Dead Kennedys

See all 40 pictures

Play Radio

Listen to Dead Kennedys Radio, featuring artists like Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, Minor Threat and more…

• 
  Search on Spotify

  Yes, it scrobbles! Learn more

14,774,514 plays (598,719 listeners)
In your library (0 plays)

Shop now at Amazon | Send Dead Kennedys Ringtones to Cell

More options

• Download
• Amazon
• Send Ringtones to Cell
• Tonefuse Search

Add to my Library

San Francisco, United States (1978 – 1986)

Dead Kennedys are a punk rock 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 satirical and sarcastic left-wing commentary on social and political issues. Many of the band’s songs criticize the religious right and the Ronald Reagan administration, along with many other personalities and ideas.

Dead Kennedys formed in San Francisco in 1978 when vocalist Jello Biafra (Eric Reed Boucher) and bassist Klaus Flouride (Geoffrey Lyall) responded to a magazine ad placed by guitarist ‘East Bay Ray’ (Raymond Pepperell). The three joined with drummer ‘6025’ (Carlos Cadona) as a drummer, but he was quickly replaced by ‘Ted’ (Bruce Slesinger) and formed one of the most successful hardcore punk bands of the 80s. Later the same year, ‘6025’ was invited back as a second guitarist, but he quit the band again in 1979.

The band played hard and fast punk that matched the raw energy of the West-coast scene with twists such as Ray’s surf-guitar influences and Jello’s nasal machine-gun vocals and political fervor conveyed through furious left-wing rants. Their first show was on July 19, 1978, at the Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco, California.

After this The Dead Kennedys played numerous shows at local venues afterwards.

Read more… Edit

Popular tags: punk, punk rock, hardcore punk, hardcore, political  See more

Shouts: 1,672 shouts

Share this artist:

• Send
• Tweet

Top Albums

• Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
  Dead Kennedys

  Buy

  • Download Album
  • Amazon MP3 $8.99
  • 7digital $9.99
  • iTunes $9.99
  • Buy Album
  • Amazon $10.00
  • eBay Search
• Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
  Dead Kennedys

  Buy

  • Download Album
  • Amazon MP3 $8.99
  • 7digital Search
  • iTunes $9.99
  • Buy Album
  • Amazon $10.96
  • eBay Search
• Bedtime For Democracy
  Dead Kennedys

  Buy

  • Download Album
  • Amazon MP3 $6.49
  • 7digital Search
  • iTunes $9.99
  • Buy Album
  • Amazon $11.99
  • eBay Search
• Plastic Surgery Disasters
  Dead Kennedys

  Buy

  • Download Album
  • Amazon MP3 Search
  • 7digital Search
  • iTunes Search
  • Buy Album
  • Amazon $9.95
  • eBay Search

Top Tracks

• Last Week
• Last 6 months

1		Holiday in Cambodia			2,430
2		Kill the Poor			1,331
3		Too Drunk to Fuck			1,222
4		California Uber Alles			1,164
5		Police Truck			1,031
6		Viva Las Vegas			881
7		Forward to Death			878
8		Let's Lynch the Landlord			858
9		Chemical Warfare			835
10		When Ya Get Drafted			779
11		Your Emotions			742
12		Drug Me			738
13		Stealing People's Mail			698
14		I Kill Children			691
15		California Über Alles			629

Buy all tracks at Amazon MP3

See more