Best 1980s Hardcore Band
Podcasting juggernaut Hardlore did an episode last week on 1980s hardcore that got the internet and their comments section riled up. There were tons of “what abouts” of course, but hey…everyone can make their own tourney if they want. You own a pencil, right? I’m not getting into what should’ve or shouldn’t have been included. Anything that prompts discussion on the best music in the history of earth is A-OK with me, so shoutout Hardlore for putting some shine on the ‘80s.
It hurts to say but there’s probably less interest in 1980s hardcore punk than any other time since I got into hardcore. I see it with 185 Miles South. When we do an episode fully dedicated to anything pre-1990s, I see the numbers dip. I wonder how much of it is people not liking how old recordings sound vs. a lot of the old school not aging gracefully in the era of social media. Are the ‘90s the new ‘80s? Did metalcore and alt-rock-HC-adjacent stuff just win the hearts of the youth leaving the original stuff in the dust? Who knows, but maybe Hardlore will help some kids discover the best music from the best era and this roots hardcore renaissance we’ve been seeing over the last year will get another little boost.
I got kinda a lot of feedback on their episode and topic, so I figured I’d do a short Substack on it. In my humble opinion, it’s better to do albums than bands. This way you’re comparing their highs only. If we are talking the greatest bands of the 1980s, we have to look at everything and count the bad albums or embarrassing stuff against them. So Warzone? C-YA! Ending the ‘80s with the “bullet holes” record might get you bounced from the tournament entirely. And don’t be one of those “you gotta hear the demo of those songs” dudes…the demo blows too. DYS? Gone.
But SSD…great LP and 12” EP followed by an okay, but disappointing record and then a dogshit one? They’re still a contender in my opinion. The great material is that strong. Same with Black Flag who are undeniable through the first half of My War in 1984 before turning into a band for folks who own roach clips. Then there’s Discharge - a universally loved band who put out a flawless run of five amazing 7”s and two perfect 12”s between 1980-1982. But after that, EP by EP they slowly slid into a full on shit salad by 1986. Can you be the best when you were bad longer than you were good during the time frame in question?
How about the Cro-Mags? Has any band ever fumbled harder after putting out one of the greatest albums of all time? John Joseph left the band at the end of 1987 so their run from demo to the end of the classic lineup is less than three years. Can one album and a demo of the same songs get it done? Does Bad Religion’s mid-’80s inactivity and the flaming turd that was Into The Unknown take them out of the running?
This is why best album and best band are totally different things. I think for best band, we have to factor in a little bit of longevity and strength of catalog. So Antidote? Gone. Side By Side? Gone. Brightside is one of my favorite HC LPs of all time, but does a band whose LP comes out in ‘89 qualify for being the best band of the ‘80s? Even with the Raw Deal demo, we’re only talking two years here.
Can you be the best if you don’t put out an LP? How much should touring factor in? If you were mostly a regional band in your time does that count against you?
So let’s get into it…
Here’s a list of bands who I think could legitimately be considered the best hardcore punk band of the 1980s (not ranked so don’t get at me):
Minor Threat
The band had a flawless catalog. Some will say they had one bad song (“Good Guys Don’t Wear White”) but I’d argue they only had a bad bridge (2nd version of “Out of Step”). “Good Guys” didn’t even come out when they were a band anyway, it dropped as a bonus two years after the broke up and came out on the same record as one of their best late catalog songs, “Salad Days.” Filler is a top 2 USHC 7” and thus one of the greatest records in the history of the world. The band did short West Coast runs in ‘82/’83. They were raging, they were DIY, they put on for their hometown and they aged gracefully throughout their short tenure as a band. They broke up with NO bad songs and without ever embarrassing themselves.
Negative Approach
Perfect comp track. Perfect 7” (the other top 2 USHC 7”). Perfect LP. Broke up with no bad songs and without ever going soft. In ‘82/’83, they did a couple weekends of shows on the East Coast but mostly played in Michigan. In ‘84 they started a full US tour but break up halfway through it.
Agnostic Front
Excellent 7” in ‘83 followed by the greatest USHC LP in ‘84. They adapted with the times to put out one of the tentpole crossover records (even if I’m not a fan) in ‘86. Then they kinda honed in on their own hybrid modern sound with Liberty & Justice (‘87) and capped their ‘80s run with the classic live LP, Live at CBGB (‘88). AF were super active and gigged a ton compared to other first wave USHC bands and only stopped in ‘88 because Roger went to jail. They started up again in 1990 when he got out.
Poison Idea
Poison Idea’s run from 1983-1990 is probably the best in the history of hardcore punk but their crown jewel was 1990’s Feel The Darkness, just outside our 1980s window. Still, their ‘80s run is pretty flawless. Perfect 1st wave USHC 7”. Great 12” EP follow up. Epic comp tracks. Perfect first LP. I think the 2nd LP dips a bit but the EPs in ‘88/’89 have some of their best material. Think about it - they put out a classic 7” in 1983 and still hadn’t peaked by the end of the decade. The band started gigging at the end of 1980 but didn’t leave the Pacific Northwest until 1987 when they finally hit California. They didn’t play the East Coast until 1990.
Bad Brains
If you take the whole ‘80s Bad Brains ride, this is the easy answer for the best hardcore band of the 1980s. They put out a 7” in 1980 and Quickness came out in 1989. I don’t really like that album and I while I like I Against I a lot, I like it significantly less than ROIR or Rock For Light. Even though I like their early ‘80s output way more than their mid/late ‘80s stuff, I don’t think they fell off. Check out this video from 1981 and this one from 1987. The way they slowly win over that crowd of not-drunk-yet spring breakers in Florida is pretty mindblowing. They toured a ton, hitting the West Coast for the first time in 1982 and Europe in 1983.
Just outside the BEST bubble:
Anti-Cimex
Their earliest material is good, not great, but their 7”s in 1983 and 1984 are perfect. They followed up in 1986 with a killer 12” EP and toured the UK. The band broke up sometime after that in ‘86 or ‘87 before getting back together in 1990.
Battalion of Saints
Excellent comp tracks, 12” EP, 7”, and LP in their initial run. They also hit the road in ‘82 on that ill-fated Agression tour, where they only made it to the midwest before breaking down. In ‘84 they finally made it to the East Coast and in ‘85 they did a monster nearly three month long US tour. Broke up with no bad material and never going soft.
Gauze
In 1982, Gauze put out 10 songs (!!) on the City Rockers comp, bodying every other band. They followed up with a really good LP (Fuckheads) in ‘85 and a perfect LP (Equalizing Distort) in ‘86. They had a handful of exclusive songs on the Thrash Til Death comp in ‘86 and never fell off by the end of the ‘80s because they put out a killer 12” in 1990 as well. They toured the UK in 1989.
Riistetyt
Good split 7” with Kaaos (as Cadgers). Excellent 7”. Very good debut LP. Amazing 2nd LP. Decent 3rd LP in 1984. Toured the USA in 1984 and broke up in 1985 with no bad material. Their ‘81-’84 run is STRONG.
G.B.H.
Don’t get at me with “that’s punk, not hardcore.” What is ‘80s hardcore? It’s a faster, more aggressive version of the first wave of punk. G.B.H.’s run from ‘81 to ‘83 is flawless. They get sucked up in the crossover wave a bit for the rest of the ‘80s, but it isn’t a truly embarrassing descent like Discharge. And it should be noted that they were road dogs, coming out to the US every year from 1983-1989. They did monster 60+ day US tours in ‘86/’87 and in ‘86, AF did half the tour and Cro-Mags did the other half. Ballsy move having either of those bands be your main support in 1986.
Chaos UK
Chaos UK is like a more aggro G.B.H. who never fell off in the ‘80s, in fact they just kept getting gnarlier. They put out two raging 7”s in 1982 and followed up with their first LP in 1983. Along with their fellow Bristol compatriots Disorder and Amebix they’re credited with creating a dirtier/noisier sound in the UK. Their 2nd LP, Short Sharp Shock, in ‘84 is a truly harsh piece of music. They toured Japan in 1985 and put out a 12” EP on the legendary Japanese label Selfish Records in 1986. That same year they did the Earslaughter split with Extreme Noise (Terror) - another savage slew of tracks.
Youth of Today
Another band with a perfect catalog who took their message out to the people. When the first wave went soft, metal or broke up, YOT was there to let everyone know that HARDCORE STILL LIVES. They put out a great debut 7” and two perfect LPs in the 1980s. The band hit the West Coast in 1986, did full US tours in ‘87/’88 and hit Europe in ‘89.
So what’s my final answer? Who’s the best hardcore band of the 1980s? Dude, I told you…it’s either Minor Threat, AF, Bad Brains, Poison Idea, or Negative Approach. I’m not even gonna Mt. Rushmore this shit.
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- ZN
Minor Threat is the obvious answer, and also the correct answer. SOIA and Judge didn’t miss either, but Minor Threat were the best, and most important, HC band of the 80s.
Poison Idea and will always be Poison Idea. Unlike these other bands, they lasted longer, put out a ton and were consistently great.
And Totalitär.