Bad Brains

Group

Bad Brains

US hardcore punk band

From
Washington, D.C., United States
Since
1977–present
Rating
★ 3.35 (3 votes)
Releases
40
  • hardcore punk
  • punk
  • christian hardcore
  • reggae

About

Bad Brains are an American punk rock band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1976. They are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk. They are also a reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of other genres like funk, heavy metal, hip-hop, and soul. Rolling Stone magazine called them "the mother of all black hard-rock bands", and they have been cited as a seminal influence to numerous other subgenres in addition to hardcore punk, including various subgenres of heavy metal, such as thrash/speed metal, alternative metal, and funk metal. Bad Brains are followers of the Rastafari movement.

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Bad Brains have released nine studio albums. They have broken up and reformed several times over their career, sometimes with different singers or drummers. The band originally formed in 1976 as a jazz fusion act under the name Mind Power. Their classic lineup includes Dr. Know (guitar), Darryl Jenifer (bass), and brothers Earl (drums) and Paul "H.R." Hudson (vocals, guitar). This lineup was intact until 1987 and has reunited periodically in the years since. Many notable bands and artists cite Bad Brains as an artistic influence on their music.

From Bad Brains on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Members

  • H.R. 1977–1984, 1986–1989, 1990–1990, 1994–1995, 1997–now lead vocals
  • Earl Hudson 1977–1984, 1986–1991, 1994–1995, 1997–now membranophone
  • Darryl Jenifer 1977–1984, 1986–1995, 1997–now bass guitar
  • Dr. Know 1977–1984, 1986–1995, 1997–now guitar
  • Sid McCray 1977–1978 · former lead vocals
  • Chuck Mosley 1990–1991 · former lead vocals
  • Israel Joseph I 1991–1994 · former lead vocals
  • Mackie Jayson 1991–1994 · former membranophone

Discography

Albums 11
EPs 4
Singles 7
Live 12
Compilations 6

Links

Tags

  • alliteration
  • classic pop and rock

Identifiers

ISNI
0000000123590152

Data from MusicBrainz, saved 15 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.