Dead or Alive is a British New Wave band from Liverpool that rose to popularity during the 1980s.

In 1980, just before they were to record a radio session for John Peel, Burns changed the name of the band to the more marketable Dead or Alive. The band went through several different lineup changes over the next three years while recording a series of independent singles.

The debut album, Sophisticated Boom Boom, was released in May 1984 and featured Dead or Alive's first Top 40 UK single, a remake of the 1975 hit by KC and the Sunshine Band "That's the Way (I Like It)".

In 1985 they released the album Youthquake, produced by the then-fledgling songwriting/production team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman (SAW).

In 1986, Dead or Alive released their third album, Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know, also produced by SAW.

In 2000 Dead or Alive released Fragile, a compilation of remixes with several new tracks and covers including U2's "Even Better Than the Real Thing" and Nick Kamen's "I Promised Myself". A second remix album, Unbreakable, was released in 2001.

In 2004, Burns enjoyed solo success with the Pet Shop Boys-produced track "Jack and Jill Party". Although only released through the Pet Shop Boys website, the track reached number 75 in the UK singles chart and was an underground club hit.