Bad Brains Songs Ranked

Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk,  though the band’s members have objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of other genres like funk, heavy metal, hip hop, and soul. Bad Brains are followers of the Rastafari movement. Bad Brains have released nine studio albums (one of which is entirely composed of instrumental versions of their early material). The band broke up and reformed several times over the years, sometimes with different singers or drummers. Since 1994, the definitive lineup of singer H.R. (Human Rights), guitarist Dr. Know, bassist Darryl Jenifer, and drummer Earl Hudson has reunited, albeit performing sporadically. In 2013 keyboardist Jamie Saft was recruited to play with the band, fulfilling both live and studio roles. Chogyi Lama performed with the group live 2016–17. Here are all of Bad Brains songs ranked.

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20. God of Love (God of Love, 1986)

“Title track about worshipping God (Jah) in a Rastafarian chant. Dr. Know is one of my top 10 rock guitarists without question….on this track he rips a solo out of nowhere and completes is statement in a minimal amount of bars. Its like a rapid lightning storm!”

19. Rock for Light (Rock for Light, 1983)

“The songs show strong punk influences — long before BB adopted reggae and progressive hardcore sounds into their songwriting — but the lyrics show the same angry, topical style as is found in later releases.”

18. The Regulator (Bad Brains, 1982)

“This is simply a beautiful song for hard rock, reggae, funk and even Rasta’s who normally enjoy reggae only. This band continues to evolve and grow which will make “hard-core or punk” fans outraged”

17. Don’t Need It (Bad Brains, 1982)

“Yeah, a million people could figure out the riffs and everything in not too long a time, and play much of it with one finger on a bass, simple drumbeats, and barre chords, but how many people could come up with this, and then play it so fast, so tight, and with so much clear emotion.”

See more: Bad Brains Albums Ranked

16. Big Take Over (Bad Brains, 1982)

“This hardcore classic is always more than I remember it to be. It is rougher, the reggae influences are more pronounced, the youthful nihilism more apparent. However, it is still less than a sum of its parts. I know both punk and reggae often have a tendency to shirk variety, but no whole song here stands out as anything entirely different than its compatriots.”

15. Free (Rise, 1993)

“Free” is a powerful track, again probably godlike live, even though there’s a more commercial sense on this album, few groups are as potent and convincing in their sound as the Bad Brains are.”

14. F.V.K. (Fearless Vampire Killers) (Bad Brains, 1982)

“This is a decent song. A uniform experience, even in its dividedness. I would not hail it as a punk masterpiece, but I am still glad that it has achieved the status of a classic. That kind of recognition is often directed at less interesting albums.”

13. Attitude (Bad Brains, 1982)

“One the best songs on the record in my opinion it is fast and catchy. This song exudes the feelings of defiance. The hardcore on here is tight and played well. The reggae drags on and gets repetitive (outside Jah Calling). If the other reggae tracks were shorter or more varied it would be a higher score from me.”

12. Re-Ignition (I Against I, 1986)

“A slight change in direction on this one, with some slower tempos and less reggae. More of a metallic sound as well. Still as hard-hitting tho'”

11. How Low Can a Punk Get? (Rock for Light, 1983)

“Bad Brains straddle the line between punk and metal to a point that makes the two indiscernible from one another. The songs are often short and fast, so they’re punk, right? But they have guitar solos and odd time signatures, and tempo changes, and they’re all really good at their instruments, and they’re precise, so they’re like a metal band”

10. Rights of a Child (God of Love, 1995)

“Starts as a ballad punctuated by a hard core refrain sung by HR with passion for the basic rights of children to learn, live and love without harm.”

9. Don’t Bother Me (Black Dots, 1996)

“This record kicks your fucking ass. It has the most hard hitting and heaviest versions of their songs so far and some new ones.”

8. Right Brigade (Bad Brains, 1982)

” The music played here was completely different to what I was expecting – there was barely any low end to the production (no down-tuned bass guitars or drums) and the singer’s voice seemed virtually unlistenable with his gasping high-pitched squeaks and squeals.”

7. Rise (Rise, 1993)

“A great band that mixes different genres to creates a very pleasurable listening experience. Rise is my favorite song by Bad Brains and rates very high on my list of songs from all bands.”

See more: Minor Threat Albums Ranked

6. Pay to C*m (Pay to C*m, 1980)

“They must have sounded like space aliens when they released this in 1980!  “Pay to Cum” is a fierce punk rock track complete with insanely fast tempos.”

5. Sailin’ on (Bad Brains, 1982)

“Sailin’ On” if you don’t get the vibe. That song has gotten me through so much in my life. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I love it.”

4. Soulcraft (Quickness, 1989)

“The songwriting is quite well executed as well, considering a usual Bad Brains song consisted of maybe two verses and one chorus.”

3. At the Movies (Rock for Light, 1983)

“At the movies is a great tune as well, it starts a bit slower with a melodic intro but then evolves into a great moshing song. This single feels a bit like a cash in though it is still great.”

2. I Against I (I Against I, 1986)

“I Against I, is an excellent and groovy album, that sort of foreshadows the direction that popular heavy music would take in the next decade or so (whether you like it or not).”

1. Banned in D.C. (Banned in D.C., 2003)

“Songs like “Banned in D.C.” even balanced the intense speed with slower tempos, which would become prevalent in a plethora of heavy genres for years to come (and yeah, the band was actually banned from all the big clubs in D.C.). It’s pretty much a flawless track.”