Minor Threat

Minor Threat was a hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., fronted by vocalist Ian MacKaye, alongside guitarist Lyle Preslar, drummer Jeff Nelson, and rotating bassists including Brian Baker and Steve Hansgen. Active only briefly in the early 1980s, the band became one of the most influential groups in American hardcore punk, known for its short, blistering songs and uncompromising intensity.

The band is best remembered for coining and embodying the «straight edge» ethos through the song of the same name, rejecting the drug, alcohol, and casual-sex culture common in punk scenes at the time. This stance, along with tracks like «Guilty of Being White» and «In My Eyes», gave voice to a generation of young punks seeking an alternative to self-destructive excess, and the straight edge movement it inspired spread far beyond D.C. into a lasting international subculture.

Minor Threat released only a handful of records, including the «Minor Threat» EP and the «Out of Step» album, before disbanding, but their catalog was later compiled and remains a cornerstone of hardcore punk. Ian MacKaye went on to form Fugazi, extending the band's DIY ethics and uncompromising approach into new musical territory, cementing Minor Threat's legacy as a foundational act in punk history.