10 Best Punk Rock Albums Of The 1980s
9. Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
The gleefully offensive Dead Kennedys set out their stall early on their first and finest record with “Kill The Poor”. But while the song has its shock value, it, like most of their tracks, is always punching up, taking well aimed potshots at the powers that be through Jello Biafra’s demented vocals and acidic lyrics.
The enduring "Holiday in Cambodia" is ahead of its time with its commentary on cultural appropriation, and “California Uber Alles”’ tale of creeping popular fascism could hardly sound more timely. They inject their songs with quips and quotables, but there’s usually a deeper meaning to the music.
Not always, mind - “Stealing People’s Mail” is exactly what it sounds like and “Your Emotions” a simple kiss off to a dullard, but Dead Kennedys mix pop and politics like few others.
It helps that their sound is fantastically defined - Biafra’s bark, Flaus Flouride’s deep, booming bass, East Bay Ray’s fantastically snaky, surf-influenced guitar, and the mononymic Ted’s pounding, traditionally punk drums. It’s an album designed to tick off the squares while still sounding like a blast.