The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. The band are widely credited with initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll.
The Sex Pistols originally comprised vocalist Johnny Rotten, guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock. Matlock was replaced by Sid Vicious in early 1977. Although their initial career lasted only three years and produced only four singles and one studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, the group has been described by the BBC as "the definitive English punk rock band."
The Sex Pistols emerged as a response to the bombastic progressive rock and sentimental pop that dominated the music market in the mid-1970s. Under the management of impresario Malcolm McLaren, the band created controversies which captivated Britain, but often eclipsed their music. Their concerts repeatedly faced difficulties with organisers and authorities and public appearances often ended in mayhem. Their 1977 single "God Save the Queen" was regarded as an attack on the monarchy and British nationalism.
In January 1978, at the end of a turbulent US tour, Rotten left the band and announced its breakup. Over the next several months, the three other band members recorded songs for McLaren's film version of the Sex Pistols' story, The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. Vicious died of a heroin overdose in February 1979. In 1996, Rotten, Jones...