10 Most Important Hard Rock Bands Of The 80s
4. The Dead Kennedys
Compared to where they ended up, the idea of Motley Crue being anywhere near the punk conversation seems a bit out of place. Sure, they may have had a clear influence from a band like the Sex Pistols, but where they ended up felt more in line with someone like Aerosmith than the Clash. The real punk bands had something to say, and The Dead Kennedys were never ones to mince words during their heyday.
The minute that these guys broke onto the scene with Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, they had an axe to grind that went well past the typical disaffected sounds of punk. Picking up right where the Clash left off in terms of raw political punk, songs like Holiday in Cambodia and Nazi Punks F*ck Off were a clear indication as to where they were going to go, even if it meant taking on the major networks like MTV in the process.
Although you also had bands like FEAR around the same time putting out chaotic records, the Kennedys also had an experimental streak as well, with stuff like Plastic Surgery Disasters trying to fit just a little bit of art rock into the equation, all while dressed with dollar signs on their nice suits. If anything, these songs are enough to tell you that the '80s weren't just about the entire music scene being in CandyLand. We had something to say and were going to go down swinging to make it happen.