The 11 Best Bad Religion Songs of the 90s

Recently there was a fake video posted about why doesn't MTV play videos anymore. (watch it here)  It's a snarky response blaming the audiences for the programming change.  Though it's fake and not really MTV's response...you can't take it too seriously.  But there is some glaring misguided reasoning that may or may not actually be true to why there's no more videos.  First off, the fake CEO blames the generation of kids for stealing music.  And adds that's there's no promotional power behind a music video if kids aren't purchasing the CDs.  Seems logical...it's not.  Concerts are the true money makers for artists....and when a video is played...there's also residual money the artist can earn.  Playing videos is very beneficial to the music industry.  That said...why the fuck does MTV care if people buy CDs, MP3s, or not?  MTV makes their money off advertising.  Not CD sales.

The CEO then goes on to blame product placement for making videos cheesy.  Horrible point considering product placement has been around since the dawn of TV...actually since the dawn of radio.  Soap operas were invented to sell soap.  True story.

He adds that they would be forced to play crap like Katy Perry, Bieber, etc...and not Nirvana, Pavement or REM.  And we'd complain.  That's half right.

MTV used to make super stars.  They used to be trendsetters.  They used to break social barriers.  Michael Jackson was the first black artist on MTV at a time when black actors could be cast as leads on any other TV show...but MTV embraced him and changed the national social landscape. People watched MTV because they wanted to see what the future was.  MTV was the soundtrack to our lives.  MTV could call the shots and doesn't need to be forced to play anything.  They chose to start playing pop because they were catering to the youth demographic.  The problem is when the youth demographic grows up...they no longer like what you're playing and they move on.  Before...you were attractive to everyone...from parents to kids...now it's a sliver of an audience that is as fickle as high maintenance prom queen after she gets a hair out of place.  Shows like Jersey Shore are train wrecks...and that works as in instant gratification...but does not hold up to repeat viewing.  No one cares eventually...even the youth demographic.  This happens when a new group comes in and rejects their predecessors.  Before MTV created an arsenal of music they could play...even if the video was 15 years old (like MJ, Madonna, or GNR) people still dug it.  And watched...young or old.  MTV decided to ignore the older demo (the demo who still buys music)...so honestly...it's really their own faults.

In the 80s and 90s, nothing was cooler than MTV...now everything is.

Here are the 11 Best Bad Religion Songs of the 90s:

1. American Jesus (Recipe For Hate)
2. Better Off Dead (Stranger Than Fiction)
3. A Walk (The Gray Race)
4. Flat Earth Society (Against The Grain)
5. Skyscraper (Recipe For Hate)
6. Stranger Than Fiction (Stranger Than Fiction)
7. Punk Rock Song (The Gray Race)
8. Anesthesia (Against The Grain)
9. Empty Causes (The Gray Race)
10. Only Entertainment (Generator)
11. 21st Century Digital Boy (Against the Grain)

Buy Bad Religion's new album...True North...now!!!

The 11 Most Anticipated Albums of 2013

I'll post the top 111 albums of 2012 on Friday.  So you still have time to get me your lists!!  Just send me your favorite albums of 2012 in the comment section.  Top 20...or whatever number of albums you liked.

With 2013 already .3% over, let's start looking ahead at what our year might look like musically...

This is a list of albums that have official release dates...or have been officially announced.  There might be a new Arcade Fire album, there might be a new Modest Mouse, there might be two new Beck albums...and we all know how long Kevin Shields takes to do anything so I'm not holding my breath about a new MBV album until 2015.  And honestly...why does everyone care so much about a new Cher album?

The 11 Most Anticipated Albums of 2013:

1. Phoenix (April)
2. Eminem (June)
3. Depeche Mode (March)
4. MGMT - MGMT (May)
5. Atoms for Peace - Amok (2/18)
6. Tegan & Sara - Heartthrob (1/29)
7. Kid Cudi - Indicud (March)
8. Natalie Maines - Mother (May)
9. Bad Religion - True North (1/22)
10. Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love (1/22)
11. Johnny Marr - The Messenger (1/26)

What albums did I leave off?  What are your most anticipated?

Buy the best of 2012 here!

The 11 Best Songs By Bad Religion of the 00s

My friends and I had a debate over the notion of freewill. The topic started from a quote by Bad Religion singer Greg Graffin: "The allusion of freewill is so strong that we might as well assume we have it." It's an interesting quote when you start to explore the thought behind it. Now remember, this quote is coming from Graffin, who is a sworn atheist. He believes that because of our genetic make-up and our environmental upbringing, that our lives are practically pre-determined. No matter what you do...from the job you choose to the lunch you eat…it has all be pre-determined by your subconscious decades prior to the current moment. Heavy, huh?


Lead guitarist and chief songwriter, Brett Guerwitz left the band in the early 90s but returned at the start of the 2000s. As hard as he tried to concentrate on other endeavors, he was pre-determined to return to the band and help them stage a mighty comeback after a couple missteps. The career of BR is an amazing one. After starting in the punk scene of the 80s, they found themselves forced into the mainstream alternative maelstrom of the 90s, only to make a might comeback this decade, making some of their best music. They don’t make them like this anymore.

Here are the 11 Best Bad Religion Songs of the 00s:

1. The Defense (Process of Belief)
2. Heroes and Martyrs (New Maps of Hell)
3. Broken (Process of Belief)
4. God's Love (The Empire Strikes First)
5. Ephiphany (Process of Belief)
6. New Dark Ages (New Maps of Hell)
7. The Empire Strikes First (The Empire Strikes First)
8. Sorrow (Process of Belief)
9. Won't Somebody (acoustic) (New Maps of Hell)
10. Los Angeles Is Burning (The Empire Strikes First)
11. Don’t Sell Me Short (The New America)

Buy Bad Religion's new album, Dissent of Man...now (only 7.99 here)!!!

The 11 Bad Religion Songs of the 00s

When people talk about bands who survive the test of time, rarely is Bad Religion mentioned.  With 4 of the 5 original members still in the band.  That's unheard of.  But 30 years in, the band is still cranking out much anticipated music.  It's a band that doesn't get the respect it deserves.  To thank its fans for 30 years of loyalty...the band is giving away a free live album celebrating their 30 years of music.

Go here to get the live album for free.

To celebrate the band celebrating...I've come up with a list of the past decade salute to BR.  Sure, the music doesn't match the 80s BR or even the early 90s material.  But it's much better than the late 90s output and shows that the band still has creative juice left in them.

Here are the 11 Best Bad Religion Songs of the 00s:

1.  The Defense (Process of Belief)
2.  Heroes & Martyrs (New Maps of Hell)
3.  Broken (Process of Belief)
4.  God's Love (The Empire Strikes First)
5.  Ephiphany (Process of Belief)
6.  New Dark Ages (New Maps of Hell)
7.  The Empire Strikes First (The Empire Strikes First)
8.  Sorrow (Process of Belief)
9.  Won't Somebody (acoustic) (New Maps of Hell)
10.  Los Angeles Is Burning (The Empire Strikes First)
11.  The Grand Delusion  (New Maps of Hell)

Get Bad Religion's new album, 30 Years Live for FREE!!

THE UNKNOWN: Bad Religion - Limited Edition CD

The new Bad Religion CD (New Maps of Hell) is getting terrible reviews. And I have no idea why. Okay, so it's not Stranger Than Fiction or even The Empire Strikes First. But I read someone saying that it's worse than The New America. That's just cold-blooded. I bought the album thinking it was going to suck but at the same time I felt compelled to support the band. But the truth is, I think the album is pretty damn good. It's more of a straight-forward punk rock album in the vein of Generator or The Gray Race. And don't groan when I mention those albums. Have you listened to them lately? I did a BR retrospective before this new album came out. Started with Generator and listened straight through their later catalog. I was surprised how much more I liked The Gray Race and even was mildly rocking through No Substance. New America still sucked...but hey, you can't win them all.

Speaking of No Substance, when the album was released they had a promo, giving out a free B-Side album. They used the very clever title of "Limited Edition CD." After the NS run, the album disappeared from the public...until now...

Bad Religion - Limited Edition CD

1. Universal Cynic
2. Markovian Process
3. News From The Front
4. Leaders And Followers
5. Dream of Unity
6. Tested
7. The Answer (Live)
8. The Dodo
9. Follow The Leader

Get the new Bad Religion Album (New Maps of Hell) her for FREE!!