The influence Bad Brains has had on the punk and hardcore scenes over the past four decades can’t be understated. And we don’t just mean how their icon artwork has been adapted and used on everything from skate graphics to bespoke artisanal coffee shops. Their music and message were always lightyears ahead of their peers in the ‘80s and they helped break down barriers people didn’t even know existed.
Unfortunately some time around 1989 they wrote a song I think we’d all rather forget. It’s a song they have since distanced themselves from and have even gone as far as removing the vocals from and re-releasing as an instrumental song on re-issues of the album. So if you know the song we’re talking about, or even if you don’t, here are twenty Bad Brains songs you should listen to instead while we all pretend that other one doesn’t exist. Listen to the playlist, click here.
20. Supertouch
Bad Brains are often credited as being the “blueprint for hardcore” and in this song, they may have invented the breakdown which is great because this is exactly the kind of thing they probably want to be remembered for and not that one certain song.
19. Sailin’ On
One of the defining qualities of Bad Brainses’s lyrics is the (mostly) positive messages they chose to write about. This song could’ve been called “Fuck it, I’m outta here” and is about leaving a situation or person who is treating you badly. Just another track in their (almost) perfect catalog.
18. I Against I
This is the one Bad Brains song everyone tries to cover usually to disastrous results. Jah bless all the singers out there who tried in vain to get all those lyrics out that fast and on beat. Don’t want to screw them up – almighty’s watching.
17. Big Takeover
Here’s a song everyone really should’ve been paying attention to. It’s about how if we’re not careful Nazis are going to take over the government. It’s a prescient message written in 1982. It’s almost quaint how everyone thought Ronald Reagan was the worst leader we’d ever have.
16. At The Movies
The last line in the lyrics is “So I say to youth right now don’t sway to the unjust / No matter what they say never give in.” Yes to all of this and less to you know… what they say in that other song.
15. Banned in D.C.
One of the most iconic early hardcore songs ever. As Bad Brains started to make a name for themselves in the late ‘70s they would play raucous shows which caused the crowds to lose their shit and damage venues. For this reason, the band found themselves blacklisted from playing shows in the D.C. area. It must suck to be discriminated against based on just who you are as a person.
14. How Low Can Punk Get?
“How low can a punk get?” It’s a good question, one with many answers but for us, we would argue the real answer is writing a song that demonizes a marginalized group based on their sexual preferences. That seems pretty low.
13. I Luv I Jah
Bad Brains’ reggae songs are a source of controversy. Some fans like them while others might tolerate them and typically will skip past them. Even if you don’t like reggae though it’s still better than that other song we’re trying to avoid talking about.
12. Rise
This song and album are almost the most controversial output from Bad Brains but not because of the lyrics. For a variety of reasons, HR was absent from the band and was replaced by Israel Joseph I who is doing a pretty good HR impression. You could make the argument this is not actually a Bad Brains song but at least it doesn’t insinuate that a deadly sexually transmitted disease is a punishment from god. So, there’s that.
11. Attitude
There was something that started to spread in the early ‘80s, especially on the lower east side of Manhattan. It was something that had a three-letter acronym and it spread from person to person and mainly affected those in alternative lifestyles. That thing was PMA and the Bad Brains were responsible.
10. Soul Craft
“Soul Craft” kicks off their 1989 album “Quickness” and highlights their musical progression from previous works. Drawing in more influences from metal and even some hip-hop they were pushing boundaries on genres never heard before. Unfortunately, this progression is marred by a regression in lyrics on a song later in the album.
9. Day Tripper/She’s Like A Rainbow
Typically we would say a Beatles cover is an immediate skip and a Rolling Stones cover is passable at best. But they do a good job and make it their own by giving it a reggae spin to it. And also there isn’t a trace of homophobia in the lyrics!
8. Coptic Times
It’s always funny to watch all your heathen, Godless punk friends sing along to a song about how cool it is to read the bible. But hey, at least they’re just singing about it as being a positive thing for them personally and not using it as a way to villainize a portion of the population.
7. Re-Ignition
This is probably the one song from Bad Brains that your normie friend might know because they heard it at a bar or something but don’t know who plays it. You could be the cool friend who introduces them to the rest of their music but tread lightly because if your friend discovers the-song-that-shall-not-be-named it’s going to be an awkward conversation.
6. Pay To Cum
Well, the title is certainly eyebrow-raising. But to be honest we have no idea what this song is about since the lyrics are flying by at light speed. Let’s go ahead and give them the benefit of the doubt that it’s just a fun punk jam though.
5. She’s Calling You
Musically this is a bit of a departure for HR and Co. It skews less punk and more like an ‘80s skate video soundtrack. It’s super catchy and one of their most upbeat. But the best part is that it doesn’t mention anything about a disorder that affects the immune system.
4. God Of Love
A later era for Bad Brains that is often overlooked and seems a little dated even by mid-’90s standards. It’s not really them at their best but hey, at least it’s not them at their worst.
3. Fearless Vampire Killers
This song’s title comes from a campy ‘60s horror movie about vampires. Vampires of course suck blood from unwanting victims and luckily there is nothing in the lyrics about a certain disease that is transmitted from direct blood contact.
2. Sacred Love
The vocals for this were infamously recorded by HR via telephone while he was locked up in D.C. jail for marijuana possession. The lo-fi quality of the vocals gives the song an ethereal feel making it stand out among the rest of their songs. As far as the lyrics go, yeah… love between two consenting adults should be sacred. Or if not sacred at least accepted?
1. Rock For Light
And finally, let’s end this list with a song with a message I think we can all (hopefully?) agree on. “We don’t want no war / We don’t need no violence / We just want what’s right / Some peace and love.” In fact, why don’t we all just go ahead and listen to this one on repeat for a while to help us all forget that that one song we’d all like to forget even exists?