There was the Sex Pistols and there was the rest. The Sex Pistols ARE punk; the rest are ‘punk rock.’

Amidst the chaos that was the Sex Pistols, it’s often forgotten just what a powerful band they were, and what great records they made. The Sex Pistols were no ordinary group.

Their story might be short, and not without its casualties, but their legacy is undoubted; one listen to their ferocious, raw rock and roll will soon tell you that. No British band since the Beatles has done as much to shape the nation. Musically, the Pistols’ impact was enormous and continues to resonate; they didn’t just kick down doors; they trashed the music industry’s house. For a band who (really) only released one album and four incandescent singles – “Anarchy in the U.K.,” “God Save the Queen,” “Pretty Vacant” and “Holidays in the Sun” – they gave birth to a sea of imitators and inspired a DIY aesthetic still alive today. Not bad for a band that ‘couldn’t play.’

Despite claims from New York, the Sex Pistols were the true originators of punk; no one else had their attitude, balls, or honesty – as inspired by anger and poverty, as art and poetry. There was the Sex Pistols and there was the rest. The Sex Pistols ARE punk; the rest are ‘punk rock.’