Written by: Alex Green

The Dead Kennedy’s have gone Gold.

Forty-three years after its original release, the legendary San Francisco punk band’s debut album Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables was certified Gold in the United States by the RIAA.

Released on I.R.S. Records in September of 1980, the album is considered by many to be a masterpiece and was not only an inclusion in the compendium 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, it was ranked by the NME at #365 in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.

Fresh Fruit contains Dead Kennedys classics like “Holiday In The Sun” and “Kill The Poor.”

The album’s cover features a photograph that was snapped during the White Night riots of 1979. The riots were a reaction to the lenient sentence handed down to former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White, who murdered Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.

Featuring the classic lineup of Jello Biafra (vocals), East Bay Ray (guitar), Klaus Flouride (bass, backing vocals) and Ted (drums), the album also featured musical contributions by Paul Roessler, Dirk Dirksen and Bobby Unrest.