Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols are a punk and punk rock group from London, United Kingdom. They form in 1975 and are active until 1978 in their first run, with later reunions. The group comprises Glen Matlock, Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Sid Vicious, and Sex Pistols feat. Frank Carter.

Formation and original line-up

The band starts as a response to what is seen as the safe, overblown sound of mid-1970s progressive rock and manufactured pop. Malcolm McLaren manages the group after noticing John Lydon, then known as Johnny Rotten, and brings him to audition for the frontman role in The Strand, the group that becomes Sex Pistols. The original line-up includes Lydon on vocals, Steve Jones on guitar, Paul Cook on drums, and Glen Matlock on bass.

Matlock leaves in 1977 and is replaced by Sid Vicious, who remains until the band breaks up in 1978. Matlock later rejoins for the 1996 reunion and is part of most later reunions, including those in 2002, 2007 and 2024.

Records and influence

In its initial career, the band releases four singles and one studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977). The single God Save the Queen appears in 1977 during the build-up to the Queen's Silver Jubilee and is widely read as an attack on the British monarchy and British nationalism.

Sex Pistols are widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in modern popular music. Along with The Clash and The Damned, they are credited with helping to start the punk movement in the United Kingdom and with influencing later punk and alternative rock musicians. They are also described by the BBC as the definitive English punk rock band.

Controversy, breakup and reunions

The group gains a reputation for controversy during its short first period. Shows and tours repeatedly run into trouble with authorities, and public appearances often end in disorder and riot. The band breaks up in 1978 during a turbulent tour of the United States.

Sex Pistols reunite in 1996 for the Filthy Lucre Tour and later stage reunion tours in 2002, 2007 and 2024. In 2006 they are officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but do not attend. In 2024 the group reunites without John Lydon, with Frank Carter taking vocals alongside Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and Paul Cook. Lydon later criticises that reunion publicly.