Sex Pistols

They no more saved rock and roll than Elvis Presley invented it. But the Pistols are the standard bearers for the audacity of the work, their commitment to not wanting to be rock stars and the fact that they were basically the first punk act that most people noticed. Elvis broke Rock and Roll to a mass audience when there was nothing like it on the radio, but arguably it was bound to happen. The musical environment was rich and ripe for a massive change. The black R&B of the era was so damn good that it was only a matter of time before a white promoter realized the potential in presenting it in a package acceptable for a wider audience. Kids were already discovering Little Richard, Ray Charles and Chuck Berry on their own. If you listen to any decent collection of Sun Records artists from the mid-50s you realize that Sam Phillips was tinkering with the mix that would become associated with Elvis, Scotty Moore and Bill Black for a few years by the time Elvis broke in 1956. Simila... Read more

The Sex Pistols, along with a few other London/UK bands at the time, created and defined punk. Almost every great punk band in the world will cite them as an influence. They had their single ripped off the air by BBC, and it still went to number two on the charts. (Conspiracists say it went to number one, but were not given the honor fearing 'commotion) The fact they only put out one album says something about how influential they are, because they only needed a dozen songs, most under three or for minutes, to forever change music. And to ojuice down there, Lydon, and Sid, for that matter, did truthfully state that Green Day isn't punk. They were not formed by "some douchebag promoting his clothing line". The clothing store SEX was formed around punk ideals and 'fashions' well before the Sex Pistols formed, and the manager, (douchebag) recognized the talent of common patrons of his store and formed them as the Sex Pistols. Promoting his store had nothing to do with it.

these guys r awesome

I liked them until I found out they were full of SHIT!!! John Lydon ragged on Green Day for not being punk, when his band was created by some douchebag promoting his clothing line. That is the least punk thing I have ever heard. Have a few good songs and were extremely influential (which is why they get 2 stars) but were as big of posers as Good Charlotte (okay, I won't go that far... Sum 41)

omg lol xx

I give 'em a 5 'cause they weren't meant to be flawless, but they were not as exciting as The Heartbreakers (Johnny Thunders, Walter Lure, Billy Rath and Jerry Nolan). BTW, Sid Vicious replaced original bassist (and composer of all their tunes) Glen Matlock AFTER Never Mind The Bollocks was recorded. Good thing too, 'cause Sid couldn't play for shite (though he was a decent singer and could have replaced Rotten when John quit the band).

the alpha and the omega,my fave punk band,i listen to bollocks like it was a new release,everyone did so good,even sid a lil bit:)production is amazing.fave:bodies

Never understood what all the fuss was about. Alot of bad vocals with anarchist lyics big deal. They sucked thank god they only put out one album.

More image than substance and talent.

I have a mixed reaction to this band, who only put out one album. They are more important historically and in terms of influence than for the quality of their recordings, which are usually overrated, and to some degree they were a put-on. I like "Holidays In the Sun" and "Pretty Vacant," and Rotten's book is a humorous read. It WAS good to attack the complacent dreck of the mid 70's: the innovation and greatness of the music of the 1965-71 era had largely dissipated. On the other hand, I like the music of 1965-71 a lot better than any other era, you can't convince me that this stuff, or any subsequent era, is better. Whether it is rock, soul, r&b;, or any other genre you care to name, it was greater back then IMO.

At the height of their career,they defined "Punk".This can be largely credited to their Svengali,Malcolm McLaren.Check out their flick "The Great Rock n' Roll Swindle".

They quite possibly, did more to ruin Rock&Roll; than any other influence.

To me they're just average. Everyone else I've asked said there just average too. I think Johnny's voice is a little annoying and the songs are about anarchy blah blah blah..they just don't match up to the works of The Ramones...

Best punk band ever - no question.

Noisy, messy, and stupid; I enjoyed them in my adolescence. They still make me smile, but now for an entirely different reason.

Overrated but still kinda good.

They were about the scariest, most rebellious band to ever play. Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten are notorious for their outrageous behavior. Anarchy in the UK and God Save the Queen are two pretty good songs by the Pistols. Nevermind the Bollocks is to punk what Nevermind was to alternative music. They deserve credit for getting the Clash into the music business (the Clash even opened for them on the 1976 Anarchy Tour).

This band had great lyrics and Johnny Rotten is absolutely delightful. Their songs are musically exhilirating. I saw 'em live and I was in the front row...they are awesome. Everyone knows that Malcolm McLaren is an egotistical toff who didn't really create the Sex Pistols.

They weren't that talented;they just opened the door for more talented and inventive bands. Still, it's hard not to like "God Save the Queen."

Johnny Rotten is very witty and can be wickedly funny most of the time, but the Sex Pistols sucked. They released exactly one album and were only together for less than a year, and none of them could play their instruments. For some reason Sid Vicious has a cult following. This can only be because of the circumstances surrounding his murdering his girlfriend and then dying himself at a young age. He was a complete mess and the combination of hard drugs and his own genetic idiocy conspired to ensure that he never uttered a single coherent phrase in his entire life. Never as important to punk as people assume, they nevertheless had the nihilism and apathy down, if little else. The story of how they got together is somewhat less than inspiring as well. Oh well, who can tell what'll catch on.

for influencing music the last 25 yrs!

They sounded good. I ENJOY their music. I love their image, they challenged everyone, et cetera... but most importantly the *sounded good*. That's rather importand for music, you'd think....

Quiet cheap!

Good energy, sad and addled politics. They died about where they should have.

fu** you all!!!! the sex pistols are bloody awsome!!

A very important band, one of the greats of British punk. Not quite the Clash, but close.....

Sid was a bad ass....

The Sex Pistols are a dreadful pleasure. . .this is what a rock band should be- bad vocals, loud bass, obnoxious lyrics, and an occasional drug overdose. Modern bands are wussies.

i give them a thre because i don't know them. just wnted to say "nice name" -not jbjb, jbjbs friend

They revolutionized punk, true, but they didn't stick around long enough to really impress me.

Oi. The Fathers of Punk.

Ugh. I cannot for the life of me guess what Brian May liked about this band. So they are energetic. So are Slipknot, which is one of the worst bands of all time. I have yet to hear music of theirs that is good. Plus, what kind of a stupid name is "the sex pistols"? I know that R.E.M got their name while looking through the dictionary, and Queen...well, in case there happen to be homophobics here, I won't say how Queen got their name. And the Rolling Stones got their name from a Muddy Waters song. But the "sex pistols" just sounds like something someone pulled out of thin air. What do any of you like about them, other than the "energy"? Please tell me!

Indie rock at its best.

i always liked sid vicious. the sex pistols KICK ASS. i like "anarchy in the uk" he cackles in the beginning. the sex pistols are one of the few "punk" bands who are actually punk, like the ramones, swingin' utters, bouncing souls, misfits, etc. PLEASE. do not put them in the same category as blink 182! MadonnaGal, nirvana isnt punk you dont know what youre talkin about. but i happen to like nirvana so.... kiss my ass. Sub-Rotten: I saw Johnny on Judge Judy too. =)

They are the most influsntial punk band ever. Also the best punk band. And Sid rules. A true punk deffenately!

I love the Sex Pistols. They are so original. Sid Vicios was a true punkl along with Johnny Lydon! All there music souded like none other. They refused to conform! Sid was innocent!!!

The Sex Pistols are the ones who got me into punk (and my friend who was named after Sid Vicious) and they are the greatest punk goup of that time period and they still kick ass!!!

Wish this music still existed. Punk rock in the late 70s to the 80s was incredible. Not this Nirvana crap that people listen to now. Sid...he was a REAL punk....Johnny? HE was a real punk too. KURT COBAIN?? A sad, depressed little man with a pistol. NOT a punk.

CHAOS AND DISORDER AT ITS FINEST! bands today dont have the balls, to take a real stance against injustices and social failures that plague our society. SEX PISTOLS MADE DISTRUCTION BEUTIFUL

Johnny Rotten is my idol. I saw him on Judge Judy the other day and he's the only person I've ever seen on that show to make her look stupid. Sex pistols along with the Ramones revolutionized music as much as the Beatles did in their own way.

made quite a splash in their year or two as band. Nevermind all the post-'79 releases.

these guys were the best rockers/punk rockers ever there is no band better than them

the pistols should be in the top 10....and p.i.l should be in the top 20....ever get the feelin youve been cheated?

Punk rock the way it should be.

"Bollocks" sounds less than revolutionary 25 yrs later, but its impact was incredible. Recently I returned to the very spotty "Great Rock and Roll Swindle" album --which sure has some great spots (Sid's Eddie Cochran covers especially). They were sure lucky to have such solid musicians in Cook and Jones (and Matlock originally) to anchor the antics of Johnny and Sid.

Who killed Bambi???

The Sex Pistols, rotten at times, really changed the direction of music. They created genre by being rude and playing hard.