For much of its history, punk rock has been focused on energetic live shows and local music scenes, due to the non-marketability of most punk music and to the anti-corporate politics of many punk bands. As such, certain cities throughout the world have been important centers of the development of punk. The most significant are London and New York City, the birthplaces of the genre, though other scenes have brought regional variations to the core sound. For each city, significant local events, bands, record companies and venues are listed in alphabetical order.