The Bad Examples, an indie alternative pop-rock group, was formed in 1987 in Chicago by songwriter Ralph Covert. The band's initial lineup included founding drummer Terry Wathen, electric guitarist Tom O'Brien, and bassist Tom "Pickles" Piekarski. Their first release, MEAT, was a cassette released in 1987. The group achieved success with their debut album on compact disc, Bad is Beautiful (1991), which featured the song "Not Dead Yet" that received extensive airplay on Chicago radio stations and was covered by Styx on their 1990 release Edge of the Century. Throughout the years, the band released several albums, including Slow Music (The Exciting Sounds Of The Bad Examples) (1995), The River, the Night, the Moon, Temptation, and You (1997), and Elektro Tiki EP (1999). Bassist Tom "Pickles" Piekarski passed away in August 2013.
