Dead Kennedys

6,682,553 plays (274,472 listeners)

Listening now: analogueday, Blopashit, callor

punk, punk rock, hardcore punk, hardcore, political… see all

San Francisco, United States (1978 – 1986, 2001 – present)

Dead Kennedys are a hardcore punk band from San Francisco, California. During the 1980s, the band gained a large underground following in the international punk music scene. Their music mixed the more experimental elements of english 1970s punk with the raw energy of the 1980s american hardcore punk scene. Dead Kennedys’ songs mix the deliberately shocking lyrics of punk with a humorous, acerbic, satirical, and sarcastic left-wing commentary on current social and political issues. Many of the band’s songs criticize the right-wing ideologies of the religious right and the Ronald Reagan administration, along with many far-left personalities and ideas.

In the late 1980s, the band was embroiled in an obscenity trial in the US over the 1985 Frankenchrist album, which included a poster with art that depicted penises (Penis Landscape by H. R. Giger). The band was charged criminally with distribution of harmful matter to minors, but the trial ended with a hung jury. The band officially disbanded in 1986. From 1998-2004, the band was embroiled in an acrimonious lawsuit over royalties and rights to the band’s music. In 2001, the band re-formed and began touring with a new vocalist over the objections of former lead singer Jello Biafra, who, after losing the lawsuit and being found liable for fraud, filed two appeals that he later lost.

Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
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Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
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Bedtime for Democracy
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Plastic Surgery Disasters
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Top Tracks

1	Holiday in Cambodia full track	3,063
2	Kill the Poor full track	1,613
3	Too Drunk To Fuck full track	1,432
4	California Uber Alles full track	1,369
5	Police Truck full track	1,316
6	Viva Las Vegas full track	1,265
7	Forward to Death full track	1,034
8	Chemical Warfare full track	1,008
9	Let's Lynch the Landlord full track	973
10	I Kill Children full track	895
11	When Ya Get Drafted full track	855
12	California Über Alles full track	834
13	Drug Me full track	803
14	Your Emotions full track	773
15	I Fought the Law full track	725

Shoutbox

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zachwernicke wrote:
18 minutes ago

how the FUCK is frankenchrist not on the top 4?????!??! that shit STILL sounds ahead of its time..

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gayslayer666 wrote:
yesterday morning

www.last.fm/music/femalepenis

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Phishbone wrote:
yesterday morning

Plastic Surgery Disasters needs waaaaay more listens

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Yamber wrote:
Monday evening

i'd say holiday in cambodia will have been their top song before guitar hero, i didn't check, but in my opinion it's their most well-known. - Maybe not by 1,450 plays though.

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jamescross wrote:
Monday morning

I don’t know if you guys have heard but the Clash have a new Live cd out. It’s from their performance at Shea Stadium in ’82. It’s definitely worth checking out. Here’s more information about it. http://www.theclashonline.com/news/the-clash-also-played-shea

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Botoft wrote:
Sunday morning

HI I AM A NAZI AND I LIKE THIS BAND IM OPENMINDED HUH

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GymLeaderBrock wrote:
Sunday morning

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/57/l_a909dfb8c0284b86ac857871ec07e13a.jpg DK4LIFE

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fru-shaw-nte wrote:
Saturday evening

I love this band so much. The lyrics are (unfortunately) as applicable today as they were in the 80s... Jello > god

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LoseThisSkin wrote:
Saturday evening

pull my strings should have made top 15, easily.

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punkcherry wrote:
last week

californi uber alles was on tony hwks american waste land 4 ps2 but i heard police truck on pro skater 1

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Pompazhe wrote:
last week

Viva "Dead Kennedys"!!!!!!!!!

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Emi666 wrote:
last week

well paid scientist and terminal preppie aremy favorites. oh and ill in the head.

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paten wrote:
last week

Some older guys should know "Police truck" from Tony Hawks Pro skater 1 for Playstation ;-)

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paten wrote:
last week

@ vanilla scarab: i think Holiday in Cambodia was one of there greatest hits. Very great song

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systemino wrote:
10 days ago

Nazi Punks Fuck Off!

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lathe wrote:
12 days ago

Nevermind the complete lack of "Forest Fire."

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Riff55 wrote:
12 days ago

Bleed For Me is barely in the top 50......what the hell is wrong with you people?

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petrq wrote:
13 days ago

imo best hardcore rock&roll band ever. :P

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franzets wrote:
13 days ago

the best hardcore!!! I wrote of them in my last article....Comment it http://ilovemusicvids.blogspot.com/2008/10/1-1980-holiday-in-cambodia-dead.html

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nudistcolony wrote:
13 days ago

i think you meant HiC.. god vanillascARAB

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