Big Black was one of the most influential noise-rock bands of the 1980's. They were formed in 1982 by Steve Albini, who would soon make a name for himself for his controversial "Tired of Ugly Fat?" column in the Chicago 'zine Matter, as well as irregular contributions to Forced Exposure. At the time, the band consisted of Albini and his drum machine, Roland. The Lungs EP, the first effort to appear under the Big Black name, was used primarily to recruit members to fill out the band. The record is famous for the variety of inserts, which included a lyric sheet in most copies, plus extras like condoms, dollar bills, stickers, concert tickets, photographs, silverware and squirtguns.
In 1983 Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango, both of Naked Raygun, joined the band on bass and guitar, respectively. They recorded two EPs together, and Pezzati left the band soon after. He was replaced by Dave Riley.
The band made a name for themselves nationally with their Gang of Four influenced music and controversial lyrics. Some didn't understand that their songs were either social commentary or sarcastic jokes (often both), and assumed that the band was sexist and racist. Albini responded to these accusations by making his lyrics even more offensive than before.
In 1987, Durango announced that he was leaving the band to attend law school. The band realized this would be a good time to stop, as they didn't want to turn into the Rolling Stones. They released one final album, Songs About Fucking, and broke up. Steve Albini went on to become a successful producer for bands like Nirvana, Jesus Lizard, Slint, and the Pixies, as well as playing in Rapeman and Shellac. Dave Riley had a stroke and fell in (and out of) a coma in 1993. Santiago Durango is still a lawyer.
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