“You don’t write a song like GOD SAVE THE QUEEN because you hate the English. You write it because you love them, and you’re fed up with seeing them being mistreated.” - Johnny Rotten.
It's hard to convey how much outrage this caused at the time... I was only 7 when this came out, but I remember my dad swearing at the TV whenever they were mentioned, they were public enemy #1 in Britain.
@@mikeboosh8776 apart from fact that it hit number 1 in UK on the queens jubilee lmfao! We all loved the fact it got there despite a total UK radio ban.
All popular music in general. The Sex Pistols were not the first punk band, but they brought attention to the genre and launched the phenomenon of the "punk revolution". From punk rock came the New Wave in general and synth-pop in particular, which in the 80s became essentially the standard sound of pop music. So Blinding Lights by The Weeknd or Midnight Sky by Miley Cyrus are just as influenced by the Sex Pistols as Nirvana.
It’s just perfect. Catchy songs, great lyrics, fantastic production and far tighter playing than punk was known for. It defined punk and yet is somehow ageless.
In top 10 …. Possibly top 5 of most important and influential works in history of genre and overall in popular culture….. “ ignorance is bliss….. well put going thru life with an eye closed on purpose is self denial on the biggest stage you’ll ever see….. NO FUTURE ????? Your goddamn Right…….
The pistols were banned from playing almost everywhere so they hired a barge and played this song in the middle of the thames river - on the same night the queen's silver jubilee was been celebrated. The police had to arrest them by boat. They arrested malcolm maclaren, their manager, thinking he was johnny rotten.
Brad needs to listen to Lex more. Her instincts are on point a lot of the time. Sex Pistols became public enemy #1 in England due to this song. The gov wanted to charge them with treason(which is punishable by death). Also this song was extremely popular with the youth and for a week in the UK there was no #1 song on the charts because they refused to acknowledge the Sex Pistols in that spot. So yeah, Lex is right, they got in a wee bit of trouble.
The "Gov" did not want to charge them with treason. The likes of the Daily Express and other tabloids ranted about its readers would've happily gone along with it, but it is a completely silly idea. Malcolm McClaren would have loved to foster the idea as for him any outrageous publicity like that would have been 'manna from heaven'. During the whole of the 'Irish Troubles' no treason charges were brought against any of the members of any militant Irish groups for levying war against the British government. The last person charged and executed in the UK for treason was William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw) in 1946.
Don't forget The Damned. 1st Punk single, 1st Punk Album, 1st to tour the States. Got kicked off the Anachey0 Tour'77 for upstanding The Pistols because they play better. Listen to CRASS, now that is raw.
"that's revolutionary music!" fuck yes. this is the most famous punk rock anthem of the era, sung by its most legendary band. glad u liked it. keep on rockin
During this time there was an economic crisis in England, lots of regular people losing their jobs, young men can’t get into any decent jobs except low paying jobs that go nowhere. So there was a lot on anger and angst in Britain at the time. This band captured that in their songs.
Lydon's accent may be "pure Englishman", but he is an Irish Catholic, (his parents were Irish immigrants). This explains the anti-British tone of many of the songs.
@@richardhinman3183 Although I agree about his heritage (hence not "pure Englishman") he has always been a Brit/Englishman/Londoner regardless of even becoming an American Citizen. He rarely,if ever, embraces his Irish Heritage.
@@toddbell6989 Yeah, he kinda went back on everything he sung about. Makes a little more sense when you consider that the Sex Pistols were essentially what we refer to today as industry plants.
people often talk about how controversial they were... and often leave out the part about how amazing the tunes were. the songs are catchy, powerful, and lyrically brilliant, and Lydon's spoken word style of singing was absolutely groundbreaking. I can't imagine the vocals being performed in any other way... truly unique truly genius.
Malcolm McLaren branded Them as the band that couldn't play even though Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock were great musicians. Johnny Rotten aka John Lydon are actually a very intelligent man and he outsmarted a lot of interviewers
His best work was surely his Countryside butter endorsements - he's really a farm produce salesman but to give him his due - he could shift dairy. People talk 'punk' and neglect the greater work he did in sales.
This song was a pivotal moment in the British punk movement. That was itself earlier fed from the US by the New York Dolls, Ramones/etc, and reverberated back through New Wave into US music. -- Hard to believe a music commentator has never heard this, such an epoch-marking song before.
The initial reaction to them in the UK was pretty visceral. Politicians denounced them immediately; one was quoted wishing for their "sudden death." Their were reports of physical attacks outside of venues, after the club owners, etc. pulled the plug on them after hearing their music. On the other side of it, they were, and are, still considered one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. The formed in 1975 and are considered to be the founders of the punk genre. I could see your fascination with them, and it's not hard to be, seeing just how raw and outspoken they were. Great reaction. Cheers!
I was a teenager then and everyone loved the rebelliousness of it. A lot of the hype was manipulated by Malcom McLaren who knew that controversy meant money. I remember watching the film The Great Rock N Roll Swindle a few years later which put a lot into perspective.
Brad's honest reactions are so refreshing. Lex doesn't even have to speak to tell us how she feels her face says it all. Its fun when they agree and even better when they don't.
Love the Pistols. They influenced a whole generation of musicians that came after them. The main point that came from this video is the failure of the American education system. Not because two, young, Americans hadn't heard of the Sex Pistols - completely understandable, but because they have no idea how democracies function in other countries. It's scary that millions of Americans are clueless about the rest of the world. They are taught to be good consumers and not good thinkers.
You need to check out the Stooges, "I Wanna Be Your Dog". And MC-5, they were both Detroit/Ann Arbor bands that helped usher in the punk and metal eras of music. They both got their start in the early/mid- 60's.
Too right! For me they both define the punk attitude that got picked up on by the British punk movement of 1976. Another mostly unheralded influence on the British punk scene was the influence of German bands like Can and particularly Neu!. My two pence worth 😊
@@paulhine1061 I can't say I ever heard of Cans. Thanks for the que, will definitely check them out. Certainly have heard of Neu, though I'm not too familiar with their stuff. Honestly, we're talking bands that were so underground, you would need Paul Bonyon's axe to split a mountain to get to them. I am fortunate to have been raised near Detroit and so I was taught young about its massive influence on music over the years, hell female singers the world over are still trying tp model themselves off of Diana, and most don't even know it. But to know, and heard of bands like Neu, The Stooges and MC-5, you either had to have been a person alive and into the underground scene of that time, or learned about it regionally, like myself.
Needless to say, this didn't get any airplay here in the UK, as a result it went straight to number 1 in the charts. Bands like this were reflecting the social unrest amongst the disillusioned youth at the time. Props for tackling this one. Other tracks on the album might just jump out and grab you in the face. You're in no doubt as to the messages in the Sex Pistols songs. 😁👏👏
"Bands like this were reflecting the social unrest amongst the disillusioned youth at the time." This is exactly correct. Global problems such as the 1973 oil crisis, recession and inflation led to problems within the UK which manifested themselves most strongly in a very high unemployment rate. Those at the lower edges of society who weren't unemployed were living a hand to mouth existence. At the time (unlike today) people were very aware of this but (very much like the last ten years) felt that it was due to successive UK governments mismanaging the economy and blamed politicians for fucking things up. Lots of teenagers were emerging onto the labour market - or knew they would shortly be doing so - and saw no reasonable prospect whatsoever of the jobs-for-life that their parents had thought were available through the 50s and 60s.
This song actually got them charged with treason against the crown (punishable by death) though I don't believe they were ever tried in court. Imagine pissing off the establishment with a song to the point that they execute you for it.
ha ha no they weren't there was a court case in Nottingham about the wording of the album some one objected to the word boll ox but they won the court case thanks to a celebrity q c called John mortimer this was in 1977
Johnny Rotten aka John Lydon, the singer, speaks a London accent. It is a very special man who seems to have spent his life on shocking the world. After the first version of Sex Pistol he started the group pil (Public Image Limited). Both group has occured now and then since. From the punk period check pil's Religion I (for Brad) and Religion II (for Lex). From the post-punk time: "The order of death".
I love bands willing to give their opinion. Sex Pistols and other punk bands delivered it with an aggression and energy that felt inspiring. The lyrics were hard hitting and gave you the opportunity to do your own research to find out what is really going on.
He was trying to warn people about the satanic 'Royal' family and their child rituals behind castle gates and protected by the police and politicians. He seen what Saville was and why he was 'knighted'.
This song was released during the 1977 Queens Silver Jubilee and at a time when the youth were struggling to survive in a society that loved to show their class and wealth, like the UK Royal Family.
The song was released during the silver jubilee in 1977 and was banned from UK radio. John (Johnny Rotten) Lydon the lead singer came from London of Irish parentage. In 1978 he formed the influential band Public Image Limited who combined new wave with dub influences. You should check out Public Image by them. The Sex Pistols are due to be portrayed in a drama directed by Danny Boyle on one of the streaming services, after John Lydon lost a court case trying to stop the production company using Sex Pistols songs.
They did allegedly get in some trouble- the rumor has always been that God Save the Queen was kept out of the number 1 spot on the charts by the establishment. The song peaked at number 2 behind Rod Stewart. The belief is that in the year of the Queen's Jubilee celebration having God Save the Queen top the charts was an unthinkable affront to the Monarchy.
lol. So crazy to think about. I still find it so strange that the UK has kept the whole 'royals' thing around in the modern age. I guess it's a historical/legacy thing, I don't know.
The split second instrumental pause and reintroduction of the drum beat halfway through the song ‘Bodies’ is amazing! One of the Sex Pistols best tunes ever
Never heard sarcasm come across quite as well as in this song 🤣🤣 His accent? Full on working class English. Other good punk songs to check out . . . Most of the contemporary (with this) stuff by the Clash. Definitely worth checking out the exploited, The Dead Kennedys and a song called 'kick out the Tories' by the Newtown Neurotics. Oh, and if you're doing punk - go a bit hardcore and check out Frank Carter era Gallows 'London is the Reason' and 'Misery' are the two to definitely check out!
Misery is an experience of a song. Whole album Grey Britain really paints a bleak picture. And Frank's vocals were amazing, thats probably how/why he fucked up his vocal cords.
@@petrinafilip96 I will say, I saw him with the Rattlesnakes, opening for Biffy Clyro in Glasgow Green a couple of weeks back and his voice isn't quite as fucked as I'd feared 😅😅
@@anthonyholroyd5359 Isnt that why he changed bands and went into a different direction muscially? Because he couldn't afford screaming into the mic anymore.
Lex is spot on with all her comments and her response to this track, in 1977 this was a big deal, punk shock everything up, we wouldn't have any of the music we have today, it made anyone think I can have a go at this and there are no boundaries in music anymore
This came out in 1977, the Queen's Silver Jubilee year, 25 years on the throne. They shot the video on a riverboat in the Thames playing this as they passed The Houses of Parliament and were promptly arrested. The BBC who compiled the UK charts then refused to put the song in it's rightful No1 position. It was a HUGE deal here, and 5 year old me LOVED IT lol.
Some other punk bands you might enjoy are 1) Crass "Reality Asylum", 2) Nina Hagen "Born in Xixax", 3) Chumbawamba "Give the Anarchist a Cigarette", 4) The Dead Kennedys "A Growing Boy Needs His Lunch", 5) Lydia Lunch "Spooky", and 6) Christian Death "Romeo's Distress".
Lex was actually right. The song was banned from the radio. When it reached #1 in the British charts, they just left the #1 spot blank in the trades. They didn’t want people listening to it.
My daughter is named Sydney because when I was a teenager, I was OBSESSED with Sid Vicious 💜 so I knew when I had a daughter, that would be it! You guys should definitely check out the movie Sid and Nancy. Some wild, to say the least, insanity 🤘
NOFX. Pronounced No F,X one of my favorite punk bands, they have a huge underground following and even have their own record label. The song "Bob" was one of the first songs I heard of their that got me hooked. Don't Call Me White, Linoleum and Please play this song on the radio are also good songs. Really anything from the "Punk in Drublic"or "White Trash,Two Heebs and a Bean" album would be good to start with.
This entire album is a classic, and punk is great rock and roll. The reference to Les Mis was brilliant. This was huge at the time and influential to this day. Fashion for example was influenced. If you want to see a crazed crowd watch their live concert in London in 2007.
The Sex Pistols and The Damned were the start of punk. Check out the stuff that followed later like Discharge and The Exploited. Exploited's 'I Hate Cop Cars' is an easy introduction to hardcore punk.
They got on a boat at one point, and played this as they went by the parliament and all. You should give Pretty Vacant a try, wrote that one to get an undercover swear in there. This is real punk.
I met Glen Matlock and he sang us the ORIGINAL Version of Pretty Vacant & admitted that it sounded like a Monkees record (which they actually did like!) When he showed it to Johnny, it was Rotten’s trademark snarl and vocal delivery that added that phonetically ambiguous “CANT/C@NT”
The Sex Pistols' music is frantic, urgent and aggressive. It reminds me of the musical equivalent of eating horseradish or wasabi; that initial smack right between the eyes, like getting hit in the head with a sledgehammer,... but you love it.
Love the Dead Kennedys. Stiff Little Fingers and The Skids too. I was a teen, in Manchester, in the 70's and I was lucky to see The Buzzcocks a couple of times.
I ALWAYS LIKE IT WHEN THE SONGS FIRST START AND LEX's EYES GET REAL BIG WITH A BIG SMILE ON HER FACE, LIKE SHE's SURPRISED! Brad is always our cool calm and collected stoic, which is really cool too! I really dig these groovy videos, man!
Ska is the forerunner of reggae and it Jamaican island music. In the late sixties it became popular with English kids. By the 70s it took inspiration from punk and became faster and more aggressive. It then became known as two tone.
Lex makes a good point. Singing often standardizes vocals in English. The first British band to show a hint of a British accent was the Kinks. This is why you have to do a reaction to Lola, and All Day and All of the Night.
Fun fact, the city I'm from , San Antonio , Texas ,was one of the few U.S. cities they played. A photographer who went their had a roll of film that wasn't developed for over 20 years. They ran a story of that night. One of them had a tshirt of cowboys kissing and Lydon first words were,"you actually paid for this!?" They had stuff thrown at them immediately and it was the best show they ever had.
It's impossible to understand the impact the Sex Pistols had when they hit in 1976-77 unless you were there. You mention "not heavy," but at the time, this was unprecedented stuff. Punk already existed -- Greil Marcus traces punk back to the Dada movement in the 1910s, but within rock you can draw a line from late '50s rockabilly through the early to mid-'60s Pacific Northwest scene through early Who and Kinks through the Velvet Underground, MC5 and especially the Stooges (Iggy Pop's first band, which is incredible) through glam (and especially the New York Dolls) and through the mid-'70s NYC scene (and especially the Ramones). But the Sex Pistiols hit like an atomic bomb, and that had to do with image and appearance (of the band and its followers), an infamous television appearance, a lot of it (but not the music) the work of provocateur Malcolm McLaren. We'd never heard music so hostile nor so bitingly and violently political. In the U.S., we heard OF the Sex Pistols before we ever heard them, and they weren't "popular" in any traditional way. The politics didn't mean as much here (to fully understand where they were coming from, look into the 1970s in Britain under Maggie Thatcher), but the sound changed everything. And as a reaction to what the '70s had become -- a lot of overproduced music by millionaires that said little -- it was a revolution that was needed. Their influence rivals that of the Beatles and Dylan and the Velvet Underground, and there's a direct line to an extraordinary amount of what has followed.
3:13 Rebel Music? Punk is the most rebellious of all rock music. That's why I love it. Old-school rap, before the sweetened, toned-down versions were presented to the market is almost as rebellious, and that's why I love it.
One of my favourite quotes is from John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) talking about Sid Vicious (the bassist). "Sid loved the Ramones. Of course, Sid couldn't really play the bass." Then he got a little smirk on his face. "I think the two may be connected."
Funny things about the song: It was number one in the charts, but they refused to print it, so they left the charts blank. During the Queen's jubilee celebration the band rented a boat and drove past the celebration playing the song. The police raided the boat and arrested them and their manager, who happened to be Richard Branson.
Lex is so intuitive.... Damn right it was revolutionary.. Banned from radio 1..record unemployment on the streets and all the media wanted to do that summer was celebrate queen's 25 yrs on the throne.
Lex brings up some good points. First of all Johnny Rotten's vocals are sort of revolutionary. Before this, English bands were trying to hide their accents, and pass as American to break in the States. You don't hear much Liverpool in The Beatles. You don't really get an accent from The Stones, Robert Plant, Ozzy, Roger Daltrey, Clapton, The Kinks, etc...So you can hear how, just by making this choice, the Pistols totally changed the game, and influenced UK punk, The Stone Roses and Oasis. I believe they debuted this song by renting a boat during The Queen's Jubilee celebration, and playing it live with huge speakers along the River Thames. They were arrested. They were also banned from playing live in many, many clubs all over the UK. They only came out with one album, Never Mind The Bollocks...& one single, this one, God Save The Queen. But what a legacy they left in their wake! Their songwriting is really quite good for a "punk" band as well. Never Mind The Bollocks...is a great, great record!
THIS is the epitome of punk.. pure raw unadulterated original punk.. 100% rebellious music played with very basic but faster paced and distorted music(usually 3 member bands: drummer, bassist, lead singer/guitarist).. this was the music of my youth, learning not to blindly trust the establishment and learning that people in authority didn't get there by being righteous and ethical.. Note: Ska (pronounced with an AH sound) combines elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the off beat. Also, ska tends to have a horns section.
If I remember right, on the day of the Queen's Jubilee they actually hired a boat and took it down the Thames through London playing this song. They got arrested, and the establishment was shocked and outraged.
“You don’t write a song like GOD SAVE THE QUEEN because you hate the English. You write it because you love them, and you’re fed up with seeing them being mistreated.” - Johnny Rotten.
It's hard to convey how much outrage this caused at the time... I was only 7 when this came out, but I remember my dad swearing at the TV whenever they were mentioned, they were public enemy #1 in Britain.
His great.
@@mikeboosh8776 apart from fact that it hit number 1 in UK on the queens jubilee lmfao! We all loved the fact it got there despite a total UK radio ban.
Well said!
Its just sad that Johnny abandoned his principles (if he had them to begin with).
Never Mind The Bollocks is one of the most seminal albums in rock history. It has influenced everyone from Kurt Cobain to Noel Gallagher.
All popular music in general. The Sex Pistols were not the first punk band, but they brought attention to the genre and launched the phenomenon of the "punk revolution". From punk rock came the New Wave in general and synth-pop in particular, which in the 80s became essentially the standard sound of pop music. So Blinding Lights by The Weeknd or Midnight Sky by Miley Cyrus are just as influenced by the Sex Pistols as Nirvana.
It’s just perfect. Catchy songs, great lyrics, fantastic production and far tighter playing than punk was known for. It defined punk and yet is somehow ageless.
They and Ramones influenced a whole generation, music style fashion etc
Bullock's are so bad ass, I still have the original album..
In top 10 …. Possibly top 5 of most important and influential works in history of genre and overall in popular culture….. “ ignorance is bliss….. well put going thru life with an eye closed on purpose is self denial on the biggest stage you’ll ever see….. NO FUTURE ?????
Your goddamn Right…….
The pistols were banned from playing almost everywhere so they hired a barge and played this song in the middle of the thames river - on the same night the queen's silver jubilee was been celebrated. The police had to arrest them by boat. They arrested malcolm maclaren, their manager, thinking he was johnny rotten.
Just making sure this was mentioned
the bbc banned them because johnny outed jimmy saville in an interview
@@ianharris879 yes he did and time proved him right too. Johnny never had a problem telling it how he saw it.
The publicity machine at full throttle.
@Doctorpsylus well I never knew that. And I even have the tubular bells record.
Brad needs to listen to Lex more. Her instincts are on point a lot of the time. Sex Pistols became public enemy #1 in England due to this song. The gov wanted to charge them with treason(which is punishable by death). Also this song was extremely popular with the youth and for a week in the UK there was no #1 song on the charts because they refused to acknowledge the Sex Pistols in that spot. So yeah, Lex is right, they got in a wee bit of trouble.
"the government wanted to...."
Don't confuse what a few rent-a-quote MPs said with what 'the government' wanted to do.
There was a #1. The chart was secretly manipulated to get Rod Stewart to #1 above the Sex Pistols.
I think that #1 was not acknowledged when Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood topped the chart.
Well perhaps the Filth and the Fury documentary is wrong then?
The "Gov" did not want to charge them with treason. The likes of the Daily Express and other tabloids ranted about its readers would've happily gone along with it, but it is a completely silly idea. Malcolm McClaren would have loved to foster the idea as for him any outrageous publicity like that would have been 'manna from heaven'.
During the whole of the 'Irish Troubles' no treason charges were brought against any of the members of any militant Irish groups for levying war against the British government. The last person charged and executed in the UK for treason was William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw) in 1946.
This IS punk rock . The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, television. It's an entire sub-genre that is entirely underrated for its impact on music
Amen.
Definitely, I was a huge fan and saw so many acts live I can't even remember them all. This is real punk with the real attitude, energy and sarcasm.
Don't forget The Damned. 1st Punk single, 1st Punk Album, 1st to tour the States. Got kicked off the Anachey0 Tour'77 for upstanding The Pistols because they play better.
Listen to CRASS, now that is raw.
@@tosis918 crass, subhumans and conflict are the only REAL punk bands
"entirely underrated" that's pushing it a bit.
I love that you can hear the sneer in his voice on this entire album. It's amazing for what it was
fundamentally it is the voice of a farmer selling dairy - he spent more time endorsing Countryside Butter than he did with the pistols.
"that's revolutionary music!" fuck yes. this is the most famous punk rock anthem of the era, sung by its most legendary band. glad u liked it. keep on rockin
During this time there was an economic crisis in England, lots of regular people losing their jobs, young men can’t get into any decent jobs except low paying jobs that go nowhere. So there was a lot on anger and angst in Britain at the time. This band captured that in their songs.
I love the pure rawness of this great punk band...."Anarchy in the U.K." is their best song though!!!
Bodies, thats all I will say
@@micht6888 YUUP! Bodies.
@@micht6888 I was just about to say the same, Anarchy is great, Bodies is a masterpiece.
Pretty Vacant for me.
Nah friggin in the riggin 😂🤘🤘
What you’re hearing in John Lydon’s voice is pure Englishman, council-tenancy-bred Lydon. Not a lot of posh on him, but he was a piece of work.
Lydon's accent may be "pure Englishman", but he is an Irish Catholic, (his parents were Irish immigrants).
This explains the anti-British tone of many of the songs.
Didn’t he turn into a Trump supporter recently? Crazy journey.
@@richardhinman3183 Although I agree about his heritage (hence not "pure Englishman") he has always been a Brit/Englishman/Londoner regardless of even becoming an American Citizen. He rarely,if ever, embraces his Irish Heritage.
@@toddbell6989 Yeah, he kinda went back on everything he sung about. Makes a little more sense when you consider that the Sex Pistols were essentially what we refer to today as industry plants.
Now he is is just another rich opinionated prick that he railed against in his youth lol
I do not care what anyone says this is one of the best rock and roll albums ever recorded.
people often talk about how controversial they were... and often leave out the part about how amazing the tunes were. the songs are catchy, powerful, and lyrically brilliant, and Lydon's spoken word style of singing was absolutely groundbreaking. I can't imagine the vocals being performed in any other way... truly unique truly genius.
And Jonesy is one hell of a solid guitarist
This ended with something called the battle. Of the bean field. U tube it
Oh Sh!t, Someone left the "PUNK ROCK" out for Lex to Find.
We Are All in Trouble now.
Hahaha - love it!
The Sex Pistols were brash, unpredictable, & truly didn't give an eff. That's why they only lasted 1 studio record in the 70's... prime UK punk rock.
I think one of their most underrated songs is Bodies. To me it captures the essence of the pistols just as well.
Malcolm McLaren branded Them as the band that couldn't play even though Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock were great musicians. Johnny Rotten aka John Lydon are actually a very intelligent man and he outsmarted a lot of interviewers
John Lyndon is awesome. Very very intelligent. Love his interviews.
His best work was surely his Countryside butter endorsements - he's really a farm produce salesman but to give him his due - he could shift dairy. People talk 'punk' and neglect the greater work he did in sales.
Pretty vacant is another brilliant The Sex Pistols song, highly recommend it!
Gotta agree 👍
Definitely my favourite and rarely reacted to.
The intro riff is so simple yet so awesome I love it
whole album is masterpiece 🔥
The best intro to a song ever!
At least this one is easy to categorize: it’s PUNK ROCK, period.
This song was a pivotal moment in the British punk movement. That was itself earlier fed from the US by the New York Dolls, Ramones/etc, and reverberated back through New Wave into US music. -- Hard to believe a music commentator has never heard this, such an epoch-marking song before.
"They've arrested Malcolm! They've arrested Malcolm!"
The initial reaction to them in the UK was pretty visceral. Politicians denounced them immediately; one was quoted wishing for their "sudden death." Their were reports of physical attacks outside of venues, after the club owners, etc. pulled the plug on them after hearing their music. On the other side of it, they were, and are, still considered one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. The formed in 1975 and are considered to be the founders of the punk genre. I could see your fascination with them, and it's not hard to be, seeing just how raw and outspoken they were. Great reaction. Cheers!
I was a teenager then and everyone loved the rebelliousness of it. A lot of the hype was manipulated by Malcom McLaren who knew that controversy meant money. I remember watching the film The Great Rock N Roll Swindle a few years later which put a lot into perspective.
That told Malcolm's side of the story, which most have concluded didn't exactly have a strong resemblence to the truth.
Never mind the sex pistols..they are bollocks
Also the song 'The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle' is more than worth a listen.
“They didn’t get in any trouble.”
Oh bless your optimistic heart. 🤗
Brad's honest reactions are so refreshing. Lex doesn't even have to speak to tell us how she feels her face says it all. Its fun when they agree and even better when they don't.
Love the Pistols. They influenced a whole generation of musicians that came after them.
The main point that came from this video is the failure of the American education system. Not because two, young, Americans hadn't heard of the Sex Pistols - completely understandable, but because they have no idea how democracies function in other countries. It's scary that millions of Americans are clueless about the rest of the world. They are taught to be good consumers and not good thinkers.
Great and accurate comment ✊
You need to check out the Stooges, "I Wanna Be Your Dog". And MC-5, they were both Detroit/Ann Arbor bands that helped usher in the punk and metal eras of music. They both got their start in the early/mid- 60's.
Too right! For me they both define the punk attitude that got picked up on by the British punk movement of 1976. Another mostly unheralded influence on the British punk scene was the influence of German bands like Can and particularly Neu!. My two pence worth 😊
@@paulhine1061 I can't say I ever heard of Cans. Thanks for the que, will definitely check them out. Certainly have heard of Neu, though I'm not too familiar with their stuff. Honestly, we're talking bands that were so underground, you would need Paul Bonyon's axe to split a mountain to get to them. I am fortunate to have been raised near Detroit and so I was taught young about its massive influence on music over the years, hell female singers the world over are still trying tp model themselves off of Diana, and most don't even know it. But to know, and heard of bands like Neu, The Stooges and MC-5, you either had to have been a person alive and into the underground scene of that time, or learned about it regionally, like myself.
Almost everyone in the first wave of punk were fans of The Stooges, MC5, The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, and the garage rock compilation Nuggets.
Those bands are proto-punk for sure! The seeds of punk rock.
Blue Cheer also merit a mention in dispatches.
Needless to say, this didn't get any airplay here in the UK, as a result it went straight to number 1 in the charts.
Bands like this were reflecting the social unrest amongst the disillusioned youth at the time.
Props for tackling this one. Other tracks on the album might just jump out and grab you in the face.
You're in no doubt as to the messages in the Sex Pistols songs.
😁👏👏
"Bands like this were reflecting the social unrest amongst the disillusioned youth at the time." This is exactly correct. Global problems such as the 1973 oil crisis, recession and inflation led to problems within the UK which manifested themselves most strongly in a very high unemployment rate. Those at the lower edges of society who weren't unemployed were living a hand to mouth existence. At the time (unlike today) people were very aware of this but (very much like the last ten years) felt that it was due to successive UK governments mismanaging the economy and blamed politicians for fucking things up.
Lots of teenagers were emerging onto the labour market - or knew they would shortly be doing so - and saw no reasonable prospect whatsoever of the jobs-for-life that their parents had thought were available through the 50s and 60s.
As a Punk Rocker from the late 1970s and 1980s, I can tell you all punk rock music is very political. (very intelligent music).
This song actually got them charged with treason against the crown (punishable by death) though I don't believe they were ever tried in court.
Imagine pissing off the establishment with a song to the point that they execute you for it.
ha ha no they weren't there was a court case in Nottingham about the wording of the album some one objected to the word boll ox but they won the court case thanks to a celebrity q c called John mortimer this was in 1977
"Throbbing Gristle" were deemed "wreckers of civilization" by those in UK government.
How about CRASS. They were under investigation by MI5 and the CIA as a matter of National Security.
Johnny Rotten aka John Lydon, the singer, speaks a London accent. It is a very special man who seems to have spent his life on shocking the world. After the first version of Sex Pistol he started the group pil (Public Image Limited). Both group has occured now and then since. From the punk period check pil's Religion I (for Brad) and Religion II (for Lex). From the post-punk time: "The order of death".
Johnny's voice, always dripping with sarcasm. I love it!!
Brad looks comfused, Lexi loves it 😁 we that grew up with this old stuff walking down memory lane every time you guys react to music. Thanks guys ❤
I love bands willing to give their opinion. Sex Pistols and other punk bands delivered it with an aggression and energy that felt inspiring. The lyrics were hard hitting and gave you the opportunity to do your own research to find out what is really going on.
He was trying to warn people about the satanic 'Royal' family and their child rituals behind castle gates and protected by the police and politicians. He seen what Saville was and why he was 'knighted'.
This song was released during the 1977 Queens Silver Jubilee and at a time when the youth were struggling to survive in a society that loved to show their class and wealth, like the UK Royal Family.
Johnny is very articulate and has excellent annunciation when singing and speaking, his vocal style is iconic in punk music history.🤘🎼❤️
Best reaction channel on YT - the variety of music coveted, your analysis and appreciation. Bravo 🙌🏻.
The song was released during the silver jubilee in 1977 and was banned from UK radio. John (Johnny Rotten) Lydon the lead singer came from London of Irish parentage. In 1978 he formed the influential band Public Image Limited who combined new wave with dub influences. You should check out Public Image by them. The Sex Pistols are due to be portrayed in a drama directed by Danny Boyle on one of the streaming services, after John Lydon lost a court case trying to stop the production company using Sex Pistols songs.
They did allegedly get in some trouble- the rumor has always been that God Save the Queen was kept out of the number 1 spot on the charts by the establishment. The song peaked at number 2 behind Rod Stewart. The belief is that in the year of the Queen's Jubilee celebration having God Save the Queen top the charts was an unthinkable affront to the Monarchy.
Not rumour, the BBC did manipulate the numbers to keep the song off the no.1 place
lol. So crazy to think about. I still find it so strange that the UK has kept the whole 'royals' thing around in the modern age. I guess it's a historical/legacy thing, I don't know.
Kenny. I find it strange you don’t understand the power and heritage of the monarchy
I love watching Lex bopping along to this song. She's into it!
The split second instrumental pause and reintroduction of the drum beat halfway through the song ‘Bodies’ is amazing! One of the Sex Pistols best tunes ever
Never heard sarcasm come across quite as well as in this song 🤣🤣
His accent? Full on working class English.
Other good punk songs to check out . . . Most of the contemporary (with this) stuff by the Clash. Definitely worth checking out the exploited, The Dead Kennedys and a song called 'kick out the Tories' by the Newtown Neurotics.
Oh, and if you're doing punk - go a bit hardcore and check out Frank Carter era Gallows
'London is the Reason' and 'Misery' are the two to definitely check out!
Misery is an experience of a song. Whole album Grey Britain really paints a bleak picture. And Frank's vocals were amazing, thats probably how/why he fucked up his vocal cords.
@@petrinafilip96 I will say, I saw him with the Rattlesnakes, opening for Biffy Clyro in Glasgow Green a couple of weeks back and his voice isn't quite as fucked as I'd feared 😅😅
@@anthonyholroyd5359 Isnt that why he changed bands and went into a different direction muscially? Because he couldn't afford screaming into the mic anymore.
Anarchy in the U.K.
Also, Johnny Rotten is a bonafide legend.
Lex is spot on with all her comments and her response to this track, in 1977 this was a big deal, punk shock everything up, we wouldn't have any of the music we have today, it made anyone think I can have a go at this and there are no boundaries in music anymore
Johnny's working-class, London-suburbs accent is definitely part of the political message of the song.
You're absolutely killing it tonight,more punk please.
This came out in 1977, the Queen's Silver Jubilee year, 25 years on the throne. They shot the video on a riverboat in the Thames playing this as they passed The Houses of Parliament and were promptly arrested. The BBC who compiled the UK charts then refused to put the song in it's rightful No1 position. It was a HUGE deal here, and 5 year old me LOVED IT lol.
I love it when the youth of today listen to what I listened to in my youth, hello from the UK
It's a cockney dialect deriving from the South of England - London. The North is very different as is the South West and Wales and so on.
Loved the Pistols in High School back in the 80s. Still listen to them
Some other punk bands you might enjoy are 1) Crass "Reality Asylum", 2) Nina Hagen "Born in Xixax", 3) Chumbawamba "Give the Anarchist a Cigarette", 4) The Dead Kennedys "A Growing Boy Needs His Lunch", 5) Lydia Lunch "Spooky", and 6) Christian Death "Romeo's Distress".
Born in Xixax is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lex was actually right. The song was banned from the radio. When it reached #1 in the British charts, they just left the #1 spot blank in the trades. They didn’t want people listening to it.
Pretty Vacant has such an iconic intro! It's awesome!!!
My daughter is named Sydney because when I was a teenager, I was OBSESSED with Sid Vicious 💜 so I knew when I had a daughter, that would be it! You guys should definitely check out the movie Sid and Nancy. Some wild, to say the least, insanity 🤘
I always had a soft spot in my heart for him. Sounds weird, I guess, but maybe that’s why I’m an advocate for addicts/homeless/mentally ill
NOFX. Pronounced No F,X one of my favorite punk bands, they have a huge underground following and even have their own record label. The song "Bob" was one of the first songs I heard of their that got me hooked. Don't Call Me White, Linoleum and Please play this song on the radio are also good songs. Really anything from the "Punk in Drublic"or "White Trash,Two Heebs and a Bean" album would be good to start with.
Saw NOFX in 1998 on my first big music festival. Was awesome. Deftones were there as well.
@@chimairanl9043 yeah, they're a lot of fun. I have seen them a bunch of times. One of the first times I saw them was back in 96 at the Warped tour.
This entire album is a classic, and punk is great rock and roll. The reference to Les Mis was brilliant. This was huge at the time and influential to this day. Fashion for example was influenced. If you want to see a crazed crowd watch their live concert in London in 2007.
Lex gets it! I love how she starts to sneer as she's listening to the music. She's even doing a restrained slam dance on the couch! You go Lex!!
I vividly remember this from when it was launched… I was 6 at the time. Welcome to 70’s punk 👍 some of its s**t some of its gold 😊
I love this woman she's always so happy and positive and seems genuinely interested in the songs they are listening to.
She's great isn't she!
She's pretty likeable. Very bright.
The Sex Pistols and The Damned were the start of punk. Check out the stuff that followed later like Discharge and The Exploited.
Exploited's 'I Hate Cop Cars' is an easy introduction to hardcore punk.
The SexPistols influence started a 1000 bands and changed thousands of peoples creative lives and the general culture in music, art, advertising
They got on a boat at one point, and played this as they went by the parliament and all. You should give Pretty Vacant a try, wrote that one to get an undercover swear in there.
This is real punk.
I met Glen Matlock and he sang us the ORIGINAL Version of Pretty Vacant & admitted that it sounded like a Monkees record (which they actually did like!)
When he showed it to Johnny, it was Rotten’s trademark snarl and vocal delivery that added that phonetically ambiguous “CANT/C@NT”
That would be pretty awesome to hear! If only I had stories like that..
Gotta listen to that Jane's Addiction, "Ocean Size" i've been preaching.
And after that, "Three Days".
The Sex Pistols' music is frantic, urgent and aggressive. It reminds me of the musical equivalent of eating horseradish or wasabi; that initial smack right between the eyes, like getting hit in the head with a sledgehammer,... but you love it.
Punk is almost the same as Hip Hop in sentiment and attitude - I know, I love both ✊
Oh yes..... they got in BIG trouble!
The dead Kennedys are worth a listen as well, i like their song Pull My Strings
Pull My Strings!!!!!! Yes!!!
Love the Dead Kennedys. Stiff Little Fingers and The Skids too. I was a teen, in Manchester, in the 70's and I was lucky to see The Buzzcocks a couple of times.
I ALWAYS LIKE IT WHEN THE SONGS FIRST START AND LEX's EYES GET REAL BIG WITH A BIG SMILE ON HER FACE, LIKE SHE's SURPRISED! Brad is always our cool calm and collected stoic, which is really cool too! I really dig these groovy videos, man!
Ska is the forerunner of reggae and it Jamaican island music.
In the late sixties it became popular with English kids.
By the 70s it took inspiration from punk and became faster and more aggressive. It then became known as two tone.
Their song “Bodies” has some pretty messed up lyrics.
Bodies is my personal fave song, the lyrics are totally fucked up though.
Brilliant song though
One of the best tunes they do and Holidays in the Sun :-)
"Is this rebel music?"
Nail on the head.
Lex makes a good point. Singing often standardizes vocals in English. The first British band to show a hint of a British accent was the Kinks. This is why you have to do a reaction to Lola, and All Day and All of the Night.
Fun fact, the city I'm from , San Antonio , Texas ,was one of the few U.S. cities they played. A photographer who went their had a roll of film that wasn't developed for over 20 years. They ran a story of that night. One of them had a tshirt of cowboys kissing and Lydon first words were,"you actually paid for this!?" They had stuff thrown at them immediately and it was the best show they ever had.
It's impossible to understand the impact the Sex Pistols had when they hit in 1976-77 unless you were there. You mention "not heavy," but at the time, this was unprecedented stuff.
Punk already existed -- Greil Marcus traces punk back to the Dada movement in the 1910s, but within rock you can draw a line from late '50s rockabilly through the early to mid-'60s Pacific Northwest scene through early Who and Kinks through the Velvet Underground, MC5 and especially the Stooges (Iggy Pop's first band, which is incredible) through glam (and especially the New York Dolls) and through the mid-'70s NYC scene (and especially the Ramones).
But the Sex Pistiols hit like an atomic bomb, and that had to do with image and appearance (of the band and its followers), an infamous television appearance, a lot of it (but not the music) the work of provocateur Malcolm McLaren. We'd never heard music so hostile nor so bitingly and violently political. In the U.S., we heard OF the Sex Pistols before we ever heard them, and they weren't "popular" in any traditional way. The politics didn't mean as much here (to fully understand where they were coming from, look into the 1970s in Britain under Maggie Thatcher), but the sound changed everything. And as a reaction to what the '70s had become -- a lot of overproduced music by millionaires that said little -- it was a revolution that was needed.
Their influence rivals that of the Beatles and Dylan and the Velvet Underground, and there's a direct line to an extraordinary amount of what has followed.
The difference between this and ska is that ska has its roots in reggae, and you hear that.
3:13 Rebel Music? Punk is the most rebellious of all rock music. That's why I love it. Old-school rap, before the sweetened, toned-down versions were presented to the market is almost as rebellious, and that's why I love it.
I appreciate the raw take ya'll give on some of the more obscure music I grew up on.
Ska is fast Reggae, musically speaking. eg. "Baggy Trousers" by Madness. elicits pogo dancing.
Try Anarchy In The UK, their debut single from 1977. A kind of anthem for the english punk movement.
I was a punk lol! Purple hair n my fav song was I am an anarchist 😂
♥ Me too "Anarchy in the U.K" Good days in some way, but anarchy may not be the best of 'orders' ;)
One of my favourite quotes is from John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) talking about Sid Vicious (the bassist). "Sid loved the Ramones. Of course, Sid couldn't really play the bass." Then he got a little smirk on his face. "I think the two may be connected."
"No future for you ... and you'll love it!" That's the Great Reset version. ;)
Yeah, they got in a spot of bother then, especially when you consider Mr Rotten has an Irish passport and has Cork roots!
Different times then...
ManOwaR - The Power Of Thy Sword
"Is this like rebel music ?" 😃 "Yeah, seems like it." @ 3:11
LOL !!! 😀😀😀😀 You've cracked the code !!!!
Funny things about the song: It was number one in the charts, but they refused to print it, so they left the charts blank. During the Queen's jubilee celebration the band rented a boat and drove past the celebration playing the song. The police raided the boat and arrested them and their manager, who happened to be Richard Branson.
Loved it, thank you.
"Ska" is kind of "reggae light" with more joy and a faster tempo
Brad, you gotta catch up!! Lex has got it again!
Lex is so intuitive.... Damn right it was revolutionary.. Banned from radio 1..record unemployment on the streets and all the media wanted to do that summer was celebrate queen's 25 yrs on the throne.
One of my sister's Favs Motorhead does a good cover of this as well
If you like this check out some Crass. They are an amazing English punk band 👌🏻
"Social media is not always an accurate representation of the way things are" Thank you Brad, you give this old man hope. luvuguys.
70s and 80s punks bands are the best!!!! Nothing better. "SKA music" is bad ass
This, also, is Punk! Love it!
not also...this is the punk :D
@@antondzajajurca7797 the also is because I watched the Suicidal Tendencies video before this one.✌️🤣
Lex brings up some good points.
First of all Johnny Rotten's vocals are sort of revolutionary. Before this, English bands were trying to hide their accents, and pass as American to break in the States. You don't hear much Liverpool in The Beatles. You don't really get an accent from The Stones, Robert Plant, Ozzy, Roger Daltrey, Clapton, The Kinks, etc...So you can hear how, just by making this choice, the Pistols totally changed the game, and influenced UK punk, The Stone Roses and Oasis.
I believe they debuted this song by renting a boat during The Queen's Jubilee celebration, and playing it live with huge speakers along the River Thames. They were arrested. They were also banned from playing live in many, many clubs all over the UK.
They only came out with one album, Never Mind The Bollocks...& one single, this one, God Save The Queen. But what a legacy they left in their wake!
Their songwriting is really quite good for a "punk" band as well. Never Mind The Bollocks...is a great, great record!
That first chord comes out like a kick in the balls. It's awesome.
This song was a monster hit in England. According to the singer, It was originally going to be titled 'No future.'
Try some Killing Joke - ‘80’s’ is a good place to start
Try New Rose by The Damned, the live version at the Hope & Anchor pub
I was there. My youth is history.
THIS is the epitome of punk.. pure raw unadulterated original punk.. 100% rebellious music played with very basic but faster paced and distorted music(usually 3 member bands: drummer, bassist, lead singer/guitarist).. this was the music of my youth, learning not to blindly trust the establishment and learning that people in authority didn't get there by being righteous and ethical..
Note: Ska (pronounced with an AH sound) combines elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the off beat. Also, ska tends to have a horns section.
If I remember right, on the day of the Queen's Jubilee they actually hired a boat and took it down the Thames through London playing this song. They got arrested, and the establishment was shocked and outraged.