Group
Bad Brains
US hardcore punk band
- From
- Washington, D.C., United States
- Since
- 1977–present
- Rating
- ★ 3.35
- 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.
Read more
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.
Members
-
H.R. lead vocals
-
Earl Hudson membranophone
-
Darryl Jenifer bass guitar
-
Dr. Know guitar
-
Sid McCray lead vocals
-
Chuck Mosley lead vocals
-
Israel Joseph I lead vocals
-
Mackie Jayson membranophone
Discography
Albums
EPs
Singles
Live
-
Live at the Bayou (Washington D.C. July 14, 1980 / March 15, 1981)
-
Lift Up Your Heads: San Francisco ’82
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1982-10-20: Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Live at the Fillmore 1982
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Live at CBGB OMFUG 1982: The Audio Recordings
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Live at Maritime Hall
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Spirit Electricity Apple Music
-
The Youth Are Getting Restless Apple Music
-
Attitude: The ROIR Sessions
-
Live Apple Music
-
1979-02: Rebel in the City: Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY, USA
-
1985-06: Live at Lupo's: Providence, RI, USA
Links
Official
Social
Buy
Tags
- alliteration
- classic pop and rock
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- e919b253-da5b-4aae-a444-6a368376a2d6
- ISNI
- 0000000123590152
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 15 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.