Album · 40 years old this year
Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?
Peace Sells… but Who's Buying? is Megadeth's second studio album, released on 19 September 1986 through Capitol Records. It began life with Combat Records, but Capitol bought the rights and brought in Paul Lani to handle the final mix. The sessions were a struggle, with drug problems running through the band, and drummer Gar Samuelson and guitarist Chris Poland were dismissed soon after the promotional tour. This was Samuelson's last record with the group.
The title track, with its politically minded lyrics, became the second single and the band's first music video. Ed Repka's cover shows mascot Vic Rattlehead before a ruined United Nations building. The album is widely rated as a thrash classic that pushed extreme metal into wider view, and it appears in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and Martin Popoff's Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time. Dave Mustaine remixed it in 2004, adding detailed liner notes.
Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? on Riffology
riffology.co →
Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?: tracklist, credits and charts
8 tracks · 36:16Tracklist
- 1Wake Up DeadDave Mustaine3:41
- 2The ConjuringDave Mustaine5:04
- 3Peace SellsDave Mustaine4:04
- 4Devil’s IslandDave Mustaine5:06
- 5Good Mourning / Black FridayDave Mustaine6:42
- 6Bad OmenDave Mustaine4:05
- 7I Ain’t SuperstitiousDixon, Poland, Mustaine2:46
- 8My Last WordsDave Mustaine and Chris Poland4:47
- Produced by
- Randy Burns, Dave Mustaine
- Recorded at
- Music Grinder Studios, MadDog Studios, Rock Steady Studios, Track Record Studios, Music Grinder, Track Record, and Rock Steady, Los Angeles, Maddog, Venice, California
- Recorded
- February–March 1986
- Mixed by
- Paul Lani, Stan Katayama
- Mixed at
- Can‐Am Recorders
- Engineered by
- Randy Burns, Casey McMackin
- Artwork
- Dave Mustaine, Andy Somers, Ed Repka
- Label
- Capitol Records
- Length
- 36:16
Line-up
- David Ellefson · bass guitar, background vocals, vocals
- Dave Mustaine · guitar, lead vocals, vocals, guitar family
- Chris Poland · guitar, guitar family
- Gar Samuelson · drums (drum set), membranophone
- Mike Anderson · vocals · guest
- Paul Sudin · vocals · guest
- Randy Burns · vocals · guest
- Casey McMackin · vocals · guest
Singles
- “Wake Up Dead” · 1986
- “Peace Sells” · November 1986
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1986 | 76 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 2011 | 21 |
| Japanese Albums Chart (Oricon) · 2011 | 89 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada · 2001 | Platinum |
| United Kingdom · 2013 | Silver |
| United States · 1992 | Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
76.2
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
5.4k
ListenBrainz listeners
185k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
49k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Also released on 19 September
Every year →
More from Megadeth
Full discography →
Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!
1985
So Far, So Good… So What!
1988
Rust in Peace
1990
Countdown to Extinction
1992
Youthanasia
1994
Hidden Treasures
1995
Cryptic Writings
1997
Cryptic Sounds: No Voices in Your Head
1998
Risk
1999
Breadline
2000
Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years
2000
The World Needs a Hero
2001
Rude Awakening
2002
Still, Alive… and Well?
2002
The System Has Failed
2004
Greatest Hits: Back to the Start
2005
United Abominations
2007
That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires
2007
Warchest
2007
Anthology: Set the World Afire
2008
Endgame
2009
Rust in Peace: Live
2010
Th1rt3en
2011
Super Collider
2013
Countdown to Extinction: Live
2013
Icon
2014
Dystopia
2016
Warheads on Foreheads
2019
Unplugged in Boston
2021
The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!
2022
Megadeth
2026
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Kid A
Radiohead · 2000
The Colour and the Shape
Foo Fighters · 1997
Hail to the Thief
Radiohead · 2003
Rust in Peace
Megadeth · 1990
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden · 1980
Countdown to Extinction
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![[Rammstein] by Rammstein, album cover](/img/e4d39d2e-9420-4007-881a-9b5bc23944e0/300)
[Rammstein]
Rammstein · 2019
Youthanasia
Megadeth · 1994
No Prayer for the Dying
Iron Maiden · 1990
So Far, So Good… So What!
Megadeth · 1988
Cryptic Writings
Megadeth · 1997
Iron Maiden Audio Pieces 1986
Audio Pieces
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 19 September 1986 | ignored lone early release dated 1986-07-20 |
| Wikipedia infobox | 19 September 1986 | |
| Wikidata | 19 September 1986 | |
| US release | 20 July 1986 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1986 | earliest UK or European date |
29 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | FR | Capitol Records | 077774637022 | other |
| 1986 | GB | Capitol Records | 077774637022 | other |
| 1986 | GB | Capitol Records | 5099924062619 | other |
| 1986 | CA | Combat | 077774637022 | other |
| 1986 | XE | Capitol Records | 5099924062619 | other |
| 1986 | US | Capitol Records | 07774637022 | other |
| 1986 | AU | EMI | 077774637022 | other |
| 20 July 1986 | US | Capitol Records | 077774637022 | original |
| 19 September 1986 | US | Capitol Records | 077771252617 | other |
| November 1986 | GB | Capitol Records | 077774637022 | other |
| 1 May 1987 | JP | Capitol Records | 4988006612853 | other |
| 5 December 1990 | JP | Capitol Records | 4988006654051 | other |
| 31 May 1995 | JP | Capitol Records | 4988006707689 | other |
| 2004 | XE | Capitol Records | 724359862422 | remaster |
| 2004 | US | Capitol Records | 077774637091 | other |
| 27 July 2004 | US | Capitol Records | 724359862422 | remaster |
| 9 August 2004 | XE | Capitol Records | 724357987721 | remaster |
| 25 August 2004 | JP | 東芝EMI 株式会社 | 4988006822757 | other |
| 29 October 2008 | JP | EMI Music Japan Inc. | other | |
| 8 December 2010 | JP | Capitol Records | 4988006883635 | other |
| 2011 | XE | Capitol Records | 5099902933924 | deluxe |
| 2011 | JP | Capitol Records | 4988006886230 | deluxe |
| 8 July 2011 | XW | Capitol Records | 05099902934556 | remaster |
| 11 July 2011 | GB | Capitol Records | 5099902934525 | deluxe |
| 12 June 2013 | JP | Capitol Records | 4988006554931 | other |
| 2016 | DZ | Capitol Records | 602547895011 | other |
| 6 May 2016 | XW | Capitol Records | 0060254789928 | other |
| 2017 | CA | Capitol Records | 077771252617 | other |
| 23 March 2021 | XW | Capitol Records | 602547899279 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · native: native 4000x4000, downscaled to 3000
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 4000×4000 | native: native 4000x4000, downscaled to 3000 |
| itunes | 1404×1404 | upscaled |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |