Bad Religion

Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that started in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. Their music talks about important ideas like religion, politics, society, and science. They are known for their catchy melodies and unique three-part singing. Even though many members have changed over the years, singer Greg Graffin has always been there. Other long-time members include Jay Bentley, Brett Gurewitz, and Brian Baker.

The band became very popular in the 1980s and 1990s, especially after they joined a bigger music company in 1993. They helped start a big wave of punk music in the 1990s and inspired many other bands like Green Day, the Offspring, and NOFX. Some of their famous songs are "Infected", "Stranger than Fiction", and "21st Century (Digital Boy)".

Bad Religion has released seventeen studio albums and sold over five million copies worldwide. They are one of the most successful punk rock bands ever. Even after some ups and downs, they kept making popular music, with recent hits like "Sorrow", "Los Angeles Is Burning", and "The Devil in Stitches". Their album True North reached a new high on the charts, and their latest album, Age of Unreason, came out in 2019.

History

Bad Religion was formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980 by high school students Greg Graffin, Jay Bentley, Jay Ziskrout, and Brett Gurewitz. Their first performance was at a warehouse in either Fullerton or Santa Ana, California, opening for the band Social Distortion. The band’s name came from the members wanting to “piss people off” when they were adolescents.

In 1981, they released their first EP on Epitaph Records, a label owned by Gurewitz. They began recording their first full album, How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, the same year. Drummer Jay Ziskrout left during recording and was replaced by Pete Finestone. The album was released in 1982 and sold about 12,000 copies.

The band released Into the Unknown in 1983, an album with a slower, keyboard-driven sound. It went out of print quickly, and the band temporarily disbanded. They reunited in 1986 and released Suffer in 1988, which received positive reviews. They continued to release albums through the 1990s and 2000s, gaining mainstream success with albums like Stranger Than Fiction.

Bad Religion has experienced lineup changes over the years, with members leaving and returning. They continued to produce music into the 2010s and beyond, releasing albums such as The Dissent of Man in 2010 and True North in 2013. In 2018, they released Age of Unreason, and as of 2025, they were working on a new album.

Style and influences

Bad Religion is known for its style as melodic hardcore, punk rock, skate punk, and hardcore punk. The band was inspired by famous punk acts from the late 1970s like the Ramones, the Germs, the Sex Pistols, and the Clash. They were also influenced by early 1980s American hardcore bands such as Black Flag, Minor Threat, and the Circle Jerks.

Unlike many bands from their time, Bad Religion also liked older proto-punk bands like the New York Dolls, MC5, and the Stooges. They were inspired by new wave artists like Elvis Costello, the Jam, and Nick Lowe, as well as author Jack Kerouac. The band also mentioned that The Beatles were a big influence on them. Their music often has an upbeat and positive feel, even when they talk about serious subjects. Bad Religion is famous for using three-part vocal harmonies, inspired by the band the Adolescents.

Legacy

Many other bands have been inspired by Bad Religion. Some of these bands include Rise Against, AFI, Parkway Drive, NOFX, I Am the Avalanche, and Miss Vincent. Matt Davies-Kreye, the lead singer of Funeral for a Friend, has talked about how Bad Religion’s album Against the Grain influenced him.

Beliefs

Bad Religion writes many songs about social problems. They don’t blame any one person or group for these problems. The band has supported many political causes. They have also performed at events supporting people’s choices about having families.

The band often uses ideas about religion in their songs, but they are not against religion itself. They use religion as a way to talk about standing up for what you believe in and thinking for yourself. The band’s singer, Greg Graffin, prefers to describe himself as a naturalist, which means he believes in studying the world through science and learning from new discoveries.

Logo

Bad Religion has a special logo called the "Crossbuster." It shows a black Latin cross with a red prohibition sign over it. The band’s guitarist, Brett Gurewitz, drew this logo on paper and shared it with the band.

Band members have talked about what the logo means. Greg Hetson said it stands against strict rules, with the church being an easy example. Greg Graffin shared that when they were young, they liked the logo because it could upset people. As he grew older, he realized it might be too offensive, but he explained that the logo is about not liking strict ways of thinking and belief systems that limit ideas. Jay Bentley remembered that when they created it as teens, it was a funny idea to shock people, especially because TV shows at the time often talked about paying money to feel loved. Brian Baker, who joined the band later, said the logo and name were created by two teenage boys trying to find the most shocking name for their punk band.

The Crossbuster logo is used a lot on the band’s merchandise and album covers.

Concert tours

Bad Religion has gone on many tours since they started in 1980. Some of their well-known tours include the Suffer Tour, No Control Tour, Against the Grain Tour, and many more. They have also joined other bands for special tours, like the Vans Warped Tour and tours with Rise Against and the Offspring. Their tours have taken them around the world, sharing their music with fans everywhere.

Band members

Main article: List of Bad Religion members

Bad Religion has had several members over the years, but here are the current ones:

• Greg Graffin – lead vocals since 1980, and keyboards from 1980 to 1983
• Brett Gurewitz – guitar and backing vocals, joined in 1980 and returned in 1988 and 2001
• Jay Bentley – bass and backing vocals, joined in 1980 and returned in 1986
• Brian Baker – guitar and backing vocals since 1994
• Mike Dimkich – guitar since 2013
• Jamie Miller – drums since 2016

Discography

Here is a list of the studio albums by Bad Religion:

• How Could Hell Be Any Worse? (1982)
• Into the Unknown (1983)
• Suffer (1988)
• No Control (1989)
• Against the Grain (1990)
• Generator (1992)
• Recipe for Hate (1993)
• Stranger than Fiction (1994)
• The Gray Race (1996)
• No Substance (1998)
• The New America (2000)
• The Process of Belief (2002)
• The Empire Strikes First (2004)
• New Maps of Hell (2007)
• The Dissent of Man (2010)
• True North (2013)
• Age of Unreason (2019)