I think that the bands you mentioned were very influential, in punk rock... Dolls, Lou Reed, Bowie, but I consider those groups to be the direct influence.. I don't consider VU as "direct" because they influenced the groups that influenced the punk groups(if that makes any sense
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My opinion on the topic anyways
But yeah.. you guys lived through it, all I can do is listen/read the stories and songs, then try to figure it out now.. even if you weren't into it, you most likely had an idea of what was going on.. so I am definitely glad to receive any compliment.. or anything above "This is awful"
and for a highschool paper especially, the compliments are a bonus, this isn't something I'd choose to do in my free time