are an
English
punk rock band
formed in London
in 1975.
Although their
initial career
lasted just
two and a half years,
they became
culturally influential
in popular music.
The band initiated
the punk movement
in the United Kingdom
and inspired
many later punk,
post-punk
and
alternative rock
musicians,
while their clothing
and hairstyles
were a
significant influence
on the early
punk image.
The Sex Pistols'
first line-up
consisted of
vocalist
(born John Lydon),
guitarist
Steve Jones,
drummer
Paul Cook,
and
bassist
Glen Matlock,
with Matlock
replaced by
(born John Richie)
in early 1977.
Under the management
of Malcolm McLaren,
The band gained
widespread attention
from British press
after swearing
live on-air
during a
December 1976
television interview.
Their May 1977 single
"God Save the Queen",
which described the
monarchy as a
"fascist regime",
was released to
coincide with
national celebrations
for the Queen's
Silver Jubilee.
The song was
promptly banned
from being played
by the BBC
and by nearly
every independent
radio station
in Britain,
making it the
most censored record
in British history.
Their sole studio album
(1977)
was a
UK number one
and is regarded
as seminal in
the development of
punk rock.
In January 1978,
at the final gig
of a difficult and
media-hyped tour
of the US,
Rotten announced
the band's
break-up
live on stage.
Over the next few months,
the three remaining members
recorded songs for
McLaren's film
of the Sex Pistols' story,
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
Vicious died of a
heroin overdose
in February 1979
following his arrest
for the
alleged murder
of his girlfriend,
Rotten,
Jones, Cook
and
Matlock
later reunited
for a successful tour
in 1996.
Further
one-off performances
and short tours followed
over the next decade.
In 2024,
Jones, Cook, Matlock,
and guest vocalist
Frank Carter,
reformed
the Sex Pistols
to play a series
of shows that year,
with further dates
scheduled for 2025.
The Sex Pistols
have been recognized
as a
highly influential band.
In 2006,
they were inducted
into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
although,
true to their image,
they refused
to attend the ceremony,
with Rotten
referring to
the museum as
"a piss stain"
