THEY created punk and galvanised a generation, but almost five decades on from their debut release, how does The Sex Pistols’ discography stack up? Find out:
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
A feeble blast of faux-rebellion created as a vehicle for Vivienne Westwood to sell an overpriced aesthetic of youthful defiance to trendy Londoners, it’s painfully lame today. If only we’d not fallen for this we’d have been spared Oasis and John Lydon’s butter adverts. Save yourself the earache and listen to a Clash record instead.
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
Once controversial, in the cold light of the 21st century the pinnacle of the punk canon looks like nothing more than an annoying novelty. Oh, it has a rude word on the cover and the bass player who barely features was a bit edgy, was he? Sadly this doesn’t mean the album bears listening to more than the mandatory once to say you’ve heard it.
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
The throb of scandal still powers through, even though today you’d hardly look up if it were piped into Tesco. While you might not be tempted to skip tracks like Bodies or Pretty Vacant straight away, Anarchy in the UK is so overplayed that it’s now the antithesis of everything it originally stood for. A 70s novelty act without the Wombles’ authenticity.
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
Still holds up after all these years, especially if you’re old enough to remember the summer when punk usurped the jubilee. Wasting no time at 38 minutes and 44 seconds, Never Mind the Bollocks is a must-have for any serious music collection that traces it back to where it all began. Plus the US vinyl release has an alternative pink cover, which looks pretty.
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
There’s a reason this album is beloved by everyone from Noel Gallagher to your dad. Proving that The Sex Pistols were more than just a shocking interview with Bill Grundy, Never Mind the Bollocks is a searing indictment of British life delivered with a string of memorable hooks. Listen, buy the T-shirt, artfully distress it and sneer.
