Punks Not Dead is the first studio album by the Scottish punk rock band The Exploited, released in April 1981 on Secret Records. 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. 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, gave the band a national following in the United Kingdom and it was the top selling 1981 independent UK release.

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.

Track listing

Captain Oi! re-release

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. All songs written by The Exploited except "Mucky Pup" (by Puncture).

Personnel

with:

Sources