Proto-Punk is a musical genre that emerged in the mid to late 1960s and early 1970s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is the precursor to punk rock and is characterized by a primitive, raw sound, simple guitar playing, and revolutionary lyrics that express non-conformist and anti-authoritarian views. Artists such as The Stooges, MC5, and The Velvet Underground helped shape the genre, which laid the foundations for the punk movement that followed. The influence of Proto-Punk is crucial for the evolution of the alternative music scene.