Zen Arcade is the second studio album by American punk rock band Hüsker Dü, released in July 1984 on SST Records.

Originally released as a double album on two vinyl LPs, Zen Arcade tells the story of a young boy who runs away from an unfulfilling home life, only to find the world outside is even worse.

[10][11][12] Hüsker Dü had gained notice in the American indie music scene of the early 1980s as a fast, aggressive hardcore punk band.

However, the trio's music was becoming more melodic and nuanced with each album; songs such as "Diane" (from the EP Metal Circus), a true story about the rape and murder of a young woman, covered subjects not addressed in hardcore at the time, and the band indicated an interest in 1960s rock by covering The Byrds' "Eight Miles High".

As their EP Metal Circus was being released, Hüsker Dü entered the Total Access Studio in Redondo Beach, California to record their next album with SST producer Spot.

[7] The band collaborated with underground contemporaries during recording; "What's Going On" contains guest vocals from ex-Black Flag vocalist Dez Cadena.

However, the album also marked the point where the band introduced a more melodic and guitar-driven musical style, with elements of acoustic folk ("Never Talking to You Again"), psychedelia ("Hare Krsna" and "The Tooth Fairy and the Princess") and piano interludes ("One Step at a Time," "Monday Will Never Be the Same"), concepts rarely touched upon in early '80s hardcore punk.

[19] He reaches a point of despair, ultimately concluding that he won't be able to change his circumstances ("Newest Industry", "Whatever") before waking up to find that the whole odyssey had occurred in his subconscious during a night of troubled sleep; the challenges of his life—for better or worse—remain in front of him ("The Tooth Fairy and the Princess", "Turn on the News").

[20] Upon its release Zen Arcade received positive reviews in many mainstream publications, including NME,[31] The New York Times[32] and Rolling Stone.

In his review for Rolling Stone, David Fricke described Zen Arcade as "the closest hardcore will ever get to an opera ... a kind of thrash Quadrophenia.

[34] The critical praise given to the album drew attention from major labels, including Warner Bros. Records, with whom Hüsker Dü would eventually sign in 1985.

[36] By spring of 1985 Zen Arcade had sold 20,000 copies,[37] and in subsequent years it has maintained a high critical status regardless of commercial success.

AllMusic says in its review of the album that "Hüsker Dü try everything" and while "that reckless, ridiculously single-minded approach does result in some weak moments," it is "also the key to the success of Zen Arcade.