Corporate Rock Sucks: The Rise and Fall of SST Records

The times were changing along with the sounds that resonated with the youth of America in the 1970s. Greg Ginn was a musician searching for a way onto the scene, specifically punk rock in LA. New York and London were the preeminent cities of the anti-authoritarian rebellion of youth, but bands were sprouting up in Southern California. However, the homogenization of rock music (in the top 40) and the viselike grip of the intransigent studio heads led to many aspiring artists being left out in the cold.

Greg Ginn’s skills as a musician and an entrepreneur led to him blazing a trail in music as the co-founder of Black Flag and the founder of SST Records. Both ventures would see success and setbacks, with Black Flag’s imprint on punk music still inspiring bands today and SST releasing many legendary punk and alternative albums.

The love and appreciation for music and specifically punk rock comes through with vivid clarity in the encyclopedic work Corporate Rock Sucks by Jim Ruland. The author offers a most impressive work that brings together the various artists that were part of the SST galaxy, along with insightful views of the vast catalog produced by the label during its forty-year history. A wonderfully, fascinating history.