Punks Not Dead is the first studio album by the Scottish
punk rock band
The Exploited, released in April 1981 on
Secret Records.[1][7]Working class and loyal to the first impulses of the 1970s
punk movement, the album was a reaction to critics who believed the punk rock genre was dead, and went against popular trends such as
new wave and
post-punk.[8] It contains the double A side singles "Army Life/Fuck the Mods" and the later follow up "I Believe in Anarchy". "Army Life" details the experiences of Wattie Buchan when he was a 17-year-old
squaddie on a tour of duty in
Belfast in the 1970s.
Punks Not Dead peaked at no 20 on the UK charts in May of that year,[8][9] gave the band a national following in the United Kingdom and it was the top selling 1981 independent UK release.[10]
Legacy
Supported by a tour with the
Anti-Nowhere League, the album had underground success and is regarded as one of the definitive
Oi! albums, and its popularity gave rise to a variety of punk rock bands including
The Business. The Exploited's song "Punks Not Dead" has symbolic significance for the punk movement.[11]
The
Captain Oi! re-release (2001) includes The Exploited's contribution to Oi! The Album compilation and the first four singles (minus "I Believe in Anarchy" from the "Exploited Barmy Army" single) and was mastered by Tim Turan.[12]
"Daily News" (Oi! The Album version)
"I Still Believe in Anarchy" (Oi! The Album version)
"Army Life" (single version)
"Fuck the Mods" ("Army Life" single)
"Crashed Out" ("Army Life" single)
"Exploited Barmy Army" (single version)
"What You Gonna Do" ("Exploited Barmy Army" single)
"Dogs of War" ("Dogs of War" single)
"Blown to Bits (Live)" ("Dogs of War" single)
"Dead Cities" ("Dead Cities" single)
"Hitler's in the Charts Again" ("Dead Cities" single)
"Class War" ("Dead Cities" single)
All songs written by The Exploited except "Mucky Pup" (by
Puncture).[7]