Which punk band released the album 'Double Nickels on the Dime'?

The punk band that released the album Double Nickels on the Dime was Minutemen. The California trio issued its third studio album through SST Records in July 1984, creating one of the most acclaimed records of the American independent-punk era.

Minutemen formed in San Pedro, Los Angeles, in 1980, with guitarist and vocalist D. Boon and bassist Mike Watt at its core. Drummer George Hurley completed the classic lineup. Their music stretched beyond straightforward hardcore, mixing punk urgency with funk, country, jazz, spoken word, and unusual rhythmic structures. The album’s 45 songs reflect that broad, restless approach.

The title refers to the United States’ then-federal 55-mph speed limit: “double nickels” means 55, while “the dime” refers to Interstate 10. The cover shows Watt driving at that speed. The concept became a joke about rebellion through disciplined creativity rather than simply breaking a rule.

Listeners sometimes confuse the record with Zen Arcade, the influential double album by Hüsker Dü that helped inspire Minutemen to expand their own project. Double Nickels on the Dime remains Minutemen’s landmark album, but the band ended after D. Boon’s death in 1985.