"Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables" is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Dead Kennedys. It was first released on September 2, 1980, through Cherry Red Records in the United Kingdom and I.R.S. Records in the United States. The album was later reissued in the U.S. by Jello Biafra's own Alternative Tentacles label. It is notable for being the only Dead Kennedys studio album to feature drummer Bruce Slesinger and, on one track, guitarist Carlo Cadona.
The cover photo of Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables shows several police cars on fire and was taken during the White Night riots on May 21, 1979. These riots erupted in response to the relatively light sentence given to former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White for the murders of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
Jello Biafra, the band's frontman, had run for mayor with a controversial policy proposal to erect a statue of Dan White, accompanied by provisions for eggs, tomatoes, and stones for public use against it. Additionally, the band's version of "I Fought the Law" features rewritten lyrics that reference the White Night riots and related events.
