Dead Kennedys released the debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables in 1980. The San Francisco band’s first full-length record arrived on 2 September 1980 through Cherry Red Records in the United Kingdom and became an important early document of American hardcore punk.
The album was recorded in May and June 1980 at Möbius Music in San Francisco. It combines fast, tightly arranged music with the sharply political and satirical writing associated with vocalist Jello Biafra. Its best-known songs include “California Über Alles,” “Holiday in Cambodia,” “Police Truck,” and “Kill the Poor.”
The record was produced by guitarist East Bay Ray and Norm, and its original lineup included Biafra, Ray, bassist Klaus Flouride, drummer Ted, and rhythm guitarist 6025. It was the only Dead Kennedys studio album to feature drummer Bruce Slesinger, known as Ted, who later left the group.
The other choices belong to different parts of punk history: the Ramones were New York pioneers, The Damned were English, and The Clash were also English. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is specifically tied to the San Francisco scene.