Album dossier / 1986

Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?

Megadeth · Thrash Metal

Written largely while Megadeth lived hand-to-mouth in a rehearsal space nicknamed The Loft -- Dave Mustaine has said the title track's lyrics were literally handwritten on its walls -- Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? was first tracked with producer/engineer Randy Burns (known for Suicidal Tendencies and Possessed) on a shoestring indie budget for Combat Records before Capitol signed the band and had it remixed by Paul Lani for wide release. Burns has said he gravitated toward guitarist Chris Poland's playing over Mustaine's during the sessions, a preference Mustaine reportedly resented at the time. Mustaine compared the two mixes favorably toward the Capitol version, crediting better console automation and gear for the album's 'maturity,' though the original Combat mix retains its own cult following among fans and Burns has continued to discuss the split legacy in retrospective interviews. The instrumental hook from the title track became internationally famous well beyond metal circles as the theme music for MTV News through much of the 1980s.