2006 marked the 30th anniversary of punk.
The Ramones released their first album in April 1976.
it was the first punk album to break the Billboard Top 200, reaching 111.
The Damned released "New Rose" in October 1976
It broke into the UK Top 100 Singles.
He did say "the 30th anniversary of the emergence of the punk music scene in the mainstream culture", which didn't really happen until '77.
Left off the list, The Talking Heads, probably the most commercially successful of the early punk bands. Also The Dead Boys, one of the best.