Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Mostly fine, shame about John being a prick

Just not my thing. I can see academically this album represented change to music. I just prefer music I can whistle or hum. I was 17 when this came out but I don't recall any songs from this album. Same year a lot of great music was released. I was probably more a Rumors fan to give one example.

The difficult decision between rating an album based off pure enjoyment vs. rating an album based on how important, influential, etc it is. This album is fun, the riffs are dope, I enjoyed comparing it to other punk albums on this list, especially The Jam album, and it's cool to read about their history, especially with the controversy that surrounded the album. At the same time, it tended to sound very similar at times, the guitar riffs lost their appeal about 3/4ths through, and I don't think listening to one of the most influential and subversive? punk rock albums of all time during my corporate 9-5 did it many favors. This is a 3.5 that I didn't quite enjoy enough to make it a 4 Saved: No Feelings*, Liar, Anarchy in the U.K.

Not for me...

I LOVE how the guitars were recorded on this album - big, punchy power chords RIGHT-IN-YOUR-MUTHAFUCKIN-FACE. The classics here are still the best tracks. This must've packed a punch when it first came out! 3.5 stars.

Some great classic sounds I've heard before, but by the 30th minute I was waiting for it to be over as they somewhat all starting sounding the same. Still, good to hear these classics in context.

Didn’t really like it, don’t like rock with those harsh sounds 3/5

This was the first time I have listened to an entire Sex Pistols album. It was a good album but I am not sure I would go out of my way to listen to it again.

As advertised.

A punk album! Pretty good, Sex Pistols are never a first choice, but this was enjoyable.

Came into it expecting to hate it. Enjoyed it a bit more than I was expecting, the popular tracks reminded me of old Tony Hawk games. New York was a great song and I really enjoyed the ending solo 3.5/5

Of it's time. Remarkable for what came after rather than the album itself.

I had this album in college and listened to it quite a bit. I never got fully into punk (super-broad music category and cultural term, I know), but did have a time in my life when I listened to what were then called "punk/alternative" radio stations, had my haircut asymmetrically, wore a dangling sword earrning, and generally had no idea what I was doing. What I did, and still do, find interesting is any form of counter-culture, especially when it's expressed artistically. I know this band is considered one of the, if not the, pioneering band in the London punk scene, which spread everywhere, and I still find this album a good listen, though far less so than I once did. Such is the nature of evolving tastes and interests.

Classic punk, changed the face of music. Not really much musical talent but attitude by the bucket full. More of a symbol of a movement than a good album.

Considerados los precursores del punk en UK. Mucha tralla y muchas drogas.

meh. 3/5

Only got the chance to give this a really quick listen. I didn't find there was loads to separate the album tracks from the one listen through (that's probably partially on me though). Overall I liked the whole feel of it - nothing hugely pushed me to either end of the scale

Wish I had more time to sit on this one. It's a lot of fun, and it was a big statement, just feel like the filler is... well... that.

Never actually listened to this before and thought it would just be noisy distorted guitar and power chords. Turns out it was noisy distorted guitar and power chords but the songs were more varied than expected and actually not too bad.

Cosas interesantes y replicadas pero no me matan. Tengo que leer la letra con más profundidad

cover is pink in spotify but yellow here? idk

It's impressive that it came out in the 70s, I listen to a lot of more recent punk that it was influential over. Would I listen to it on its own merit? Probably not often.. Influential but I'd rather listen to more recent punk

3/5 it had some interesting songs, but ultimately didn't pass.

I always thought the Sex Pistols' schtick was that they were talentless punks. I was pleasantly surprised by their talent. They're not the most brilliant lyricists or songwriters by any means, but that's sort of the whole point. I enjoyed this one, it felt a bit short (and maybe to be honest a bit one-dimensional at points).

Love sex pistols, but not the best one

Proof that it's better to die young, rather than live long enough to support Trump. Crap boobs crap. ( o Y o ) peeners present

Sounded fresher and much more enjoyable than I expected. Really wouldn’t recommend listening to anything else they’ve done though.

Probably never listen again but not as terrible as I was expecting

shite production but iconic and groundbreaking. Bit too much filler. 5/10

Highlights (outside of radio hits): Liar, Submission Lowlights: Problems They're loud, cocky and rude. They are also skilled and worth listening to. It's not for everyone, but everyone should listen.

Overrated. It's alright, but gets very samey

Clásico del rock, referente para todas las generaciones posteriores. Anarchy in the UK y God Save The Queen seguirán aleccionando jóvenes a luchar contra el sistema, no sé si el resto del disco lo logre. Liar suena bien y lo demás, al no ser fan del género, no me representa nada muy atractivo. 3.5 que baja. Songs: Anarchy in the UK, God Save The Queen

The quintessential punk album, but always thought it was nothing special.

it's punk

nice

Catchier and more melodic than I expected.

que disco tan bueno, tiene mucha fuerza y rebeldía. Es increíble que solo tuvieran un disco de estudio y que estuvo catalogado como el mejor disco del rock y sigue siendo el mejor disco del punk. No creo que exista un mejor exponente del punk punk; frío, irreverente, vale madre. Lástima que solo tengan 1 disco y que fueran personas feítas de modos

Fairly repetitive, but fun.

Love the punk aesthetic

Not my type. Intro track was good but needed something more to follow and never got it.

Good for getting you hyped up. RATING: 3/5

Fun, riot music. Sounds like summery bamboozle time music.

It's alright

Punk stuff

Volviéndolo a escuchar años despues... meh

It was alright. Nothing super amazing or standout here, in my opinion.

7/10, seminal punk album, lesser than it's peers, but still incredible and remains visceral to this day. EMI is the best track.

5/27 What a riot! Standout Tracks: Bodies, Seventeen, Anarchy In The UK, New York

Valor mais histórico do que musical. Tirando isso, parece a mesma música da primeira à última faixa, tudo meio misturado com um vocal mais raivoso, enérgico, que influencou muita gente depois. Mas, musicalmente, não chegam aos pés do The Clash, pra ficar apenas num exemplo.

Did not like this version of songs

Of course, this album is a classic, but I don’t really like listening to it. Two stars...

Here you can listen to 20 year old British kids complain about everything in annoying punk fashion! We've still got our boing repetitive headache-inducing instrumentation but now we're British and our lead singer warbles like a pained bird. Johnny Rotten is a stupid name. Sid Vicious is a stupid name. This sucks. I'd way rather have the ramones. 1.5.

not really my style

great when you’re like 12 years old in 1987 and never heard legit punk music with a message, not so great if you want something that’s not totally nihilistic with any actual musicality at all. just a big musical troll job. and remember, you gotta pay the troll toll if you want to get into that boy’s soul

First time I’ve read the descriptions of a band and album and felt kind of scared to listen to it! I kind of assumed they were like The Clash but this reportedly holds up as much more transgressive, and I had no idea the band was so short-lived and explosive. The timbre of his voice and the traditional structure of the songs make the record feel slightly cornier than I expected. Bodies is truly scary though. It’s hard for me to transport myself to this time but they come across as wankers more than I hoped.

not 4 me

“Capital has the ability to subsume all critiques into itself. Even those who would critique capital end up reinforcing it instead.” - Joyce Messier, Disco Elysium Arguably the first sellouts in punk.

Another case of I love the instrumental stuff, but hate their singing (or sing-talking in this case).

Eh

I used to enjoy this album. Pretty Vacant still holds up, the rest has been colored by what I know of the Pistols, how they came to be and who they became. Such is life.

В принципе неплохой панк, особенно таких ранних годов. Но слушать это я не стану постоянно

Non m é piaciuto molto

funny to think this was so revolutionary in its time and yet it sounded exactly how i expected it to sound. one star for influence, one star for how i actually felt about the music.

This wasn't terrible, but I thought it really lacked the authenticity of the other early punk bands. I realize that's totally subjective and unquantifiable, but to me the rebeliousness sounds forced, and the lyrics make me think "baby's first rebellious album." According to some of the other reviews, Sex Pistols were essentially "built" by a manager, and whether or not that's actually true it does seem to come through in the music.

Massively over rated

Not for me. Surprised they only have one album.

I guess I like my loud music in metal form.

Qué tan revolucionarios fueron? Bien para escuchar un rato y nada más.

Stripping away the cultural mythos, the music here is basic, tightly produced, linear three chord hard rock. The aggression is palpable and historical, but musically, it is entirely too simple and uniform to provide any lasting depth or intrigue beyond its initial shock value.

2/5

*1977. *Normally I like punk, but this was mostly just loud and frantic without much melody or rhythm. *I had trouble getting through this one and it's only 38 minutes. *Wouldn't revisit except maybe to try to give it another objective listen, but I doubt I'd actually do that. RATING - 5.5/10

I do not enjoy the genre of music that is 'yell semi-incomprehensible words at the mic', and that was sort of what this sounded like to me.

Nails on the chalkboard. It probably went crazy as a big punk breakthrough back in the day, but listening to it now, I mostly just think about how I hate hearing the stupid voices on every single track.

2/5 Favorite Songs: God Save the Queen Anarchy in the U.K

It being appropriately named, this album is “bollocks“; not the worst album we’ve had though,it hurt my ears to even play it

The vocalist is just bad. Sounds like he’s purposefully sounding bad to make fun of other rockstars.

Somehow "bollocks" isn't the most outdated word said on this album

decent songs on here but fuck john lydon

Never Mind The Sex Pistols ... Where's The Ramones!?

I'm not the biggest punk guy - to me this all sounds the same.

4/10

Shit innit

not my fave

This definitely deserves to be on the list. One of the most important punk albums of all time creating the style and traditional sound. It can be pretty cliche at times though because lots of albums have copy that.

Kind of grimy and chaotic vocals with music a bit above. I hear the appeal, especially to the young, antiestablishment-attracted brain.

I mean, it was ok

I liked the instrumentation a lot more than I liked the vocals. Raw and harsh. I know that’s a feature, not a bug.

"God save the queen, she aint no human being" An album for the times and a great line. Unfortunately it doesn't really resonate with me and is just mid/fine in the most respectful way. I'll listen to it in the background but I won't seek it out.

Another one of those albums with purely historical significance.

I'm pretty into true crime, so I'd heard of Sex Pistols before purely because of Sid Vicious, but I hadn't ever listened to any of their music before. It was better than I thought it would be, however, I still didn't really like it that much. There's not even a slight chance that I'd listen to any of the songs on this again.

Energy is good, but punk has never really interested me that much.

pretty repetitive. listen to Anarchy in the UK and God Save the Queen and move on..

Begrudgingly good. I kind of want to hate it. There are some quite unlikeable people involved. But fundamentally this record itself didn't contain any butter adverts. It actually sounds good. It's quite a pleasing hard rock sound, and although this punk movement was famous for untallented musicians, I think they have very good fundamentals here for making that big rock sound well. Vocals are fairly annoying but it's a legit style

not quite my tempo

Bro shut up

Lo escuché mientras caminaba en la cinta

Was zum Geier, Ah Sex Pistols, nicht meine Musik

Παρόλο που μου αρέσει η classic rock, ίσως αυτή παρα ήταν κλάσικ. Μου φάνηκαν μονότονα το κομμάτια αν και καταλαβαίνω την εποχή και το πλαίσιο στο οποίο έγινε αυτό το album Pretty Vacant

Okay last album I'm gonna try to catch up on today (i am very very behind lol). If I'm being honest I'm not looking forward to this album. Punk is...not exactly my favorite I've come to realize through this challenge (except that Xray Spex album, that was great). I have been pretty generous with rating today, and pleasantly surprised at albums I wasn't expecting to like, so let's see if this ends up being one of them. 1. Holiday in the Sun - This was fine, I guess. 2. Bodies - Um. well. I'm gonna be real, I don't think this was the best way to approach this topic. Anyway. 3. No Feelings - I like the guitars. Meh for the rest 4. Liar - I like the guitars here too. Okay this one is fine. 5. Problem - I'm bored :( 6. God Save the Queen - I've heard this in a movie or something before. I don't have an issue with it, it's pretty good. I understand it's history and everything, it's just not something I'd put on typically. For sure the best song on here so far tho 7. Seventeen - Okie Dokie, I think I'm gonna check out here. I just...it's not my vibe. I gave it a good try. Actually I think there's one more on here that's considered Iconic? I'll listen to that, then call it quits. 8. Anarchy in the U.K. - Eh, again not my vibe. I guess it's cause I don't understand the want for anarchy? I understand the want for liberation. I don't understand wanting chaos. idk. I'm lame lol Anywho... 1 or 2? hmmmm. I think I'll give this a 2. I understand it's history, what it stands for and everything. The guitars were fun, I hadn't really focused on the vocals, but they're not bad. It's just really really not my vibe. sorry

i liked it, but is this not just the same song over and over again? the UK deserves all the anarchy it can get. Fav: Pretty Vacant Least Fav: New York

Blur if Damon’s voice was lowkey annoying. lots of mentions of communist. lyrics too crazy at some points but still fun and i can’t imagine people listening to this in the 70s. clearly inspired blur, oasis, and just britpop in general, but more heavy metal then what britpop ended up becoming. I don’t think i will ever revisit this album any time soon, but it’s cool to see such a breakthrough in musical and the beginning of punk, just a little too extreme for me. the instruments are amazing, just the lyrics hold it back.

Man, fuck these guys also.

who give a shit

not for me

Not a fan. Nothing on this alblum changed my opinion.

garbage

very very complex. Not in the sense of sound, but in the sense of how I precepted the album. Repetitive, quick to get comfortable enough to notice changes in sound, an aggressive guitarist, and a horrible singer. I liked "Pretty Vacant" because of the chants at the end. I think it's very common with British bands. "EMI" as well. To be honest, I don't just appreciate bands so much, else, it is a pretty decent body of work. Not quite for me though.

I've never been a fan of punk so haven't listened to much apart from the well known tracks. So listening to a full album was a new experience. One surprise was that musically it was pretty good with some great guitar work. The vocals/lyrics are really what made punk rock different to what had gone before but they don't do anything for me. I get that they were supposed to be angry, almost shock lyrics, shouted out, but I wasn't an angry youth so that never appealed and they still don't.

A bit too noisy for my liking

Well this one has me truly torn. Although my taste in everything is pretty eclectic I would always consider myself punk but this isn’t my punk, yano? Anyway I hadn’t listened to this since being a teenager probably. There’s the obvious singles and then I was actually really pleasantly surprised by ‘Bodies’ which screams film score to me. Unfortunately I was brought right back down to earth and to remembering what a monumental cunt John Lyndon is by the F-slur which I could have massively lived without so that took it right back down. If you wanna listen to punk, you can do a hell of a lot better than this.

*listened before the project* The stupidest thing I knew ever in my life

it is actually not that good

I was surprised I didn’t like this more, maybe a second listen will change my mind

ik weet dat dit bijzonder revolutionair was of whatever maar gw echt niet mijn ding. altijd tekenend wanneet je denkt 'oh dit begint leuk te worden' en dan blijkt dat de plaat voorbij is en je op autoplay zit. ja tja

This was the only album released by the Sex Pistols; it’s one of the first punk rock records. Listening to it now, the music seems ordinary, but when it was released the lyrics (and album title) created a lot of controversy in England. Johnny Rotten’s vocals are very energetic, however the album doesn’t have much impact on me. Glad I heard it though, as it was very influential.

I dunno…

I don't care how influential this album may have been, I don't like it. Every song sounds the same and the vocals are annoying.

1. Holidays In The Sun - Very valid opening track. Sounds stereotypical punk - it does so very charmingly. Energetic and angry. 8.7/10 2. Liar - Follows the established format of the previous track... Energetic and sloppy. Very similar to the last track, but different to the point of distinction - 8.2/10 3. No Feelings - Altough this album feels like a bunch of nothings thrown into something - this song has an incredibly self aware quality: I view it as a lament of sorts. There have been times where I have been immature and selfish and it has cost me relationships. Am I angry at myself? Yeah? Do I aim to change? Yes. Will the singer change? No. This song is an alarming wake up call. 8.8/10 4. God Save The Queen - Cynical, Brash, Resentful. Wonderful. An addicting tag as well. 8.9/10 5. Problems - Maybe I'm getting sick of the sound or something... I don't know. This song felt a bit repetitive. Although, this was good, it wasn't much of a wower as the past few tracks were. 7.9/10 6. 17 - I legitimately forgot how this song sounded and confused it with another one. It may have the same driving force as the others, but now the album is becoming repetitive. 7.3/10 6. Anarchy In The UK - N/A 7. Submission- 7.2/10 I couldn't finish this. It may be influential- but this is so excruciating. 4/10. Not needed.

Извините, но это слишком однообразно.

This didn't stir anything in me, songs for people who scream at street corners

more like shit pistols

2.75.

Not the type of music I enjoy

Mann idk, wish I could have liked it better lmao. Would I revisit: possibly not. Songs I kinda liked: bodies, liar, god save the queen.

bacana demais escutar a boy band punk mais famosa da inglaterra musicalmente tem energia pra caralho, vai muito da linha que eu curto moralmente não tem nada mais estúpido do que uma banda de punk escolhida a dedo por um exec pra transformar a contra-cultura num produto comercializável minha nota hoje é política

Fun but never loved it a lot

Vibe generale ci sta. Nessuna canzone mi è rimasta impressa, dimenticabili

Music-wise, The Clash > Sex Pistols

Eh. I thought I liked punk, but maybe not. Energetic, but I didn't enjoy listening to the whole album. A song here and there mixed in with other music would be better.

Best Track - "God Save The Queen"

Nice guitars, largely lacking in melody for my liking.

Influential? Possibly. Lacks any kind of subtlety or variety and, when these things are lacking, the song-writing needs to be exceptional. And it isn’t.

There is practically no finesse to the album and I got a little tired of the 3 chord progressions by the end of it. Mixing is far too muddy for my tastes but I get that it attempts to capture the raucousness as best it can. That said, it is a culturally significant piece of music, though if it hadn’t captured the zeitgeist like it did I suspect would have ended up in the landfill like a number of their peers surely did - likely more a case of right songs, right time rather than anything special they did. John Lydon has also proved to be a dickhead which has not enamoured me to the pistols particularly.

Most of the songs sounded similar and I didn't really enjoy it that much

Sex Pistols’ debut is chalk full of the same sounding song.

Johnny Rotten’s right. The monarchy can get in the bin. He can follow them.

Seems like these guys were more drama and shock than awesome musicians

Way over rated but still influential. Never mind.

Glorifizierter Punk Dreck

hatte schon schlimmere Punkalben und die Länge ist angenehm kurz. Aber trotzdem nicht mein Ding.

I wasn’t sure if I listened to separate songs or one loud continuous one; there was a lack of lyricism, each song had similar beats, and the same vocal range/tone for each song, with exception being noted during EMI with some background vocals. Not only that, but I didn’t believe in the ‘raw and powerful’ vocals from Johnny, I didn’t feel like he delivered with nearly enough power with the same vocal tone through every song. Not my favorite, but I can recognize that I probably had to be there. 2*

I think I would have loved this if I was born a few years earlier.

I appreciate the cultural significance of this album but it is not really my cup of tea. For that, a 2. My favorites were god save the queen & pretty vacant

Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks... Never Mind The Bollocks is a "pretty average" statement that manages to be a step up from the "absolute shite" of the Dead Kennedys, but it still falls short of a masterpiece. While the production is "immaculate"—delivering a thick, "tuff" wall of sound that hits with more weight than your standard punk record—the overall experience feels a bit "unidimensional." Johnny Rotten’s "obnoxious" delivery has more "conscious" intent than Jello Biafra’s, yet it lacks the "vocal chemistry" or "soul" that makes an album stay in my rotation. It’s a historically significant "body of work" that delivers some "triumphant" anthems, but for a listener who values "lasting power," it’s a record that feels better to talk about than to actually listen to.

I’m glad I listened to this but I’ll tell you what, I never want to listen to it again.

Ok deci cum ai zis nu-i vine ul meu însă ar merge perfect dacă e momentul și vibe ul potrivit. Îi dau un 5/10

I guess you had to be there. It's fine, but it does feel like they were a lot about vibes and publicity more than the music. But also, it's fine to be about chaos when you're part of a complacent but unjust society. When you're in a chaotic society, it feels almost privileged.

I've never connected with this album, and today was no different. I feel obligated to give this four or five stars because without the Sex Pistols, there is no blah blah blah. But it's just noisy and pointless. Lying in stark contrast to other musical forms is interesting for a history lesson, but Never Mind The Bollocks is just not that fun to listen to. I don't know. Maybe you had to be there?

Iconic 🎀

In a vacuum, I’d probably dig most of these songs on any given day. The problem is that they’re almost all completely interchangeable – there’s very little change in style, structure and energy from track to track. I had to stop recording my highlights once I got to the point where I realized that I was enjoying the tracks for all the same reasons as others. I appreciate the unapologetic punk energy Sex Pistols brought to the table on Never Mind the Bollocks (the completely unintelligible lyrics are more of a feature than a bug in that regard), but it’s honestly not an album I could ever see myself wanting to play from start to finish again. Highlights: Holidays in the Sun, Bodies, Liar, Problems

I get that they more or less put punk on the map but aside from their guitar riffs here, I didn’t really care for any of the vocals.

Always thought this one sounded weirdly thin for its reputation and what it's trying to be. Also, it's weird they've got a New York Dolls diss track on here when this actually sounds a lot like them in places! P.S. I cannot possibly talk about this album without sharing the incredibly incongruous cover that Blueboy (possibly the twee-est band on Earth) did of "Anarchy in the UK": https://youtu.be/OBVrmykG0_E?si=kme1Iw51-e-0_tJP

I don’t dislike it but it’s just not for me.

Not my thing… don’t mind a couple on here. I think EMI is best here

Not rlly for me! it has a very grungy british rock sound, but the lack of actual singing makes it less palatable for me

Not the best , too angry

God save the queen, maar aub niet punk

Not our cup of tea. Loads of heavy power chords, drums, and a singer with a uniquely grating voice.

Is this the most overrated album from a band that can't play music? I think it has to be. I get the importance of this in the grand scheme of punk history, but give me the Stooges or the Clash instead. Also Johnny Rotten schtick was annoying from the get-go.

Never been a fan of this band. This album did not change my mind. Music is great, hate the vocals.

rock, not really my vibe

Assume this is so hyped because it was controversial. Musically it’s very samey, they manage to rip off themselves three times on one album. Tiresome.

En vivo debe ser un 5

It all sounds the same

idk but it stressed me out, esp. the first song

Not my thing but the singles are okay

Johnny rotten is super annoying. I still bounce off of this album, though I appreciate its influence on tons of music I love.

I have mixed feelings about this album. I really like the instrumentation, like the drums, guitar, and bass. But I couldn't decide how I felt about the singing. It kind of reminded me of Scott Pilgrim vs the World.

Lots of screaming but not as “bad” as I remembered.

I mean that definitely sounds like early punk rock. Not the most pleasant to listen to of course.

Bleh

I think I'm too old to care about this. It's totally fine but it doesn't even feel remotely shocking, which it definitely means to be!

maybe i don’t like punk so much…. i actively have a headache

I can see how this evolved into really good music, but this... is not quite that. I can see it absolutely melting the minds (complimentary) of teenagers in the 70s though! To me, today, this sounds like someone looped 15 seconds of a song for 38 minutes.

So sex pistolly

I understand why this was such a popular album at the time, however, it leaves a weird taste in my mouth to listen to in 2025, considering Johnny Rotten is a dirty tory

Not terrible

Not as impactful as when I first heard it but the guitar parts are better than I remember and I appreciate politically overt music when people often are scared to say something inflammatory

Not the best

The influence is undeniable… but so is the migraine.

i wonder what ever happened to these kids? oh.

Mannnn, not really a fan of traditional punk.

Not my kind of sound.

One-note provocateurs. Influential I guess but a miserable listening experience

I suppose every high schooler in the late 1980s had their love affair with wanting to love this band and album. So much energy, contempt and aggression - what's not to love? The hits were staples in my rotation. Now, 40 years later, the novelty is gone and this sounds more grating than revolutionary. This project if nothing else is affirming how much I am not punk. Sorry not sorry. 2/5

Nothing about this album really resonated with me. I'm sure it was revolutionary for it's time, but I think it has inspired so many different bands that going back to it it feels like listening to a rougher version of similar sounds that came afterwards.

Maybe it's because I kinda hate Johnny Rotten and his shitty politics nowadays (though, admittedly, his PiL project is really cool) but I've never really liked the Sex Pistol's debut. I guess it's important for the "image" of punk - you know the posey Sid Vicious, powerchord, "fuck the establishment, we're going to swear on our album" image that I think actually encapsulates everything wrong with the genre. But even then, by this point, the idea of being anti-establishment was already treded by lesser-known groups who did much more interesting things musically than the Sex Pistols, but, y'know, without the costumes and mainstream attention. Sonically, it's your standard early punk music - nothing super memorable, but sort of annoying at its worst. This thing gets sorta grating in its final quarter honestly. I guess this album technically paved the way for what punk music *should* sound like with the group vocals, noisey power chords, and picked basslines - which many of my favorite bands I'm sure found influential. But I'll share the sentiment that many share about these guys which is that they clearly rode off their shock factor and not the quality of their music or writing. The song 'Bodies' may be the worst offender, clearly taking the piss out of the topic in the song instead of saying anything of substance - but hey there's nothing more Sex Pistols than that. In a way I admire the absolutely childish and edgy heights this album shoots for, but also, these guys were clearly capable of writing some decent songs like with 'God Save The Queen' and, especially, 'Anarchy In The UK' which has some genuinly solid guitar work and pacing. When it comes to the golden age of punk, I will rarely have the desire to throw this one on. Give me 'The Stooges', 'The Clash', or 'The Ramones' over this any day of the week. Its influence just doesn't translate to enjoyment for me, I'm sorry - and this is coming from a huge punk fan.

Submission God save the queen These were the best not my fav

I think I prefer the bollocks

important but eh

Musically the Album is great, I just can't get in board with the vocal style.

Another day, another entry in the 1001 punk rock albums of all time list.

Noisy

Didn’t like. Not my kind of music

oh boy not this album. not this discourse! is this ideologically "punk"? no. is it good? not really. is it the first to the punch? also no. this album's legacy is more of the "punk band in a 2000s Cartoon Network show" than it is the hardcore scenes of today. but even a lot of the "real" punk bands will tell you that this album is important, goddamnit! the iconography and imagery are long enduring, whether that be because of the marketing pushing them or not. but none of this evaluates the actual quality of the record, which is why discourse about authenticity so often smothers the work at the centre of the conversation. i find it bogged down by a lot of the conventions late 70s punk rock dabbles in. not for me really. but don't think i couldn't let myself forgive the fakeness of the Sex Pistols story if the music was bangin' enough deserves to be one of the 1001? this is important in the sense that it *did* define punk music in the popular consciousness and led Lydon to a fruitful career with Public Image Ltd. is it more effective as imagery than music? yeah, for sure, and maybe this list isn't "1001 Band T-Shirts You Should Wear Before You Die", but the marketing around it was stupidly effective, and a punk album that everyone's mum knows is an anomaly in the grand scheme of things

I just can’t really listen to this, does very little for me. +1 for being iconic

I appreciate this was an important album but it’s just not for me

too rowdy for me

punk. punk punk punk. not crazy about it.

The "punk" equivalent of a manufactured boy band. Influential? Probably. But about as punk as The Monkees or New Kids on the Block.

Johnny Rotten is a one-trick pony vocally for me. The rhythms are rocking, but his vocals are so similar on each song that it all just meshes together despite a few breaths of dead air between songs. I really enjoyed the musicianship on the album and found myself drumming along with my pen and bobbing my head, but Rotten’s voice did nothing to add to my enjoyment. I know I’m in the minority, but I don’t get it. I understand that it’s important historically for music, so that’ll have to be enough for me. Glad to have listened to it and won’t plan to ever again.

Always thought this album was kind of overrated, Pretty Vacant and Holiday in the Sun are great

Low 2. Just not my thing

I don’t really relate to punk rock. Their messages are clear, but, sorry, the music (at least on this record) sucks.

Punk is just not my genre. The half-singing is too grating and every song sounds the same to me. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.

Added to Library: Holidays In The Sun God Save the Queen Anarchy in the UK

This didn’t really do it for me, I’ve heard a lot about the album but it didn’t stand out to me. Maybe I need another listen.

They’re influential, they pushed some major boundaries at the time. But looking back, the songs are really just bratty. They say naughty things because it’s scandalous and sneer with their safety pins. Sorry blokes, not for me.

Awful mastering, no low end or high end. I like a decent amount of rock but not this. Singers voice annoys me. Lyrics didn't feel especially exciting and overall I felt like the music elicited no emotion from me.

All style no substance. Annoying motifs that repeat, some recognisable songs with some good hooks but overall not enjoyable

Generic, nothing inspiring. A relic of it's time, now it just feels like parody. Doesn't nothing if note. Interesting as a time capsule if nothing else.

I don’t see a reason this is on here

I like the premise and the whole album has energy. But that is just about it, songs are poorly produced and most are just not that good

Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 🔤🩷🟨 Production (2012 Remaster): 🧏‍♂️📏💩 Music: 💣💥💩 Rating: 🔫🔫/5

While I understand the importance to the music industry, this sounded like a lot of noise to me. 2 stars

Better than I thought.

Always my least favorite punk band. Honestly it was pretty boring across the board.

Too punky for me usually, but there were moments I found it catchy

Meh

So I obviously knew the two massive hit songs on this album, but I had never heard the rest of the album. I honestly could’ve stayed that way. The whole album is so boring and lazy. I get that they were pioneers, but this hasn’t aged well at all. If you took the two hit songs off this album, this album would be a 1/5. That’s how forgettable and boring this album is. Punk got better thankfully cause this is not worth your time if you already know the two hits.

Would be fun to dance or mosh to, but the music itself is nothing special.

Whenever I listen to this album I always think it feels pretty tame and very inline with the 80 punk sound, and then I remember it’s from the mid to late 70s. Very pioneering sound and genre defining. Another thing I like about it is how clear the vocals and instruments sound. It’s not just noise and distortion.

UK punk, especially from this time period will never be enjoyable to me. They sound blubbery and whiny, however, they did play their instruments better than anticipated. I’d give a different album of theirs a try. Fucking punks

2/3

2/3

nice album, but not a big fan of punk

a very juvenile album. sooooo british

Even in 1977 without the benefit of the internet and social media, you could over hype a mediocre (at best) band and get it to sell a crap ton of records. But lets be honest, this sucks. 2.

whatever man

No suelo escuchar rock y tampoco me ha encantado pero no ha estado mal

Did not enjoy it.

Mye bra, men også mye bråk. Litt kjedelig og repetitivt i lengden.

The quintessential British punk album. Sex Pistols are as famous (more famous?) for their behavior than for their music. I like the Ramones much better. This feels like an album that people liked to own but no one liked to listen to. God Save the Queen and Anarchy in the U.K. are the hits. God Save the Queen is better. These dudes are mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore. At least they lived their principles because they could have behaved well enough to make a ton of money and instead decided to just keep being who they were. Billie Joe Armstrong heard this and began affecting his terrible punk accent.

Im simply not going to give this higher than a two so i don’t want to listen to the whole thing

I don't know if it's the voice or if it all sounds a bit the same, but I don't dig it

Meh.

one or two songs are good, but poor in general. i had to skip some of those

Album appropriately ends with a fart sound

Already heard it

Я не смог эту гаражную мочу дослушать Челы видимо были против того чтоб свести что-то (даже в ремастере)

2,5

I still dont know how to feel about the album. Maybe the genre isnt for me.

I’m not sure why this is such a popular album. One famous song. Nothing of substance

Never liked them personally

Overrated, but influential

Good vibes don't love that voice

Really just a bit much. Maybe more enjoyable in the right mood but this morning wasn't it 2

it was eh. i prefer britpop/britrock so it was an easy listen. otherwise unmemorable. i see why they had like 2 studio albums (and that was it). 2/5.

Punk, but basic chord progressions combined with a grating voice did not do it for me. Too bad, cause some of the lyrics were interesting

I like the energy but the lyrics and message was buried under the noise. It could totally be my problem or maybe I'm just old.

I see why they’re influential but it doesn’t really hold up. The whole album is just power chords, the same drum line, and a voice that’s not that interesting. For as punk as they are they weren’t breaking any ground with their music but I think the punkness came from off the record stuff. 4/10

Album was just alright in my opinion. Nothing I’d want to listen to again, but I can understand how it paved the way for other musicians to grow from. 4/10

Якщо ви не з першого разу впізнаєте вступні акорди Holidays In The Sun, та її риф, то ви швидше за все не є панком в класичному розумінні цього слова. І це добре, бо це означає, що з вашим смаком не все так погано і він не зіпсований одним з найбільш стереотипних та інфантильним панк-альбомом всіх часів. Не зрозумійте мене невірно, я визнаю його вплив і розумію чому він важливий. Про це було сказано та написано так багато, що я не буду витрачати ваш час на перечитування очевидних речей, які всі вже чули мільйон разів. Однак, співати хвалебні оди, приписуючи цій роботі абсолютно невластиві для неї якості, я не хочу. Перш за все, музично він не був чимось революційним, ті самі Clash в той самий час також робили панк, як протест «інтелектуальній, богемній» музиці, що забула про реальні проблеми сьогодення та ніяк не резонувала із тогочасною молоддю, якій було зовсім не солодко. Вони спрощували форму, малий сирий продакшн, а вокальні партії були емоційні та артистичні. Проте коли я кажу про "спрощену" форму - я не маю на увазі "примітивність". Їх композиції все ще мали в собі складні, за мірками класичного розуміння панку, мелодії, та виразні цікаві ритмічні малюнки. В якості ще одного зразка можна згадати Raw Power (1973) від Iggy and The Stooges, що з легкістю можна назвати панк альбомом, який вже мав в собі всі елементи, які ми можемо почути на Never Mind the Bollocks... А якщо подивитися на США - то Ramones в 77-му випустили свій 3-й та найкращий альбом - Rocket To russia (яка ж прекрасна назва). Але саме примітивний, до банальний та кітчевий Never Mind the Bollocks... асоціюють з панком в першу чергу. І секрет дуже простий - дуже контроверсійна (на той час) і пряма лірика, яка не потребувала багато зусиль для інтерпретації, сильно резонувала з тогочасними NPC, які просто ненавиділи Sex Pistols. Гостроти цьому додавав експресивний вокал (найкраще та найцікавіше що є на цьому альбомі) та вигляд Джоні Роттена. Ну ось в принципі й все...це справді все, що зробило цей альбом "легендарним". "Антикапіталістичний протест" настільки гарно продавався, що за іронією долі, гурт фактично сам став втіленням та частиною тої машини проти якої так гучно протестував. Разом з розвалом Sex Pistols, вмер і панк як такий. Звісно, ідеї протесту, контроверсійності та провокативності живі й понині, проте в тому еквілібристичному вигляді, яким його представили та популяризували Sex Pistols, він живий хіба що як мем. Саме тому, цей альбом не проходить перевірку часом та має цінність виключно як музейний експонат - його неймовірно нудно слухати, хоча якщо звертати увагу на тексти - то принаймні стає смішно. На мою думку, сприймати позитивно цей альбом зараз, можуть хіба що люди у яких дуже обмежений музичний смак стосовно рок-музики, і які нічого не розуміють у майбутніх ітераціях панку - для них це вже «не тру».

I didn't hate this, but I've never liked them and this didn't massively change my view. Samey and vapid. Not my kind of punk.

Never been a Sex Pistols fan. Punk in general, just not my deal

Maybe you just had to be there but Sex Pistols just feel like fake punk rock. Some of their contemporaries are better to listen to because there’s more to say. But Sex Pistols are just flat. Not to mention John Lydon went on to suck big time.

Don’t like it much

Not the best

Clearly important. Don’t love the speak-singing.

I really hate this band, and hate that they became the poster boys for punk. There is so much better out there.

God Save the Queen was okay, the rest ran together, and I found a lot of it very repetitive sounding. Maybe groundbreaking or edgy when it came out? But without that history/nostalgia factor it didn’t do much for me.

ist halt nicht so meins, mir zu viel ... und zu viel ...

They were important for inspiring the UK punk scene. But the album is not great. Not trash but kind of boring. Some good moments but there’s a reason I’ve only played it all the way through a handful of times in 2 decades.

I want to like this record. I tried. It's so "important" to the history of punk. But i really do hate most of it... and it's all because of Rotten. I actually think the instrumentals are good. There's some cool bits with the guitar distortion and bass parts. I bet if you put Joe Strummer on these songs (even with the same lyrics), i think the record would be wildly better. Johnny Rotten really drags the whole experience down. He fucking sucks most of the time. His delivery is just so monotonous and bland. The verses especially... i feel like you could swap out his verse vocal from one song to another and i wouldn't even notice. The two tracks that really stand out are the 2 "hits"... Anarchy and God save the queen... on those 2 the verses are actually catchy and solid and unique... some effort was put into them. So i get the hype on those tracks... they're good. The only other track that stuck out to me was EMI... the chorus and the outro save it.. and those goofy, direct lyrics. I feel like Rotten is to blame for countless monotonous lazy punk singers which really sucks. The pistols are by far the worst of the big 3 of early punk. The Clash and the Ramones are just wayyyy better. The Sex Pistols should be cut and replaced with someone else like... The Buzzcocks, The Fall or Death Kind of made me think of a tech product. The first iteration of something has a huge influence but eventually gets annihilated by everyone who came after. Like Blackberry inventing the smart phone and then getting trounced later on by the iPhone. You don't want to be first. You want to be best... and the Sex Pistols are definitely not best... so they got annihilated and i'm not sad about it.

Not a huge punk fan but at first thought this wasn’t as bad as I expected. But then I thought of the SNL skit with Fred Armison and Thatcher and couldn’t listen to the album with any critical detachment after that.

Not a big fan of punk rock I've decided. I know for sure it has a lot of fans but I don't count myself among them. Won't be listening to more

I always thought I didn’t like punk, but then Green Day and the Clash made me think I was wrong about that. This album reminds me I was right. It was awful. (Tim: “The musicianship was better than I expected. It was raw but not sloppy.” 2.5 stars)

Yeah, it changed the world. But it's not very good, and listening to it is tiring.

Album was pre alright Wasn’t so same same the whole way through as I thought Deadset didn’t like the sex pistols before but been gettin into hardcore n punk n shit lately so kinda a new perspective of it. Got to appreciate the classic punk more and enjoyed it even tho the singing was kinda hard to sit thru

Do not love the sex pistols

Meeh...

There's a lot of punk music I like. I'm more into variations of punk, especially those that are more poppy like emo, pop punk, and the like. So, I suppose some of my favorite music owes a lot to this Sex Pistols album. But, I can't say I really enjoyed this. The iconic "half singing" of Johnny Rotten is probably one of my least favorite punk trends, and though I love the ripping power chords, this album left a lot to be desired in the guitar department. Still, there were some songs that I did vibe with like "Problems" and "Submission" Overall, it's easy to see how this was a total game changer, but I much prefer the evolution that followed to the originators.

Too much headbanging hard rock for me

Если слушать без контекста что это - дерьмо, с контекстом - лол)

Too punk for me

I think that need to listen to more classic punk to fairly rate this, but for now this just sounds too dated to me. 2.5/5

Very British punk

Not my style

I didn't make it all the way through. But, hey, without this we'd never heard of the Clash, or any of the other punk bands I love. So thanks, Malcolm, for putting all this together.

Didn’t care for it

Nothing for me here. Maybe if I was 13 and sexually frustrated. I always thought I had to give this album points for being like a really early pioneering punk album but I just found out that it came out the same year as pink flag by wire, which is crazy because pink flag sounds 10+ years ahead of this album. So idk maybe I would be fine if this album never got created. I’ll give it a 2 because there are some honestly great riffs.

Eh….

3.5/10 Yes, I know this is one of the absolute cornerstones of rock music, but that first half was rough. Was sure this would be one star. The second half was much better, couple of songs I actually liked. Yes, it had a lot of angry energy. But the music was all much more generic than I expected, the lyrics were often trite, and it is difficult to separate the art from the artist when John Lydon’s character comes through so strongly in his voice. And he is a wrongun. Best: Anarchy in the UK

Paint by numbers manufactured punk

I’m sure some find it great. Just not great for me.

I like most genres of music, but punk and post-punk are just not my thing. Most of the tracks sound the same, using the same guitar passages and vocal delivery as in Anarchy in the UK (which is one of the o.k. songs). Pretty vacant wasn't bad either, but still an unimpressive album overall that would probably be more interesting live. 2/5.

outwardly fun and catchy enough that i wont pretend to hate it but come on man lmao. very few """counter"""cultural institutions lamer than the sex pistols. johnny rotten is a time traveller who went back a few decades to provide inexplicable historical precedent for the great soothsayer paul joseph watson's eventual proclamation that conservatism is the new punk rock. ive seen some ppl describe their shift in perception as a rugpull but idk man i caught some of the lyrics on here, seems to be like they were at least partially transparent this whole time! and even when its not, theres endless privileged myopia that prevent any statements on the material world worth their salt being made, even if theyre dressed up provocatively. definitely easy enough to enjoy (theres an undeniable musical precision here that is appealing even [especially?] in the rough/sloppy context of 70s punk) but nearly impossible to enjoy enthusiastically

no

That shit was wild, hard to listen to as a daily but I bet that shit went hard back then.

Old punk sucks. For some reason it's just never resonated with me.

While there were a few hits, everything blended into punk rock sameness.

maybe it’s because i listened to this album on my way to work and it was in the morning but my god i did not care about this album i understand it’s influence but it has been done a million times better

Ei ollenkaan omaan makuun.

2, ми не ме кефят мн. Може да бях завишил очакванията прекалено

Not awful for British rock but I’m not going to listen again. 2.5

I just know some 60 year old plays this on a Saturday thinking he's the shit.

Look, I love punk - but even for punk these guys have no talent lmao. It wasn't intolerable, and I do enjoy songs like Anarchy in the UK. This was going to be a 3/5, but the song Bodies was so utterly disgusting I have to drop it down a notch. Not only was that song shit, the lyrics were just overly edgy and don't really convey any point apart from 'abortion bad hurrr'. Losers.

I'm nearly impressed by Johnny Rotten's ability to somehow become more obnoxiously incomprehensible as the song goes on (though maybe the album was just rotting my brain from the inside, I think something did leak out between my earbuds at one point), it makes me want to apologise for any comments I have made in regards to Eddie Vedder's style of singing I actually mean it when it comes to this album. Also a completely bitch made move to hide the track where you say 'faggot' all the way at the back of the album, they don't have the balls to front load it like Dire Straits. Some tough guy punks you all turned out to be

Chill lofi riffs to murder your girlfriend/OD on heroin to

Pretty boring sound that is really hard to understand the lyrics. 2.5/5