Bad Brains

Bad Brains
Bad Brains at Sasquatch! Music Festival, 2007
Bad Brains at Sasquatch! Music Festival, 2007
Background information
Also known as
  • Mind Power (1976–1979)
  • Soul Brains (1998–2001)
OriginWashington, D.C., U.S.
Genres
DiscographyBad Brains discography
Years active
  • 1976–1995
  • 1998–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Websitebadbrains.com

Bad Brains are an American band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1976. They are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk,[1][2][3] though the band's members have objected to the use of this term to describe their music.[4] They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of other genres like funk,[5] heavy metal,[1] hip hop, and soul.[5] Rolling Stone magazine called them "the mother of all black hard-rock bands",[6] and they have been cited as a seminal influence to numerous other subgenres in addition to hardcore punk, including various subgenres of heavy metal, such as thrash/speed metal, alternative metal, and funk metal.[7][8] Bad Brains are followers of the Rastafari movement.[5]

Bad Brains have released nine studio albums. They have broken up and reformed several times over their career, sometimes with different singers or drummers. The band originally formed in 1976 as a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power. Their classic lineup includes singer H.R., guitarist Dr. Know, bassist Darryl Jenifer, and drummer Earl Hudson. This lineup was intact until 1987 and has reunited periodically in the years since.

Many notable bands and artists cite Bad Brains as an artistic influence on their music, including the Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Guns N' Roses, Soundgarden, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, Faith No More, Rage Against the Machine, Deftones, Clutch, Green Day, the Offspring, the Roots, Lamb of God, No Doubt, Anthrax, Living Colour, and Fishbone.[6][7][8][9][10]

  1. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Biography of Bad Brains". AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  2. ^ Darpino, Michael (November 28, 2006). "Washington, DC's 5th Gift To The World-Music (Bad Brains)". Metroblogging. Archived from the original on January 29, 2008.
  3. ^ "Bad Brains Discography: Banned In D.C." Virgin Music. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
  4. ^ See the documentary film Punk Attitude.
  5. ^ a b c Barry, John (October 15, 2008). "I Against I". Baltimore City Paper. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Harrington, Richard (July 30, 1995). "Lame Brains". The Washington Post.
  7. ^ a b MÖRAT (November 16, 2016). "The top 10 best Bad Brains songs". Loudersound.
  8. ^ a b Hobson, Rich (March 16, 2022). "12 albums that prove 1982 was punk's greatest year". Loudersound.
  9. ^ Britt, Bruce (February 7, 2017). "Bad Brains: The Band That Added Some Much Needed Color to the American Rock Scene". The Undeafeted.
  10. ^ "The most underappreciated bands of all time". yardbarker.com. Retrieved July 27, 2022.