflera” before their first concert. The name is apparently connected to the fact that the band originally held ad hoc rehearsals in a small theater.

At first, Budka Sulfera covered songs from artists like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. The original band fell apart in 1970 when Krzysztof Cugowski joined another band, Stowarzyszenie Cnót Wszelakich (Association of All Virtues), led by Romuald Lipko. However, that band soon changed its name to Budka Suflera, and it was reborn with Cugowski taking lead vocals and writing lyrics and Lipko playing piano, keyboards, and bass guitar as well as composing. Their first original music, three instrumental songs and two lyrical compositions, was recorded in 1970. Only one song survived from this series: “Blues George’a Maxell’a,” which was released in 1993 on the album Underground.

Budka Suflera is known for the influence of religious music on their rock. Lipko recalls hearing Orthodox music in the Lublin Church in his childhood and cites this as an inspiration for his music.

The band’s first big breakthrough came with their Polish translation of “Ain’t no Sunshine” by Bill Withers. The Budka Suflera version, “Sen o dolinie,” garnered a record deal and several concerts. However, their first album The Shade of the Big Mountain (Cień wielkiej góry) did not contain that first hit as the record company did not want to pay the royalty fees for the foreign song. Nonetheless, the album did contain several other hits including the soaring “There is Such a Lonely House” (“Jest taki samotny dom”), which remains one of their signature songs.

Budka Suflera won Band of the Year later in 1974 from Rozgłośnia Harcerska, a Polish non-public radio station that pioneered local broadcasts of modern music. The band was also invited to perform in East Germany, where many of their songs were translated to German.

In 1977, shortly after the second album, I was a Passerby Among You (Przechodniem bylem miedzy wami), was released, Cugowski insisted on calling the band “Krzysztof Cugowski & Budka Suflera.” This name was used for a short time, but indicated a leadership conflict within the band. Shortly after, Lipko threw Cugowski out and the original name was restored.

From 1978 to 1982 Romuald Czystaw became the band’s frontman. The major hit from this era was “For the Last Penny” (“Za ostatni grosz”), which combines themes of poverty, alcoholism, and despair in a jazzy, ethereal package. It was released on a 1982 album of the same name. The band also went on tour of the USSR at this time.

Felicjan Andrzejczak stepped in as lead from 1982-1984. The first song recorded with him took three months to prepare, but the rock ballad “Jolka, Jolka, Do You Remember?” (“Jolka, Jolka Pamiętasz”) proved a huge hit. It was released only as a single and later on in various compilations.

Cugowski reconciled with and returned to the band in 1984. The band released new music, such as the albums Time to Wait, Time to Shine (Czas czekania, czas olśnienia) and the double album Let’s Save What We Can!! (Ratujmy co się da!!), the title song of which was a major hit.

As Poland’s communist government crumbled and the country entered a sustained period of economic trouble, the band spent time in the US from 1988-92, touring and working on English translations of their songs. The period was not a productive one, but they found success again upon returning to Poland in 1993, releasing seven new albums between then and their first farewell tour in 2014. The most successful by far was their platinum 1997 album Nothing Hurts Like Life (Nic nie boli, tak jak zycie), with its mega-hit “Such a Tango” (“Takie tango“), which stayed at the top of the Polish rock charts for months.

After 2014, most of the band’s former members remained active musicians, working on separate projects. Thus, it was not surprising when Budka Suflera reunited in 2019. Although slowed by the death of Lipko in 2020, they have released two new studio albums since then, the latest of which is 2023’s Scar (Skaza), featuring vocals by the relatively young Irena Michalska and Jacek Kawalec. The band celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2024.

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Dżem

History by Josh Wilson

Dżem is a legendary blues-rock band that has played for more than 50 years and released more than 30 studio albums. They have never been particularly political, but instead are remarkable for their ability to capture everyday experiences, vivid emotions, and existential or philosophical questions in song.

The group was originally formed in 1973 by keyboardist Paweł Berger and brothers Adam (vocals, guitar) and Benedykt “Beno” (bass, vocals) Otręba. For several years they remained an amateur outfit, but in 1979, they were offered a month-long residency in the resort town of Wilkasy. This pushed them to take music seriously. The following year they qualified for the first Young Generation Festival in Jarocin, launching an intensive touring and festival schedule.

Dżem’s early years were defined by frontman Ryszard Riedel, hailed as “the last hippie.” Charismatic but troubled by drug addiction, he was both the band’s heart and its greatest challenge. Despite frequent absences from rehearsals and concerts, his raw voice and poetic lyrics gave Dżem its identity.

The band’s first studio album, Brick (Cegła, 1985), contains all their early hits like “Whisky,” “Ash Trees” (“Jesiony“), and “Red as a Brick” (“Czerwony jak cegła“), blending blues power with emotional depth. The follow-up from 1986, The Revenge of the Bats (Zemsta nietoperzy), leaned heavier in tone and produced the hit “Naive Questions” (“Naiwne pytania“), a meditation on lost innocence that repeats the haunting line “only moments are beautiful in life.”

In the late 1980s, Riedel’s worsening drug addiction was becoming a major issue for the band, and they were often forced to bring in guests to perform in his place. In 1989, Dżem celebrated their tenth anniversary with a major concert at Katowice’s Spodek Arena, with leading Polish bands also performing in honor of the now classic group. Later that year they issued The Mercenary (Najemnik), featuring “Time Machine” (“Wehikuł czasu“), a song of nostalgia for times past which became one of Dżem’s most iconic songs.

The band reached a creative peak with 1991’s Detox, often considered their best studio record. It produced enduring hits including “Letter to M.” (“List do M.“), ” Like a Painted Bird” (“Jak malowany ptak“), and ” Sense of Victory” (“Sen o Victoria“). As the album’s title suggests, these were written as Riedel was making a late attempt to come clean from drugs. The songs express pain and a hard look back at his relationships and life.

Ryszard Riedel died in 1994 of addition-related cardiac failure. He was replaced by Jacek Dewódzki from 1995-2001, with whom the band released four albums, but had few great successes. After Maciej Balcar took over as vocalist, however, Dżem entered a new era. His debut album, 2004, named for the year it was released, included the enduring hit “To the Cradle” (“Do kołyski“). Although the band had been popular for decades, “To the Cradle” was their first number one hit.

The following years saw a string of important releases, including live DVDs such as Przystanek Woodstock 2003 (Przystanek Woodstock 2003). In 2005, the feature film Sentenced to Blues (Skazany na Bluesa), inspired by the life of Ryszard Riedel, deepened the band’s cultural legacy. Despite tragedy, including the loss of longtime keyboardist Paweł Berger to a car accident, Dżem carried on with renewed strength. The album Muse (Muza) appeared in 2010, achieving platinum status, and their compilation album, Golden Collection (Złota kolekcja), went three-times platinum the group continued to perform at major venues, even supporting global acts like AC/DC.

In 2024, Sebastian Riedel, Ryszard Riedel’s son took over from Balcar. Together with the Otręba bothers, still on stage after five decades, they are pushing Dżem into a literal new generation.

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Maanam

History by Anastasia Kulaga

Maanam was a Polish rock band that defied the boundaries of genre and even language. Active from 1975 to 2008, they blended rock, punk, jazz, reggae, disco, electronic, and whatever else they felt like, giving nearly every hit a distinct sound.

Founded by Marek Jackowski and Milo Kurtis, the band’s name is a sort of phonetically slurred reading of their initials—“M and M.” After various lineup changes, Maanam’s breakthrough came with the addition of vocalist Olga Jackowska (Marek’s then-wife, later better known as “Kora”), whose powerful, versatile voice and tough punk aesthetics helped make her a perfect charismatic front woman.

Their first two singles, the playful and jazzy “Hamlet”, and the decidedly punk “Devine Buenos” (“Boskie Buenos,” about Buenos Aires), are now enduring hits. After several high-energy concerts, including at the famed Polish Song Festival in Opole in 1980, they were well on their way to becoming legends.

Their first album, self-titled, was released in 1981 and featured still more early hits such as “Gray Mirages” (“Szare miraże”) and “Cicadas on the Cyclades” (“Cykady na cykladach”). Working at breakneck speed, the band performed almost 500 concerts in 1981 alone.

Their highly anticipated second album O! , released in 1982, underperformed partly due to a production issue which meant that only 300,000 of the intended one million copies were pressed. In 1983, Maanam signed with Rogot Label, which specialized in international markets. Thus, Maanam’s third album, 1984’s Night Patrol (Nocny patrol), was released in both Polish and English. The songs were polished and diverse, unified by Kora’s dynamic voice – haunting in the title track, “Night Patrol” (“Nochny patrol”) and forceful in “City Spleen” (“Krakowski spleen”). An avant-garde documentary of the band, I Feel Great (Czuje się świetnie), was released, at around the same time, boosting the songs further. Maanam also released independent singles such as “I Love You, My Darling” (“Kocham Cie Kochanie Moje”), one of 1983’s biggest hits.

Although their music was not directly political, Kora refused to perform at a Communist Youth Group event, sparking a three-month radio ban. Yet, they returned stronger than ever. That same year, Maanam toured Germany and the Netherlands.

In 1984’s Mental Cut, seeking greater international success, they played more with language. The title track, for instance, “Mentalny Kot” (literally “Mental Cat”), featured guitar riffs mimicking feline yowls. Other songs included the dark “Creation” (“Kreon”) and the album’s biggest hit, the jazzy, sassy “Lipstick on the Glass,” was sung mostly in Polish but titled in English and with an English-language chorus.

After five intense years, the strain began to show. Some band members struggled with addiction, and Kora and Marek Jackowski divorced. Remarkably, their creative partnership endured, and Maanam continued with the pair at the helm. In 1986, they suspended the band, using the break to form a new lineup. Music resumed in 1987, and the single “It’s Getting Dark” (“Sie sciemnia”) became another enduring hit. However, by the time the album of the same name appeared in 1989, Poland was facing the turmoil of post-communist economic restructuring, and the release underperformed.

The band, as many others did at that time, toured the United States in 1990, performing mostly for diaspora audiences. Maanam returned to Poland in 1991, almost immediately releasing The Dervish and the Angel (Derwisz i Anioł) and the mega-hit “An Extremely Cold May” (“Wyjątkowo zimny maj”).

Poland’s recovery was fast. In 1994, Rose (Roza), was Maanam’s greatest commercial success ever, driven by the hit “Without You I’m Dying” (“Bez ciebie umieram”). A close second in terms of success was Bed (Lozko), released in 1996, and featuring “Just Be” (“Po prostu bądź”). That album was promoted with a multimillion dollar free concert tour sponsored by Radio Zet, Poland’s leading station for popular music.

Maanam remained active for nearly another decade, touring while releasing three more studio albums and many singles. Over time, however, tensions resurfaced. New lineups were tried, but the creative tandem of Kora and Jackowski, the heart of the band, eventually failed.

Last seen on stage at the Opole Festival in 2006, they officially disbanded in 2008. Both Kora and Jackowski have been honored (separately) with prestigious Fredyrik Lifetime Achievement Awards and maintained successful separate careers. Exmaanam, a band featuring several former members, continues to sing the old hits, backed by new singer Karolina Leszko-Tyszynska. Jackowski died of heart failure in 2013.

Remembered as one of Poland’s most prodigious popular bands, Maanam blurred genres and smashed through obstacles for decades in pursuit of fame and creation.

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Perfect

History by Benjamin Walsh

In 1977, Zbigniew Hołdys and Zdzisław Zawadzki formed the Perfect Super Show and Disco Band, launching what would become one of the longest-running Polish rock bands. The band would experience multiple membership changes and an on-again-off-again existence – in large part due to Hołdys’ restless ambitions.

Their early repertoire included covers from British groups like The Yardbirds and The Pretty Things, as well as a mix of rock and pop songs, before switching to strictly rock music after 1980. One early single, “He’s Not Here” (“Jego Nie Ma”) was voted best rock song of 1978 in Non-Stop magazine. In 1980, Grzegorz Markowski joined as lead vocalist and the group changed their name to just “Perfect.”

Their first album, the 1981 self-titled Perfect, is often called the “white album” for its white cover. It sold around one million copies. The band’s music often reflects angst, such as in one of its most popular hits, “Don’t Cry, Eva” (“Nie Płacz Ewka”), a love song told through themes of death. Several, however, have been interpreted as indirectly political. For instance, We Want to Be Ourselves (Chcemy być sobą), is mostly a repetition of the song title with two verses that describe a morning routine and going to a party that, while fairly mundane, are also full of stress. Fans would often change the repeated chorus to “We Want to Beat ZOMO” (Chcemy bic ZOMO) during concerts, referring fto the paramilitary police organization in Poland known for heavily repressing acts of protest. Another song from this album, How Joyful It Is Around Us (Ale wkoło jest wesoło) also describes a rather mundane existence, but also one filled with the realities of workplace theft, hints that political repression affects personal relationships.

The group recorded and released their second album UNU in 1982. This album contained the song “Autobiography” (“Autobiografia”), a legend of Polish rock that called up notalgia for the genre’s roots in Poland. It depicts the life of a person who grew up during the 50s and 60s, focusing on the jazz and rock they listened to and how it affected them. The album was released in the midst of Poland’s period of martial law and sold only half as many copies as the first, although the band’s popularity remained high. The group disbanded in 1983 as Hołdys departed to experiment with other projects.

The band returned 1987 for a few concerts, including several very large ones, and released a live album. In 1989, with Hołdys taking over lead vocals from the departed Markowski, the band toured in the United States and developed several English-language versions of their old songs before returning to Poland in 1993.

From 1993 to 2021 the band gave concerts, produced new music, and reworked old music. While a number of membership and leadership changes continued behind the scenes, the band released six new full studio albums. Perhaps the most consequential of these were I Am (Jestem) from 1994, which featured the mournful, soulful hit “Lullaby For A Stranger” (“Kołysanka Dla Nieznajomej”) and “DaDaDum”, an album that went platinum in 2014 with the contemplative mega-hit “Everything Has Its Time” (“Wszystko ma swój czas”).

The group broke up again in 2021 when Markowski, then back to leading the band and performing lead vocals, became too ill to perform, apparently suffering from problems with both his heart and voice. That same year, the band was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fryderyk Awards, Poland’s most prestigious music awards program.

In 2023, the band reunited, with one of Markowski’s last performances before he died later that year. The band held a charity concert to support cancer research after two other former band members passed away from the same disease.

As of 2025, the band has again officially reformed, albeit with none of the original members of the group. Łukasz Drapala, a newcomer to the group but who has been a major figure on the Polish rock scene since 2006, has taken the helm as lead vocalist, indicating the group is now heading for a next generation.

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KSU

History by Anna Caley Collins

KSU is widely regarded as having pioneered punk in Poland. However, over time, they have become more closely identified with metal. Both under communism and after, much of their work has been political and highly focused on Poland, often discussing specific spaces in their homeland. The name ‘KSU’ was even inspired by the three letters that appear on all local license plates in their hometown of Ustrzyki Dolne. Formed in 1978, the band has released 11 studio albums to date.

Formed by a group of teenage students, KSU’s breakout performance was at the 1st National New Wave Festival, held in Kołobrzeg in 1980. It even resulted in an offer to record in what was then West Germany, although they turned it down, preferring to stay in Poland. The 1980s were otherwise difficult for the band as their members kept getting conscripted or quitting. Most early work, including performances of hits like “Dead Year” (“Martwy Rok”) are available only as bootleg versions.

Their debut album, Against the Tide (Pod Prąd), was released only in 1989, as communism was falling. It is easy to see why the Communists would not have published KSU’s music. Its major hit, “Jabol Punk” tells of drinking cheap wine to numb life’s hardships – but does so with such violence (“Grab the neck!”) that it seems a call to action against the deeper root of that stress – and implies that this might be the state. Perhaps to prove the point further, two other hits from the album, “On the Other Side of the Door” (“Po drugiej stronie drzwi”) and Jabol Sacrifices (“Jabolowe Ofiary”) have strong anti-alcoholism messages – with the later implying that alcoholism is allowed because it makes the population docile. Meanwhile, “1944 in the Trenches” (“1944 W Okopie”), which hit number 5 in the charts, is an anti-war song that derides WWII and specifically the Soviet invasion that preceded the founding of Poland’s communist state.

KSU’s 1991 album Ustrzyki is named for their hometown. The album’s titular track underscores the group’s pride in the place, but also skewers it as a typical small town without much to do and too much pettiness. The lyrics also hail the fictional Free Republic of Bieszczady, a movement that pushed for more autonomy from the central communist state in the local area, known for its remote mountains. In addition, the album contains more tracks from their underground communist days, such as “My Eyes” (“Moje oczy”) and old-school punk song about being sick of communist slogans. The album reached second place in the Polish charts.

The band’s third album, the 1993 My Bieszczady Mountains ( Moje Bieszczady), again hails the mountainous regions and builds on this sense of civic pride whilst also highlighting the negative aspects of living in the region, such as the deep divisions between people. It also marked a move towards harder rock with metal-inspired electric guitars.

As time advanced, the band continued to lean into metal influences and incorporate more folk and symphonic elements. “Beyond the Fog” (“Za mgłą”), a number five hit in 2004 is an excellent example of this, a love ballad to the physical exhaustion that can be found in hiking the Połoniny Mountains in southern Poland and forgetting about city life and politics. It can be found on the album People without Faces (Ludzie Bez Twarzy).

Released for their 30th anniversary, XXX Anniversary, Acoustic ( XXX-lecie, Akustycznie) leans even heavier into folk influences and includes “My Bieszczady Acoustic” (“Moje Bieszczady Akustycznie”). This version has become the region’s unofficial anthem and one of the band’s most played songs on streaming services. The close harmonies between the male and female vocalists and the use of the flute and violin alongside the band’s customary guitar is vastly different from the group’s previous albums, demonstrating their range and ability. Many other hits were given second lives because of these reimaginings.

KSU is still active and still creating new music. Siczka is now the only remaining original member, with his role having broadened to writing music, playing the guitar, and performing vocals. He also, despite getting older, still leads three-hour-long concerts and seems to have no intention of slowing down. Their latest album, 44, released in 2023, marks the anniversary of the band (which was actually 45 when released), remains as hard rocking and political as ever.

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Republika

History by Anna Caley Collins

Republika was a New Wave band that laid electronic sounds over punk and jazz influences, resulting in songs that could be both playful and dark. Known for using only black and white in their clothing, set, and albums, they behaved calmly onstage, yet often sang deeply political, socially-conscious lyrics.

Originally named Res Publica, the group was formed in Toruń by Jann Castor in 1979 as an art rock band. They debuted at the Sopot Music of the Young Generation Review. Castor soon left, leaving Grzegorz Ciechowski as frontman. Previously the band’s flautist, he renamed the band Republika and moved toward New Wave. Ciechowski’s lyrics, known for their poetry, drew inspiration from diverse sources like George Orwell, Ken Kesey, and Jethro Tull. The band’s lineup was solidified in 1981, consisting of guitarist Zbigniew Krzywsański, bassist Paweł Kuczyński, and drummer Sławomir Ciesielski.

In 1981, the group took first place at the 2nd Festival of New Wave Rock Bands held in Toruń. They became frequently heard at festivals, concerts, and as guests on the Radio Three Chart Program. Their first and still signature hit was “White Flag” (“Biała Flaga”), with heavy use of keys and dissonance within the electric guitar and fast drums. The song has intense social overtones, describing how young rebels were cowed by society. Poland’s communist authorities forced the band to make the lyrics less explicit to continue playing.

In 1983, Republika recorded their first studio album, New Situations (Nowe Sytuacje), which went gold in 1984. The album’s titular song develops the style established in “White Flag,” with the prominent keys being accompanied by edgy vocals that create a dreamlike atmosphere through lyrics that consist of repeated words and vowel sounds. Many of the album’s songs are now well-known, including “Death in a Bikini” (“Śmierć w bikini“) and “Hallucinations” (“Hallucynacje”). The band also released several top hits as individual singles, such as “Telephones” (“Telefony”) and “Combine” (“Kombinat”).

The following year, Republika released their second studio album, Incessant Tango (Nieustanne Tango), alongside an album entitled 1984. a collection of their greatest hits translated into English and released in the UK. Although they did not achieve great international success, Incessant Tango did yield several more number one hits in Poland such as “Pavlov’s Dog” (“Psy Pawłowa”) and “Alien Astronomer” (“Obcy astronom”).

In 1986, despite their ongoing popularity, a disagreement between Ciechowski and the instrumentalists led to the band’s dissolution. The songs Republika had been working on for their third album were used instead on the first self-titled album of Citizen G.C. (Obywatel G.C.) a supergroup named for Ciechowski who assembled around him what he felt were best of Poland’s jazz and rock talent of the time. Citizen G.C. released four studio albums, including Yes! Yes! (Tak! Tak!), which went gold in 1988.

In 1990, Republika reconciled and released 1991, an album of their greatest hits in new electronic arrangements with four new songs including “Lava” (“Lawa”), a super-happy #2 hit about being chased by lava and having nowhere to run. This album features no bassist as Kuczyński did not return to the band.

Republika continued to tour and released new albums in their new era, eventually hitting massive success again with 1998’s Massacre (Masakra), which featured the funky, playful, yet aggressive number one single “Mammon” (“Mamona”) criticizing society’s focus on money. It also featured the hit “Leaving” (“Odchodząc”), about aching to not be left behind in a broken relationship. “Once in a Million Years” (“Raz na milion lat”) also appeared in the charts with its disturbingly dreamlike jazz-influenced sound.

They were building momentum when, in 2001, Ciechowski died of an aneurysm. Recording was cancelled on a new album in progress and the band officially disbanded. Four new songs, including two originally composed in 1981 and one unfinished instrumental backing, were released on a self-titled album in 2002 that also contained live concert recordings taken before Ciechowski’s death. The one full, new song that was completed, (“Death by Five”) (“Śmierć Na Pięć”) has a circus-like sound and lyrics based on a children’s rhyme, but focuses on the pain left by a suicide.

Republika’s remaining musicians occasionally reunite for performances, with bassist Leszek Biolik taking over the vocals. In 2022, the band received a prestigious Golden Frederick for Lifetime Achievement and Krzywański, Ciesielski, and Biolik brought their individual new bands together for a tribute concert. They did so again in 2024 and 2025, still with great success as the band’s legacy endures.

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Bajm

History by Benjamin Walsh

Bajm’s sound has evolved dramatically over time. Driven by the at-times operatic, at times growling vocals and lyrics of Beata Kozidrak, the band was once a political voice under communism and has become a defining presence in Polish rock and pop today.

Founded in 1978, Bajm’s name comes from the initials of its four original members: vocalist Beata Kozidrak, vocalist Andrzej Pietras, guitarist and keyboardist Jarosław Kozidrak, and guitarist Marek Winiarski. However, Kozidrak has been the sole constant and creative engine of the band. Her influences include David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, and vocalists like Heart’s Ann Wilson and German singer Nina Hagen.

In its early years, Bajm played folksy, ’50s-inspired acoustic music. Their breakout song, “Walk to Summer” (“Piechotą do lata”), earned second place at the 1978 Festival of Polish Song in Opole.

Bajm switched to rock by the time of their 1983 self-titled debut album, which heavily addressed Poland’s martial law in effect at the time: “What Will You Give Me, God?” (“Co mi Panie dasz”) voiced general uncertainty, “There’s No Water in the Desert” (“Nie ma wody na pustyni”) used water as a metaphor for freedom, and “Józek, I Won’t Forgive You Tonight” (“Józek, Nie Daruję Ci Tej Nocy”) alluded, by name, to Wojciech Jaruzelski, a Polish military general who introduced the martial law and was Poland’s de facto leader from 1981 to 1989. When students were found singing his full name directly into the lyrics, Bajm was banned from performing in Warsaw for two years.

Undeterred, the band doubled down with 1985’s Dead Water (Martwa Woda). Songs like “Fake Pyramids” (“Piramidy na niby”), and “Devil’s Circle” (“Diabelski krąg”) railed against state authority in literally biblical terms. Its main hit, “Monkey and I” (“Małpa i ja”), broods about the need to escape present habits and find a brighter future.

Their 1986 album Protect Me (Chrón Mnie), marked a shift toward synth with the hits “Hot Blood Flows in Us” (“Płynie w nas gorąca krew”) and “Two Hearts, Two Sorrows” (“Dwa serca, dwa smutki”), the latter becoming their first #1 hit and latest political fable. Framed in folkloric language, it tells a bittersweet tale of a mother-goddess sending her son to fight for justice without knowing what the outcome of the battle might be.

While the group’s recording output was heavy during the 80s, they focused on live performance, playing 50 concerts a month by 1987 across Poland, Germany, the United States, Italy, Bulgaria, and even Vietnam.

Bare Rocks (Nagie Skaly), Bajm’s 1988 album, saw modest success and featured the hit ballad “Lake of Happiness” (“Jezioro szczęścia”), an aching, synth-driven love song. By then, Beata Kozidrak was the band’s last remaining original member, but her soaring vocals remained the band’s defining feature.

Bajm’s megahit and fifth album’s namesake, White Army (Biała armia) came on the heels of Poland’s fallen Communist government. It is a joyous 80’s rock anthem that sings of victorious “white soldiers” now reclaiming their cities. The title is a nod to anti-communist fighters from the Russian Civil War, and applies the term to everyone who maintained the resistance in Poland.

Shifting gears with their sixth album, Flame from the Sky (Płomień z Nieba), Bajm replaced its rock guitars with piano-driven ballads. Despite the change in style, it produced major hits like “The Same Moment” (“Ta sama chwila”) and the title track.

Over the next years, the band would continue to shift styles had two more #1 hits, 1995’s “The Ten Commandments” (“ Dziesięć Pzrykazań”), from the album Etna, and “Prayer for Golden Rain” (“ Modlitwa o Złoty deszcz”) in 2000 from the album Glass of Water (Szklanka wody). The latter album would stay on OLiS, Poland’s popular album chart, for 2 years straight. Kozidrak also released her debut solo album, Beata, in 1998. The pop album garnered her a new fanbase and numerous awards. Bajm’s ninth album, 2003’s Thoughts and Words (Myśli i Słowa), went platinum on the day it came out.

Although they released their final studio album, Blondie (Blondynka), in 2012, Bajm tours to this day. Anchored by Beata Kozidrak’s unforgettable voice and poetic, often epic lyrics, the band has navigated shifting lineups, genres, and political environments while consistently topping the charts. Today, Bajm stands as a cultural institution in Polish music, bridging generations of fans.

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Turbo

History by Izzy Moore

Turbo is a Polish metal band whose style has wavered between British style heavy metal, death metal, and thrash. Known under communism for their anti-establishment messages, they are also known for frequent lineup changes, breakups, and reformations, including going through several lead singers, as the band quarreled over stylistic differences.

Formed in 1980, their early radio releases included the blues-infused “In the Middle of This Silence” (“W Środku Tej Ciszy”) which first earned them recognition. By the release of their debut album, Grown Up Children (Dorosłe dzieci), in 1983, the band had shifted toward heavy metal with a raw, rebellious edge. The title track, a seven-and-a-half-minute youth anthem, rails against being lied to and controlled by unseen powers, while defiantly proclaiming that “we” will break free and “find out if this wall is hard”—a thinly veiled reference to the Berlin Wall. The song remains one of Turbo’s signature hits, and the album one of their greatest collective works. It included several other hits like the epically high energy “Mad Icarus” (“Szalony Ikar”), in which Icarus knows that he may die but must taste the freedom anyway.

Despite the debut’s success, ongoing internal disputes and lineup changes meant each subsequent album had a slightly different style. Their 1985 release, Taste of Silence (Smak Ciszy), was heavily inspired by Iron Maiden. Its biggest hit, “How Was This Day” (“Jaki był ten dzień”), is a metal lullaby that reflects on what the day has given and taken away. Others, like the furious breakup song “Not With You Anymore” (“Już nie z Tobą”), showcased a rougher sound. On stage, the band also embraced an edgier image with spandex, leather, studs, and trash punk attire.

In 1986, Turbo released their third and most controversial album, Satan’s Cavalry (Kawaleria szatana). Although urged to write more radio-friendly ballads, the band had decided to put the power in power metal and couldn’t be stopped. The album opens with the well-known and high-octane “Soldier of Fortune” (“Żołnierz Fortuny”), a fight anthem about a soldier on a ship about to be torn apart by waves.

The band’s next two albums, The Last Warrior (Ostatni wojna) and Epidemic (Epidemie), were both released in English and Polish in an attempt to gain greater European exposure. However, neither achieved significant success, and the band broke up in 1990. Over the following years, Turbo went through a cycle of reuniting, quickly recording a single album (often in both languages), and breaking up again.

Turbo’s 2007 reformation seems to have held, although lineup changes remain constant. Continuing to tour and to release new music in English and Polish, they have had some success with new music, for example Avatar (Awatar) in 2001 reached number 21 on the charts in Poland. “Phantom of the Opera” (“Upiór w operze”), the heaviest track on the album, was written as a metal duet with an aggressive, epic sound.

Their 2013 album The Fifth Element (Piąty żywioł) also did reasonably well and their 2025 Scars (Blizny), has been hailed by some fans as a new beginning for the band. As a metal group that has gravitated towards the heavier versions of that genre, Turbo are now more of a niche group. However, their old music that stood against the communist regime is still remembered as legendary.

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Lombard

History by Izzy Moore

Founded in 1981 by composer, vocalist, and keyboardist Grzegorz Stróżniak, Lombard is known for disco-inspired synth-rock and some of the late-Communist period’s most radical protest songs.

Their 1982 debut album, Death to the Disco! (Śmierć dyskotece!), quickly went gold, pairing energetic synth-driven tracks and biting social critique. Standout tracks included “Dear TV Lady” (“Droga pani z tv”), a skewering of state media news, “Penguin Dance on Glass” (“Taniec pingwina na szkle”), a classic critique of the rat race, and “Diamond Ball” (“Diamentowa kula”), a dreamlike yearning for escape.

That same year, they released their most iconic single, “Experience It Yourself” (“Przeżyj to sam”). The simple, slow rock ballad builds to an abrupt “Enough of silence!” and is an obvious call to direct action against things seen in state media. Although pulled from the air just two days after its debut, its popularity soared, and it remains widely known today as an “anti-Communist anthem.”

Shortly after the release of their megahit, Stróżniak pushed for backup vocalist Małgorzata Ostrowska to be fired so that Kwietniewska’s vocals would be more prominent in the band’s work. However, band manager Piotr Niewiarowski threatened to leave if Ostrowska was removed. In the end, Kwietniewska left to start a solo career rather than deal with the fight. Ostrowska became the group’s new lead.

Ostrowska’s debut 1983 single, “Glass Weather” (“Szklana Pogoda”), became another hit, shifting Lombard toward a heavier electro-rock sound while maintaining their signature synths. It again targets state media – mixing discussion of watching the weather report with dystopian language. The song topped Polish charts and placed at the 1983 Opole Festival despite having some lyrics cut by censors.

Ostrowska then began writing for the band as well, penning hits like “Adriatic, Hot Sea” (“Adriatyk, ocean gorący”), a dystopian lullaby. The single went gold and the song was later included on the 1984 album Duty Free (Wolne od cła). They followed that album the same year with another, Grey Ointment (Szara maść), with the hit “Stand Ready” (“Stan gotowości”), a fighting anthem.

Their 1985 album Anatomy (Anatomia) featured Ostrowska writing the songs for the A side and Jacek Skubikowski writing the B side. Their most electronically heavy album yet, both sides were deeply personal. Ostrowska’s “Pigeon Fluff” (“Gołębi puch”), is a Buddhist meditation on suffering. Skubikowski’s “Crystal” (“Kryształowa”), meanwhile, is an angrily poetic story of heartbreak. “Crystal” topped the charts and stayed there for 10 weeks.

Also in 1985, Lombard refused to perform at the Soviet Song Festival. They were banned from returning to the Opole Festival by the authorities in retaliation. While thier popularity only gained from this, trouble was brewing. In 1986, Ostrowska began stepping back to focus on her personal life and find relief from the stress of the music business. In 1987, founder Grzegorz Stróżniak was fired by manager Piotr Niewiarowski – allegedly over financial disputes, though accounts from band members differ on the incident.

In 1988, however, they celebrated glasnost and growing political change by touring Gorbachev’s USSR. In June 1989, the same month Poland held its first free elections, Lombard released the single “Mr of America,” a love song to America. Their final major album, Welcome Home, (1990), was a joyous album celebrating a free Poland, blending themes of acceptance, joy, and homecoming. Both works were titled in English and Lombard released a fully-English version of Welcome Home called Rocking the East in an attempt to break into international pop. In the end, they were unsuccessful.

Ostrowska left the band in 1991. A court ruled that the name “Lombard” could not be used without her, prompting the remaining members to shift to “L’ombard.” Various new lineups were attempted, but the band never regained its old ability to capture the imagination of youths across the nation, even when Ostrowska returned for a few years.

Nonetheless, Lombard has continued playing, giving concerts, and even occasionally releasing new music. Stróżniak returned in 1994 – and is now the only original member. Vocals are now led by Marta Cugier. The band has participated in numerous Solidarity commemorations and their early hits remain staples of Polish pop culture.

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Lady Pank

History by Anna Matveeva

Lady Pank’s style has shifted from punk to hard rock over the nearly 50 years they have been active. Their poetic lyrics, which raged against the communist authorities with metaphors in their early years, remain popular in new songs for their vivid emotions and imagery.

Formed in late 1981 by Jan Borysewicz and Andrzej Mogielnicki after leaving Budka Suflera, the band debuted in 1982 at Club Park in Warsaw. Their first song, “Lady Pank” (“Mała Lady Pank”), was an anthem for female punk fans and an instant hit. In 1983 alone, they played some 400 concerts.

Lady Pank’s 1983 self-titled debut album featured brisk guitar riffs, lyrical hooks, and protest songs. Nearly every song became a hit. “Crisis Fiancée” (“Kryzysowa narzeczona”) is written to a lover who escaped to somewhere better “far away.” “Castles on Sand” (“Zamki na piasku”), reflected the instability and false promises of communist life. The breakout hit, “Less Than Zero” (“Mniej niż zero”), portrayed young people as full of hope and capability but dismissed as insignificant by those in power. Its popularity surged after fans began associating it with the death of Grzegorz Przemyk, a student beaten to death by police that same year. Authorities pressured stations to pull the song – but this only fueled its success. The album eventually went gold.

In 1984, Lady Pank appeared in Paweł Karpiński’s film It’s Only Rock (To tylko rock), about a female rocker who makes it big. The band’s second album, Shameful (Ohyda), out that same year, incorporated richer arrangements, brass instrumentation, and anthems like “Or Else It’s Shameful” (“A to Ohyda”), about how one has to protest shameful things or face shame oneself.

In 1985–1986, they recorded Drop Everything, an English-language version of their debut album. Showcased at the MIDEM music fair in Cannes, the album secured a U.S. release and the group embarked on a three-week promotional tour of America. However, the band’s limited English, frustration at attempts to “Americanize” their image, and refusal to “commercialize” (they turned down a deal to tour with Madonna, who they thought too pop), led them to step back from global ambitions.

At the same time, internal tensions mounted. Andrzej Mogielnicki left the band to focus on songwriting and production, though he later returned for collaborations. A major scandal erupted after a drunken Jan Borysewicz exposed himself during a Children’s Day concert. The group changed managers and overhauled its lineup before regaining momentum.

These shifts were reflected in their 1988 album The Very Same (Tacy sami), which introduced a new-wave-influenced hard rock sound. Their songs remained full of political metaphor. The title track, with its powerful guitars and bleak lyrics, is about feeling lost behind a wall in an unchangeable world. In contrast, “Leave the Titanic Alone” (“Zostawcie Titanica”) is an upbeat track asking listeners to let the people on a sinking ship enjoy their song and dance.

That same year, Borysewicz launched a side project called “Jan Bo,” which has since released five albums. The first, Queen of Silence (Królowa ciszy), reimagined Polish Christmas carols and pastoral songs with an electronic rock twist.

Lady Pank’s 1990 album, Always There Where You Are (Zawsze tam, gdzie ty), delivered what has become a signature hit in the title track. Although still with an undercurrent of anger, the rock ballad represents one of the band’s warmest and most optimistic works. Nana, their 1994 follow-up album, was their first to go platinum. It included the angsty “What’s the Point of Today?” (“Na co komu dziś”).

Lady Punk has released, to date, 18 albums and numerous compilations, live albums, and even a multi-disc symphonic collection of their biggest hits. Three of their post-1994 albums have gone gold: The Fear of Being Afraid (Strach się bać), Marathon (Maraton), and Love and Power (Miłość I Władza). They have had numerous songs scale the charts such as “Warsaw Station” (“Stacja Warszawa”), “My World Without You” (“Moj swiat bez ciebie”), and “It’s Raining Again” (“Znowu pada deszcz”).

Still actively touring, Lady Pank is ingrained in the fabric of Polish pop culture. Their legacy is ongoing, but their 1983 debut remains their magnum opus. Released just a month before martial law was lifted, its fresh sound and rebellious spirit now echoes with nostalgia. The original first album went gold in 1983, the remastered first album went platinum when it was released in 2018.

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Rezerwat

History by Anna Matveeva

In 1981, three musicians—Andrzej Adamiak, Wiktor Daraśkiewicz, and Mariusz Jeremus—began rehearsing in private homes as Poland’s 1981 martial law began to squeeze society. They were later joined by drummer Piotr Mikołajczyk and keyboardist Paweł Zbigniew Nikodemski. They chose the name “Rezerwat,” which translates as “reserve” and evokes a sense of social observation and restraint. Their sound blended New Wave and rock energies, enriched later by touches of folk, jazz, and a gypsy-tinged melodic sensibility.

Rezerwat’s breakthrough came in 1982 with a first-place performance at the Rockowisko Festival in Łódź. This win granted them crucial studio time at Poland’s Radio Orange studio in Warsaw, where they recorded two breakout hits: “Observer” (“Obserwator”), a self-conscious song about lurking in society without participation; and “Histeria” (“Hysteria”), a questioning of the role of celebrities and power structures in society. These early tracks feature rock‑New Wave hybridization: driving bass guitar forms the backbone, supported by atmospheric keys. Both songs soon climbed the charts. Soon after, they joined British band Classix Nouveaux in a tour of Poland, broadening their exposure.

In 1983, they recorded their self-titled debut LP, Rezerwat, released in 1984. It included the first two singles as well as the hit “Leper Puppet” (“Tredowata Marionetka”), disparaging all things fake.

Despite their sudden success, the band proved unstable with considerable internal tensions. Adamiak, for instance, briefly left in early 1984, was replaced twice, and returned in 1985, in time to record the band’s greatest hit: “Take Care of Me” (“Zaopiekuj się mną”). The song is built on a hypnotic bass motif by Adamiak, layered with poignant keyboard lines and a vocal delivery midway between rock grit and romantic lament. Its lyrics, departing almost antithetically to the short, staccato bursts of the first songs, “Take Care of Me” is an epic, complex, flowing story of love and lonely separation. It remains the band’s greatest masterpiece.

The 1987 album Heart (Serce) built upon this richer production, integrating electronic percussion and electric guitar into sound that is alternatively hollow or lifting. Songs like “The Sky Loves You” (“Kocha ciebie niebo”), which hovers at the time just before childhood innocence is lost, and “Oh Doll” (“Och Lala”), about superficial beauty, became part of the soundtrack to the 80s generation in Poland.

The band continued to tour for about a year. However, lineup changes and internal turmoil remained. At the height of their popularity, they went their separate ways in 1988. Attempts to reunite the band seemed to only continue the conflicts. While a 1998 reformation even led to new material, lawsuits filed over who could reform the group meant that the new songs were never released.

Only in 2004 did Andrzej Adamiak emerge as the winner of the rights to the band’s name. Even at that, a new album surfaced only in 2016, Touch (Dotykaj) although it captured the hearts of neither critics nor fans. Adamiak died in 2020 due to complications from appendicitis and the band again broke up. Only a few months later, a former guitarist for the group assembled other former members for a new reformation. This latest iteration of Rezerwat is still around, playing the old hits, touring, and occasionally releasing compilations.

Despite the drama, fans still remember the first two albums as highlights of their youth.

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Kult

History by Benjamin Walsh

Kult is a band that blends punk, New Wave, psychedelic, and jazz. With frontman Kazik Staszewski on lyrics, vocals, and saxophone, the band is known for political, religious, and social commentary – as well as humor and sentimentality – all often delivered with rap-styled vocals.

Debuting during Polish martial law, Staszewski found he could partially bypass censorship by writing overly provocative lyrics so that the less extreme lyrics he wanted would pass later. He also found that keeping fans energized made live concerts more difficult to suppress.

Religion is a recurring theme in their work. Both Staszewski and bassist Piotr Wieteska were devout Jehovah’s Witnesses (hence the band’s ironic name). Wieteska left the band in 1986 to focus on his faith, while Staszewski left the church that same year after being asked to quit music. Kult’s 1987 self-titled debut album featured early hits like “Blood of God” (“Krew Boga”), about remembering the blood Christ spilled, and “Wonderful News” (“Wspaniała Nowina”), about the meaningless of global politics in the face of religion. These were written vaguely enough to evade censorship and resonate with Poland’s majority-Catholic listeners while also directly messaging the beliefs of a Jehovah’s Witness.

Kult’s second album, Listen, This is for You (Posłuchaj to do ciebie), released later in 1987, leaned into brass-infused punk. It featured many songs originally intended for their first album but which only now passed censorship as the government weakened. Songs like “Vodka” (“Wodka”) criticized alcoholism’s pacification of society while “Hey, Don’t You Know” (“Hej, czy nie wiecie“) lambasted power-grasping politicians.

New Wave and psychedelic infiltrate their third album, 1988’s Take It Easy (Spokojnie), which saw the megahit “Arahja.” Kult’s biggest single would later be ranked as one of the most popular songs in Polish history. Originally titled “Berlin,” it depicts that city as a house and body divided by a wall. “To Ana” (“Do Ani”), another megahit from this album, is the most popular of a triptych of love songs Stazewski wrote for his wife, Anna Kamińska. The first, “About Ana” (“O Ani”), from their first album, lyrically runs toward something new. “To Ana” broods with burning passion, and the third, “Six Years Later” (“6 lat później), on the sixth album, contemplates a mature relationship.

1989’s Cassette ( Kaseta), returned to hard rock. It featured the anti-communist hit “What is Freedom For?” (“ Po co wolność”), a mock party speech. This theme carried into 1991’s 45-89, whose title track stitched together quotes from communist leaders. The album’s title is a metaphorical tombstone for the Communist regime, listing the years it was born and died. Perhaps sensing a new freedom, Staszewski exploded with energy, releasing a sixth Kult album, Your Eyes, as well as starting a solo rap career all that same year and shortly after also joining the rap band KNZ.

Kult’s seventh album, Kazik’s Dad (Tata Kazika), released in 1993, was dedicated to Kazik’s father, Stanisław Staszewski. It featured the hit “Lamb” (“Baranek”), a humorous song by the elder Staszewski about jealously defending the honor of a girl who has little of it. Another hit, “Poland” (“Polska”), is a punk laundry list of complaints about his homeland, from litter to dirty cops to religious hypocrisy.

Kult’s more modern material still focused on religion, such as Psalm 151, a first-person retelling of the original, about a young musician anointed by God to lead his people. It also continued to comment on Poland’s political situation, such as the long-charting “Left June” (“Lewy Czerwcowy”), about the fall of Prime Minister Jan Olszewski. It also still discusses Staszewski’s family, such as with the wry love song about married life, “When The Children Are Away” (“Gdy nie ma dzieci”).

1998’s The Final Crash of the Corporate System (Ostateczny krach systemu korporacji) was seen as a return to their roots and went platinum. Kult went on to release another six albums. Five went either gold or platinum, including Polygon Industrial (Poligono Industrial), Hurrah! (Hurra!), Straight (Prosto), Shame (Wstyd), and their fittingly titled “Last Album” (Ostatnia Płyta), released as they partially retired. Interestingly, however, while most of their commercial success came after 1998, most of their truly enduring hits predate that time, when they experimented more with their sound and perhaps had more to fight against.

Kult still regularly performs concerts and maintains a literal Kult following.

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Armia

History by Benjamin Walsh

Armia is a Polish punk group primarily associated with vocalist Tomasz Budzynski. Their style, especially in their early days, was punk through-and-through, with Budzynski’s lack of musical training giving the band a particularly harsh punk sound. However, as the band evolved, they learned and the breadth of genres from which they would pull, including metal, hardcore, dub, reggae, and jazz, has led to difficulty in labelling Armia as one particular style. Lead by Budzynksi’s charasmatic spirituality, the band is also credited with pushing Christian rock into the punk and metal scenes in Poland.

Formed in November 1984 in Warsaw, they performed throughout the mid 80s and gained popularity within the Polish punk scene, with their breakout performance being at the 1985 Jarocin Music Festival. Budzynski was also briefly arrested at the festival, with such encounters with the police being normal in the punk scene. As opposed to the customary all-black outfits of the typical Polish punk band, Armia played around with their appearances during concerts, a famous example of which was the jester’s hat that Budzynski often wore.

The success they saw from their live performances encouraged them to start recording music, with their first album, Armia, being released in 1988. The recording process for this album was very troubled, with many songs having to be rerecorded and released on later albums. The process did result in “Invincible” (“Niezwyciężony”), however, which went on to be their biggest hit.

Their second album, the massively popular Legenda, was released in 1991. It saw the beginning of their incorporation of a wide variety of genres and influences. The album was composed during and after members of the band stayed at a commune in the Polish countryside. Spirituality was seen in Armia’s early work, but in Legenda it becomes a focal point with Christianity and New Age philosophy permeating this album and the next, 1993’s Time and Being (Czas i Byt). It received positive reviews but less popularity than its predecessor. It was around this time that Budzynski fully embraced his spirituality on stage, supposedly having revelations during his live performances.

The band has continued to release music to the current day, although they have become more of a niche band. Christian influences still permeate thier work with Triodante, released in 1994, inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy and 1997’s Spirit (Duch), being slightly less metal and more explicitly Christian. Much of thier work has been intellectual, drawing again from literary influences in 2009 with Der Prozess. This concept album is based on the book by Franz Kafka of the same name. The album was nominated for best rock album at the 2010 Fryderyk awards. Also notable is Freak, also released in 2009, which is an entirely English-language album that shifted far away from Armia’s typical metal sounds to psychedelic motifs and even jazz.

Today, they are often more critically acclaimed than commercially popular. However, this is perhaps what many love about them – that they continue to do what they want and not what will bring in the most money. They are still active today, more than 40 years since their founding.

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