Protopunk is a term used retrospectively to describe a number of music artists who were important precursors of the punk rock movement of the mid-1970s and later, or who have been cited by early punk musicians as influential. Typically, protopunk bands were not considered punk themselves; the typification is, furthermore, not widely regarded to have been the result of a distinct musical genre as the precursors of punk rock came from a wide array of backgrounds, styles, and influences. American acts like The Velvet Underground, MC5, The Stooges, The Sonics, New York Dolls, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Richard Hell, Tom Verlaine and from Britain David Bowie, The Who, Roxy Music, and Hawkwind are commonly cited as the most noteworthy protopunk artists that would ultimately influence punk musicians.