20 years ago this morning, GG Allin was found face down in a New York City apartment. His cult has expanded significantly since then--it'd be unthinkable to hear his name on VH1 or see his likeness on a bobblehead during his lifetime. He'll probably make more money as a 7" toy than he ever did as the most antagonistic frontman to ever pick up a microphone.
It's almost unfathomable that he could have lived another 20 years, or that America could have put up with him for that much longer. But it's fun to wonder about. He still wouldn't on the radio, but he'd probably pop up in Pitchfork, The A.V. Club and Vice frequently. People would forward his life escapades and onstage antics (was there much of a difference?) to each other with "NSFW" in the subject line. Maybe he'd even use his Todd Phillips connection to score a walk-on in a Hangover movie.
Maybe he's on his way to an Information Age revival, but for now he's still an underrated songwriter. From his early pop-punk records (Always Was, Is and Always Shall Be) to his misanthropic hardcore era (Hated in the Nation) to his nihilistic noise rock (Freaks, Faggots, Drunks and Junkies) to one of the first and best alt-country records (Carnival of Excess), Allin was both fiercer and more versatile than anyone in American Hardcore or on any Vans Warped Tour. Remember him today with Hated, the awesome documentary on his life filmed by then-NYU junior Phillips.
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