Hüsker Dü facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü in 1986 Left to right: Greg Norton, Grant Hart, and Bob Mould
Background information
Origin	Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres	Hardcore punk post-hardcore punk rock alternative rock
Years active	1979–1988
Labels	Reflex Records Alternative Tentacles New Alliance SST Warner Bros.
Associated acts	Sugar Nova Mob

Past members	Grant Hart Bob Mould Greg Norton

Hüsker Dü (pronounced HOOS-ker DOO) was an American punk rock band. They formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's members were Bob Mould (guitar and vocals), Greg Norton (bass), and Grant Hart (drums and vocals).

They first became known as a hardcore punk band. Later, their music changed to alternative rock. Bob Mould and Grant Hart wrote most of the band's songs. Grant Hart sang with a higher voice, and Bob Mould sang with a deeper voice. They took turns singing lead on different songs.

The band released their first album, Everything Falls Apart, in 1983. They then released more music on an independent record label called SST Records. This included the popular album Zen Arcade in 1984. Hüsker Dü later signed with a major record label, Warner Bros. Records, in 1986. They released their last two albums with them. The band broke up in January 1988.

After the band, Bob Mould released solo albums and formed the band Sugar. Grant Hart also released solo music and formed Nova Mob. Greg Norton worked in restaurants and later returned to music. Grant Hart passed away in 2017.

Band History
Musical Style
Band's Impact
Band Members
Discography
Images for kids
See also

Band History

How the Band Started (1979–1980)

The members of Hüsker Dü first played together in 1979. Grant Hart, Bob Mould, Greg Norton, and keyboard player Charlie Pine were in a band called Buddy and the Returnables. Bob Mould was a student at Macalester College in Saint Paul. He often visited Cheapo Records, where Grant Hart worked.

Hart and Norton had met while applying for the same job. Hart and Mould became friends because they both loved the band Ramones. They soon asked Norton and Pine to join them. They played mostly cover songs, including many Ramones tunes. The other members didn't like the sound with Pine's keyboards. They started practicing without him and wrote new songs.

The band's new name came from a memory board game called Hūsker Dū?. The phrase means "do you remember?" in Danish and Norwegian. They liked the mysterious sound of the name. It also made them different from other hardcore punk bands. Bob Mould said they didn't want to be seen as only a hardcore band.

Hart, Mould, and Norton fired Charlie Pine at their first official show on March 30, 1979. They continued as a trio with their new name. Bob Mould said their first "real gig" was on May 17, 1980. This was at the famous punk club Jay's Longhorn Bar.

By 1980, the band played often in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Their music became fast and powerful. This made them one of the first hardcore punk bands in the Midwest. They toured a lot and got the attention of other punk bands. These included Black Flag and Dead Kennedys. These bands helped introduce Hüsker Dü to more fans.

First Albums and EPs (1981–1983)

The band started releasing songs on Terry Katzman's Reflex Records in 1981. Their first two albums were Land Speed Record and Everything Falls Apart. Both received good reviews.

Their constant touring led them to the band Minutemen. Minutemen released some of Hüsker Dü's early music on their label. This helped Hüsker Dü sign with SST Records.

The Metal Circus mini-album came out in 1983. It was intense but also showed variety. Hüsker Dü's more melodic hardcore sound became popular with college students. Many college radio stations played songs from Metal Circus. The band showed more creativity and skill on Metal Circus.

In an interview, Bob Mould explained why they didn't sign with a big record label like Elektra Records early on:

. . . there is nothing wrong with being on one of those labels, but we're not ready yet 'cos I'm not ready to sign my life away and secondly we don't exactly have a big plan [regarding] how much stuff we are going to turn over to a label like that. As far as artistic control. . .

At this time, the band still played loud, fast punk rock. But they were starting to try out songs with more melody. Bob Mould said in 1997, "The early Hüsker stuff was all very fast and furious. But I was always writing with an ear to melody."

Zen Arcade and More Albums (1983–1985)

Hüsker Dü in a 1985 photo for New Day Rising

By 1983, Hüsker Dü wanted to make music beyond just hardcore. Bob Mould said they wanted to do "something bigger" than just a touring punk band.

The next year, Hüsker Dü recorded the double album Zen Arcade. They made it in just 45 hours for only $3,200. Zen Arcade is a concept album. It tells the story of a boy who leaves home to face a tough world. This album was very ambitious for a punk band at the time.

Zen Arcade received great reviews and got a lot of attention from music magazines. It helped the band reach more listeners beyond the punk scene. Rolling Stone magazine called it "the closest hardcore will ever get to an opera."

In 1989, Zen Arcade was ranked No. 33 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s. The record label first made only a few thousand copies. But the album sold out quickly during the band's tour. It stayed out of stock for months, which was frustrating for the band.

Hüsker Dü started recording their next album, New Day Rising, as Zen Arcade was released. Their album after that, Flip Your Wig, came out nine months later. Flip Your Wig was the first album from an independent label to top the CMJ album chart.

Both New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig were listed in the top ten of the Village Voice critics' poll. These albums showed how quickly the band's music was growing and changing.

Signing with Warner Bros. (1985–1986)

While recording Flip Your Wig, Warner Bros. Records offered Hüsker Dü a contract. The band felt they had reached their sales limit with independent labels. They believed a bigger label could help them reach more people. Warner Bros. promised the band full creative control over their music. This convinced the band to sign. Bob Mould also mentioned that SST Records had problems getting their records to stores.

Warner Bros. did not expect Hüsker Dü to sell millions of records. They valued the band's loyal fans and "hip" image. By keeping costs low, the label thought the band would still make a profit.

Candy Apple Grey was their first album with a major label. It was the first Hüsker Dü album to appear on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Even with radio and MTV exposure, it only reached No. 140.

Warehouse: Songs and Stories and Breakup (1987–1988)

Bob Mould and Grant Hart had growing creative and personal problems. Bob Mould started handling most of the band's business after their manager passed away in 1987. This happened just before their tour for the double album Warehouse: Songs and Stories.

The tour for Warehouse: Songs and Stories included their biggest TV appearances. They performed on The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers and the NBC morning show Today.

The band broke up after a show in Columbia, Missouri, during their 1987 tour.

The Living End, a live album from their final tour, was released six years after the band ended. Bob Mould has said he has never listened to this album.

After the Breakup (1989–Present)

Bob Mould, July 2007
at McCarren Park Pool

Bob Mould and Grant Hart both made solo albums. They also formed new bands, Sugar and Nova Mob. Bob Mould later joined the band Blowoff. In 2005, Bob Mould started touring with an electric band again. He played songs from Hüsker Dü and Sugar. His album Silver Age (2012) was praised as a return to his earlier style.

Greg Norton formed the band Grey Area and played with Shotgun Rationale. He also became a chef. He owned a restaurant in Red Wing, Minnesota, until 2010. In 2006, Norton returned to music as the bassist for The Gang Font. In 2016, he joined the band Porcupine.

On October 21, 2004, Bob Mould and Grant Hart played together again. This was at a concert in Minneapolis to help Soul Asylum bassist Karl Mueller, who was sick. Bob Mould brought Grant Hart out to play two songs. Mould said this performance should not create "false hope" for a full reunion.

On October 12, 2015, Hüsker Dü launched an official website. Greg Norton told the Star Tribune that he, Mould, and Hart had agreed on how to license their music. He also said a Facebook page was likely to start soon. When asked about a reunion, Norton said, "The main thing is, there's ongoing communication between the three of us now."

Grant Hart passed away from liver cancer on September 13, 2017, at age 56. Bob Mould remembered him as "a gifted visual artist, a wonderful storyteller, and a frighteningly talented musician."

On November 10, 2017, a box set called Savage Young Dü was released. It covered the band's first four years. It included demos, studio, and live recordings.

On March 30, 2019, Bob Mould played a concert in St. Paul. This was 40 years after the first Hüsker Dü show. The band Porcupine, with Greg Norton, supported him. Both former Hüsker Dü members honored Grant Hart. They played one of his songs in their sets.

Musical Style

The band's logo

Hüsker Dü started as a hardcore punk band. They were known for their fast and intense music. Greg Norton said they sometimes tried to see "how fast we can play." They were influenced by punk bands like D.O.A. and Dead Kennedys.

As the band grew, they focused more on melody in their songs. Unlike some other hardcore bands, Hüsker Dü did not dislike classic rock. Grant Hart said, "music isn't city planning." The band covered 1960s songs like "Sunshine Superman" by Donovan and "Eight Miles High" by the Byrds. As they became better musicians, they could play slower songs while keeping a strong rhythm. This allowed for longer melodies.

Hart and Mould wrote the band's songs separately and quickly. Their logo showed their shared ideas. It was a circle with three horizontal lines inside, connected by a vertical line. The circle was the band. The three lines were the members. The connecting line was their shared creativity.

Critics have called the band hardcore punk, post-hardcore, punk rock, and alternative rock. They have also been called noise pop and post-punk.

Band's Impact

Hüsker Dü's star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue

Hüsker Dü is seen as one of the most important bands from the 1980s American indie music scene. Music writer Michael Azerrad said that Hüsker Dü was the link between hardcore punk and the more melodic college rock. He wrote that Hüsker Dü helped convince underground music fans that "melody and punk rock weren't antithetical."

The band also showed other indie bands that it was okay to sign with a major record label. This helped make college rock a successful business.

Kim Deal joined Pixies after seeing an ad looking for a bassist who liked both Peter, Paul and Mary and Hüsker Dü.

Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic said that Nirvana's music was "nothing new; Hüsker Dü did it before us."

The band Therapy? covered Hüsker Dü's song "Diane" in 1995. Their singer, Andy Cairns, said Hüsker Dü was an influence.

Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong said, "There are no words that describe the huge impact Grant Hart and Bob Mould's music [had] on Green Day. We were 16 years old. Hüsker Dü was our favorite band. We became a three-piece because of Hüsker. I wanted to be a songwriter because of Hüsker Dü. To put it simply, there would be no Green Day if it wasn't for Hüsker Dü."

Steve Brooks from the bands Torche and Floor said, "Hüsker Dü changed my life. That was a huge influence on me."

Other bands influenced by Hüsker Dü include Alkaline Trio, the Offspring, Inspiral Carpets, the Hold Steady, Better Than Ezra, Superchunk, Rites of Spring, Buffalo Tom, and Treepeople.

Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters called Zen Arcade "amazing." He said, "It's like the Byrds meets Black Flag, and it just blew me away." He was amazed that the album was recorded in only 48 hours.

Hüsker Dü has a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue. Bob Mould and Grant Hart also have stars for their solo work. This means the band is one of the few to be honored multiple times. Getting a star is a very special honor in Minneapolis.

Band Members

Grant Hart - lead and backing vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards, piano (1979-1988; died 2017)
Bob Mould - lead and backing vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion, bass (1979-1988)
Greg Norton - bass, backing vocals (1979-1988)