1991: The Year Punk Broke

1991: The Year Punk Broke, released theatrically in 1992, is a documentary directed by Dave Markey featuring American alternative rock band Sonic Youth on tour in Europe in 1991. While Sonic Youth is the focus of the documentary, the film also gives attention to Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., Babes in Toyland, Gumball and The Ramones. Also featured in the film are Mark Arm, Dan Peters and Matt Lukin of Mudhoney and roadie Joe Cole, who was murdered in a robbery three months after the tour ended. The film is dedicated to him.

1991: The Year Punk Broke
VHS box cover of 1991: The Year Punk Broke
Directed by	Dave Markey
Produced by	We Got Power Productions Sonic Life
Music by	Sonic Youth Nirvana Dinosaur Jr Babes in Toyland Gumball The Ramones
Distributed by	Tara Films
Release date	24 December 1992 (theatrical) 13 April 1993 (home video) 13 September 2011 (DVD)
Running time	95 mins.
Country	United States
Language	English

Several scenes in the film involve re-enactments and references to scenes from the contemporaneous Madonna tour documentary, Truth or Dare, such as Gordon complaining about "industry people" in the front row, or Cobain, introduced as "Costner" telling Sonic Youth that their show was "neat". At a screening of the film at the 2008 All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Monticello, New York, Markey mentioned that the working title for the film was Tooth or Hair, as a further play on this connection. A home video VHS was released by the David Geffen Company on April 13, 1993. The film was again re-released on DVD on September 13, 2011 by the Universal Music Group.[1]