Suicidal Tendencies “Suicidal Tendencies” released on this date, July 5th, 1983. Probably the best-known hardcore punk album ever (even folks who never listened to punk likely know the widely-quoted line “All I wanted was a Pepsi”), the s/t debut album is generally considered to be the first thrash LP, combining punk and metal into an album of speed and fury. My friends and I listened to Suicidal Tendencies pretty much non-stop throughout the mid-80s so I’m not surprised I still can whip out most of the lightning-speed lyrics, especially on my favorite tracks. Besides the iconic “Institutionalized” of wanting a Pepsi fame (released as the sole single from the LP, it was the first hardcore punk song that MTV aired, appeared in films like Repo Man, and its re-recorded version in ‘93 by ST was nominated for the Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 1994. One critic sums up by saying “Institutionalized” is “the era’s quintessential expressions of teen dislocation, it converts generation gap misunderstandings into a complete communications breakdown, encapsulating all the punk sociology…in four minutes”), I also love “I Shot the Devil” (originally titled “I Shot Reagan,” the band was forced to alter the title after the government suggested it might be in their best interest, allegedly), “Subliminal” (“They’re fucking with me, subliminally”), “Possessed” (a fun game is to try to spit out the verses and chorus in one breath – it’s not easy), the horrible and hilarious “I Saw Your Mommy…” and “Fascist Pig.”