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Thrashing away at heavily distorted guitars while maintaining a sense of classic 1960s pop, Husker Du laid a template for The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Nirvana and every American post-punk band that exploded on the alternative scene in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Named after a 1950s board game (Danish for "do you remember"), they initially started out as hardcore noise rockers, but Bob Mould's knack of crafting a sweet melody latterly offset the rush of punk clatter. Early records Everything Falls Apart (1982) and Metal Circus (1983) blazed away with breakneck fury, lasting little more than 26 minutes, but it was the concept double album Zen Arcade (1984) about a runaway teen struggling with life on the streets that became a landmark classic. Touring relentlessly with the likes of REM, The Replacements and Black Flag, they built up a large college following and became the first underground band of their era to sign with a major label. A more rounded rock sound followed on Candy Apple Grey (1986) and Warehouse: Songs and Stories (1987) but the band split in 1988. Their legacy has turned hardcore punk into more tuneful alternative rock.
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