Through much of the 1980s, Sonic Youth had been slowly but steadily developing a reputation as one of the most original and exciting bands on the American underground scene. In the summer of 1991, the band headed to Europe for a concert tour and discovered they weren't as underground as they imagined themselves to be; booked into a series of massive outdoor festivals, the band found themselves playing to some of the largest audiences of their career, and sharing stages with other American bands who were poised for an unexpected commercial breakthrough both in Europe and at home (most notably a little band from Seattle called Nirvana). Musician and filmmaker Dave Markey tagged along for the ride, and Sonic Youth: 1991 - The Year Punk Broke is his document of one of America's most important alternative bands riding a wave that would break with the grunge revolution late the same year. Along with Sonic Youth and Nirvana, Sonic Youth: 1991 - The Year Punk Broke also features performances by Babes in Toyland, Dinosaur Jr., and Gumball, as well as a brief flash of the Ramones playing a club gig.