Editing Megadeth (section)

===1986–1987: ''Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?''===
According to Mustaine, Megadeth was under pressure to deliver another successful album: "That sophomore offering is the 'be-all or end-all' of any band. You either go to the next level, or it's the beginning of the [[nadir]]."<ref>{{cite news|last=Kot|first=Greg|title=Megadeth's Dave Mustaine says he and Metallica have hugged out|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-08-20/entertainment/ct-ott-0820-megadeth-20100820_1_metallica-thrash-metal-megadeth|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=August 15, 2010|access-date=November 17, 2013|archive-date=December 17, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217044616/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-08-20/entertainment/ct-ott-0820-megadeth-20100820_1_metallica-thrash-metal-megadeth|url-status=dead}}</ref> Mustaine composed the music for the album, with the other members adding arrangement ideas.{{sfn|Tarquin|2012|p=72}}

The album was produced on a $25,000 budget from Combat Records. Dissatisfied with its financial limitations, the band left Combat and signed with [[Capitol Records]]. Capitol bought the rights to the album, and hired producer Paul Lani to remix the earlier recordings. Released in late 1986, ''[[Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?]]'' has clearer production and more sophisticated songwriting.{{sfn|Konow|2009|p=243}} Mustaine wanted to write socially conscious lyrics, unlike mainstream heavy metal bands who sang about "hedonistic pleasures".<ref>{{cite news|last=Matsumoto|first=Jon|title=Megadeth: These Heavy Metalers Thrash For Peace|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-10-16-ca-5888-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 16, 1986|access-date=November 15, 2013}}</ref> The album was noted for its political commentary and helped Megadeth expand its fanbase.{{sfn|Talevski|2010|p=570}} The [[Peace Sells|title track]] was the album's second single, and was accompanied by a music video that received regular airplay on [[MTV]].{{sfn|Ellefson|McIver|2013|p=61}}

In February 1987, Megadeth was the opening act on [[Alice Cooper]]'s ''[[Constrictor (album)|Constrictor]]'' tour,<ref name="Chicago">{{cite news|last=Popson|first=Tom|date=February 6, 1987|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/02/06/megadeth-hed-to-go-here/|title=Megadeth Hed To Go Here|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=November 15, 2013}}</ref> and the following month began its first headlining world tour in the United Kingdom. The 72-week tour was supported by [[Overkill (band)|Overkill]] and [[Necros]], and continued in the United States.{{sfn|Rees|Crampton|1999|p=658}} During the tour, Mustaine and Ellefson considered firing Samuelson for his drug abuse.{{sfn|Konow|2009|p=244}} According to Mustaine, Samuelson had become too much to handle when intoxicated. Drummer [[Chuck Behler]] traveled with Megadeth for the last dates of the tour as the other band members feared Samuelson would not be able to continue.<ref name="Samuelson"/> Poland quarreled with Mustaine, and was accused of selling band equipment to buy heroin.{{sfn|Konow|2009|p=244}} As a result, Samuelson and Poland were asked to leave Megadeth in 1987, with Behler becoming the band's full-time drummer.{{sfn|Rees|Crampton|1999|p=658}}

Poland was initially replaced by Jay Reynolds of [[Malice (American band)|Malice]], but as the band began working on its next record, Reynolds was replaced by his guitar teacher, [[Jeff Young]], when Megadeth was six weeks into the recording of its third album.<ref name="Samuelson">{{cite web|first=Celesete|last=Gomes|title=So Far, So Good For Megadeth|url=http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/interviews_rock1988.html|work=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]|publisher=Rockmetal.art.pl|date=August 1988|access-date=November 8, 2013|archive-date=July 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720120651/http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/interviews_rock1988.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>