HÜSKER DÜ • 1985 - The Miracle Year • 4xLP • Pre-Order

Numero Group Records
Release date: 7. November 2025


The transcendent punk trio from Minneapolis captured during their most explosive year, live on stage at First Avenue—in what may be the best-sounding live recording of the band’s celebrated SST era.

This 4xLP edition features Beau Sorenson’s restoration of all 21 songs from the complete January 30, 1985 set, plus 20 additional live tracks from throughout the rest of the year, along with a deluxe booklet offering detailed insight into the band’s historic twelve months.

What does a legend sound like in the moment it’s being written?
Viewed through the dynamic lens of independent/DIY music, 1985 marked a powerful and undeniable sprint for Hüsker Dü—from raw punk stalwarts on SST to the emotional artistry that would soon align with Warner Bros.

The New York Times called them “the best band to emerge from the hardcore scene”. In line with that praise, Hüsker Dü maintained a creative pace unmatched in any era of music before or since.

After exploding the burgeoning alt-rock scene with the sprawling double album “Zen Arcade” in July 1984, the band released the landmark “New Day Rising” just six months later, on January 14, 1985, and never stopped chasing the sunrise pictured on its cover.

On January 30, 1985, the temperature in Minneapolis had dropped to -11°C (12°F) by evening—a brutal 30°F drop from the daytime high. But for the 1,500 people packed into First Avenue, there was no need for a T-shirt, let alone a parka. From the blazing opening moments of “New Day Rising,” it was clear:
Bob Mould, Grant Hart, and Greg Norton were hell-bent on setting every molecule in the room on fire.

The setlist delivered a night-long cascade of fireballs, pulling from Everything Falls Apart, Metal Circus, Zen Arcade, and New Day Rising, plus five brand-new songs that would later appear on Flip Your Wig.

The First Avenue tapes from 1985 capture Hüsker Dü at full power—with songs already beloved, a few years before they’d fully solidify their legacy as the blueprint for the coming alternative rock explosion.

This box set celebrates recordings that might just be the best Hüsker Dü live material from their legendary SST years.

“When I think back on that time,” says Greg Norton, “it was three guys doing what they loved, having fun, and basically showing other people that you can stay true to yourself, true to your music, and not bow to trends or expectations—and still make something truly great.”