Corporate Rock Sucks

The Rise and Fall of SST Records

By: Jim Ruland

Narrated by: Jim Ruland

A no-holds-barred narrative history of the iconic label that brought the world Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, and more, by the co-author of Do What You Want and My Damage.

Greg Ginn started SST Records in the sleepy beach town of Hermosa Beach, CA, to supply ham radio enthusiasts with tuners and transmitters. But when Ginn wanted to launch his band, Black Flag, no one was willing to take them on. Determined to bring his music to the masses, Ginn turned SST into a record label. On the back of Black Flag’s relentless touring, guerilla marketing, and refusal to back down, SST became the sound of the underground.

In Corporate Rock Sucks, music journalist Jim Ruland relays the unvarnished story of SST Records, from its remarkable rise in notoriety to its infamous downfall. With records by Black Flag, Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, Bad Brains, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Screaming Trees, Soundgarden, and scores of obscure yet influential bands, SST was the most popular indie label by the mid-80s - until a tsunami of legal jeopardy, financial peril, and dysfunctional management brought the empire tumbling down. Throughout this investigative deep-dive, Ruland leads listeners through SST’s tumultuous history and epic catalog.

Featuring never-before-seen interviews with the label's former employees, as well as musicians, managers, producers, photographers, video directors, and label heads, Corporate Rock Sucks presents a definitive narrative history of the ’80s punk and alternative rock scenes, and shows how the music industry was changed forever.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Jim Ruland (P)2022 Hachette Books

Critic reviews

“SST Records became a radiant supernova of creativity and possibility. A true and livable alternative to lame shit. And then, somehow, it fell apart when it was poised to create another universe. It became radioactive, a black hole. This book is that ‘somehow’—part archeology, part autopsy.”

—Todd Taylor, Razorcake

“‘Get in the van,’ to borrow a phrase from another Black Flag book you may have heard of, has become something of a cliche, but it's no less true for punk bands in 2022 than it was in 1981. No matter how talented you are or how good your songs, you still, at long last, have to put in the work. The same applies to writers. For Corporate Rock Sucks, it's clear Jim has logged thousands and thousands of miles, talking to seemingly everyone who ever even heard of SST, digging up old record reviews and interviews and photos and zines no one has probably looked at for decades. It all adds up to an informative and fun read on a highly influential, and highly dysfunctional, record label.”

—Luke O'Neil, author of Welcome to Hell World: Dispatches from the American Dystopia

“With Corporate Rock Sucks, Jim Ruland asserts his power as a leading chronicler of Southern California punk rock. His exhaustive research and incisive commentary form a detailed and dynamic work worthy of the gargantuan legacy of SST—one of America’s foremost independent record labels that gave rise to Black Flag, the Meat Puppets, Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., and many others. An essential read for those curious about the label’s serpentine path and pre-broadband DIY music culture.”

—Erin Osmon, author of Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost and John Prine

Warning: This book may lead to buying More stuff

Don’t know how many times I paused the book, to see if I could find out if I could get a album on the internet. Sometimes I fell flat other times I found something really good

Oh so that’s what happened?

Great details and back story to the rise and long fall of SST. Ruland ties in why bands were attracted to the label and the inevitable jumping off.

Great story, in depth history of underground music

Excellent history, fascinating insights and fairly told. Learn your punk and indie history-enjoyable if you grew up on this music, would have to assume also if you are learning the glory now.

nostalgia

This is based on listening to the audible version. what a trip thru the old mental cobwebs. Seemed like it took forever to get thru the book, because I would pause it, then listen to the album being discussed.
or saying to myself, "oh man, I never owned any of their music," then realizing that I did, but it would be on cassette, stored in a box somewhere.
it's going to be weird to see if Greg wants to be known as the guy that holds a grudge.

What The… (in a good way!)

I was completely into this! I only have a passing knowledge of Black Flag/SST Records, and I found this to be amazing. Some really good insight into the early hardcore days in California, learning about some of their clashes with the police gave me a whole new respect for them.
I had no idea the extension of the SST catalog, it’s crazy to hear some of the albums/singles they put out (like the spiritual advisor to the lead singer of Bad Brains but not Nirvana).
If you like music bios or even books about the business side, it’s definitely worth checking out. 🤘

Incredibly detailed, all you could hope for in a history

Jim Ruland did such a great job with this. So much detail, giving me an even greater appreciation of the bands and label. There was so much going on at the beginning with Black Flag, The Minutemen, and Hüsker Dü and it was all so engrossing that I completely forgot about all the other great bands and releases coming up after that. Which he also dealt with deftly. Highly recommended

Started listening and couldn’t stop!

I’ve read and listened to Jim Ruland’s other books he co-wrote with Keith Morris and Bad Religion so this one was a no brainer. Those books were awesome and this one is no exception. I got to fill in the blanks about so much I had been wondering for years as a young SST enthusiast who didn’t get to be there during its heyday because I wasn’t born yet. I’ll definitely be listening to this one again!

Deep dive into the history of a seminal alternative/punk/indie label.

Outstanding, detailed history of the label that released many landmark 1980s albums by amazing bands such as Minutemen, Husker Du, Sonic Youth, Bad Brains, the Meat Puppets, and Black Flag. So detailed in fact that I’d need several relistens to catch everything Ruland covers.

Fortunately it’s so excellent that it’s going into my select company of music/punk/alternative audiobooks I listen to on a loop, which includes the likes of Michael Azzerad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life, Kim Gordon’s Girl in a Band, and Carrie Brownstein’s Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl.

This book does not suck

What a great trip into SST history. Please do more books. Love all 3 of these punk books.

Exactly what I wanted

A great story about what the title promised. How SST started, rose and its decline.