A few years later, the word became associated with a style of punk rock music that sought to return punk rock to a working-class or "street level" following. It began in the latter part of the 70's, fusing punk bands like The Clash and The Ramones with early British rock. Later on, it was seen as trying to promote unity between punks and skinheads. Originally this music was called street-punk. It wasn't until the early 1980's that the movement was labeled "Oi!". The original Oi! bands included Cock Sparrer, the Cockney Rejects, Angelic Upstarts, Slaughter and the Dogs, Skrewdriver, the Lurkers, and Sham 69. They were folllowed by the Business, the Last Resort, The 4-Skins, Combat 84, Infa-Riot, and others. Because so many skinheads were recruited by racist organizations such as the National Front, some histories of rock music dismiss all Oi! as racist music. However none of the original street-punk bands were particularly racist. Later on, the Oi! movement actually lost momentum in the U.K. However, certain Oi! scenes began to form in other parts of Europe, Japan, and North America. In the U.S. Oi! was mirrored by the Hardcore explosion of the early 1980's. In the mid 1990's, a revival of interest in Oi! music began with new bands emerging and older bands recieving more recognition. With this revival came a further concerted effort to distance Oi! from racism.
