“Pay to Cum” by Bad Brains

Bad Brains came out swinging with "Pay to Cum", the Washington, D.C. hardcore band's debut single, released in June 1980 on Bad Brain Records. Jimi Quidd recorded it in New York City at his Dots Studios, and the original seven-inch was an odd bird, with "Stay Close to Me" on the flip marked as Side 1 and no B-side to speak of.

H.R. hollers the lead and the rest of the band shouts right back at him: Dr. Know on guitar, Darryl Jenifer on bass and Earl Hudson on drums, going at a speed that still sounds reckless. Trouser Press heard "1:33 of free-fire guitar rage", and in 2007 Filter reckoned few songs had ever come faster or angrier. It resurfaced on the band's self-titled 1982 album, where Jerry Williams engineered and shared the mix with the band.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.