Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

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.

The vocals suck and that's great for the album. It sounds completely raw, like its so simple, but everything comes together so well musically. The lyrics are fun too, if you can get past how cringe they can be with how their whole identity is angry and people suck and shock value. Highlight was Holiday in the Sun, but got real tired of the repetitiveness of each song quick. I get this is a big influential album, but not my thing

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

I know it’s classic punk but wow it’s a lot of screaming.

Never been a huge fan.

It's an iconic album of course, but i wouldn't listen to it again voluntarily. 2 or 4

I know that Sex Pistols were huge 50 years ago but I've never been a huge fan of that kind of music that sounds slightly generic and the songs sound very similar. It was alright having this album playing in the background, and it was a fairly short one, but I wouldn't listen to it on purpose.

not my favorite. Loud, noise, scary. Mom can you come pick me up? Kids are drinking alcohol.

Its aight, I'm not a big punk guy and I hate the british

trop de bruit, ça me gave

Love punk, and I know this might be sacrilegious but this was kinda repetitive and not great

My first time listening to a Sex Pistols album, I've really only heard the hits. There were a few highlights on this one for me, but I'm not sure I would set out to listen again.

Again, 70's punk is my Marvel Universe. I eat up the lore around these bands. To be honest, Sex Pistols were not my favorite musically (New York Dolls and Richard Hell were wearing safety pins first and more interesting musically). But without Sex Pistols, we wouldn't have the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, the Fall, the Smiths etc. etc.

Not my kind of thing. A bit shouty and harsh

I have a special place in my heart for this CD, but it is simply not very good. Sex Pistols are like a 10/10 for enthusiasm and a 1/10 for ability. Rotten just straight-up can't sing, and even the fairly simple instrumental parts on this CD tend to strain the limits of what the other members can accomplish. I had forgotten this since my last listen, but there's actually a guitar solo on "God Save the Queen" at about the 2-minute mark - or you can kinda tell it's supposed to be a guitar solo if you listen closely, but I just imagine whichever poor Pistol was assigned guitar as his instrument shaking and sweating buckets at the stress of having to pull it off. Most of the songs are, let's just be honest, they're terrible. If you're not naturally inclined to think the stuff they're singing about is cool just in and of itself (a criteria which would disqualify "God Save The Queen" and "Anarchy in the U.K."), likely the only enjoyable song is the opener, which really is a pretty good song (and really doesn't try to do too much, it leans on that one good riff like it's life depends on it). But that leaves another 35 minutes of essentially filler, and filler it is - most of the deep cuts are borderline-unlistenable. This gets the 2nd star for something like "lifetime achievement".

I'm exhausted and slightly offended.

Just don’t like this genre, understand this was apparently a pivotal album but was relieved when it ended.

Never Mind The Sex Pistols, Here's The Bollocks

too rock, annoying

It's honestly surprising to think any of this was considered controversial upon release. Even back then, the content is pretty standard anti-authoritarian fare and considering Rotten's irl views now, this all rings as hollow.

I like some of it, but there's just better punk albums to listen to I think. Whole album is very much the same. Also I don't know if I buy the punk act after reading about them some more, seems like commercial punk a bit

Without the Sex Pistols we never would have rhymed anarchist with antichrist. Sod off.

Best Song: Anarchy in the UK Worst Song: Liar

Not a particularly pleasant listen but I can see myself having been into it as an angsty teen

I found the songs pretty juvenile and most songs sounded exactly the same

They have an audience, but I’m not in it. Sorry, fellas. Keep being punky.

The Sex Pistols are just a manufactured commercial punk group. Not real punk in any way. Mediocre at best.

I’ve mentioned I don’t like punk. I can certainly hear that this must have been influential but I hope I don’t have to listen to it again.

Aggressive, dissonant, early pop punk with a raunchy edge and the same drum fills throughout the album.

It's hard to never mind when the whole record is bollocks.

Not a good choice for me, especially first thing in the am. Their music could be fun in a club back in the day but now just headache inducing.

Can't really stand the vocals and sloppiness and buy into the hype around this album. Submission and Pretty Vacant weren't terrible and Anarchy was ok. I've heard Anarchy and God Save the Queen before. 2 star for sure for me.

Not a fan of Punk, whether it's British or American (or any other nationality, for that matter). I think having heard "Anarchy in the UK" and "God Save the Queen" a number of times in movies or TV shows has made me not mind them so much. The rest of it was a hard list. 2 stars.

Punky real world against the system type beat but British

Honestly this one grew on me, not that bad, the clash are better still but, its fine

punk rock

Given the production tricks at play here, I'm not terribly surprised that alcohol plays such a big role in the Sex Pistols story. Or, in other words: it's easy to be sniffy about cultural icons preceding one's reference point, not just after. Either way, this leaves me cold.

The riffs are dirty, but god saves the queen is cult so it deserves one more star than nothing

Not for me.

Some hits but all sounds the same to me.

First time actually giving this a spin, and probably the last time. Rough. None of the flow of the Ramones.

REA son REA SON finds no geil s erste. sehr schön hässig aber het au power. de johnny rotten isch jetz glaub en riese wichser aber sie hend huere gwüsst wiemer provoziert. god save the queen slappt ebe. mega smart zum de song so nenne und denn als zweite satz "and her fascist regime" haa. finds echt s fitzt no ane. d sex pistols sind afoch es produkt vomne guy? und hend de branson gross gmacht? heavy. proooblem prooblem. jo nöd de best song. es goht so hert nöd umd musig bise sex pistols, es isch afoch für 1978 sehr politisch sehr aggressiv und so. aber d story rund um d band isch viel cooler. de bassist het nöd mol chöne bass spiele. faszinierend. nöd e guets album aber chranki sieche. so schnell wieder usbrennt. so viel droge.

Not my jam.

God save the queen

very meh

Not for me.

Mid

A little too aggressive and repetitive for me - just not my thing.

This was a bit better than I expected it to be, but didn’t really care for it.

Thought I would hate this, but it’s just okay!

ughhh

I thought I liked punk

Another sigher. Shouty songs with silly lyrics and poorly played riffs. A fuck you to convention of the time. It’s so hard to be credible as Punk and these dudes were a disheveled boy band… Contrived dissent for profit? Every artist from 1985 when trying to be edgy pays homage to them so I guess that’s their legacy. Whoopee If Punk is just a fashion statement these guys are the OGs but if it’s a sound or a movement they are the veneer. Authenticity counts

I was a punk before you were.

# 285 : I get that this one of the most influential albums of all time, but it sounds f-ing terrible, More energy then talent. I see why it was there only album... If I have to Pick a fave : God Save The Queen

Yeah, I didn't like it very much. The instrumentals in some songs sound actually powerful and "rebellious?", especially the guitars but I couldn't stand the vocals one bit and there's practically no bass to be heard in 99% of the songs (it's fucking Sid Vicious, of course). Yeah it's influential blah blah blah, but it's definitely not something made for me.

Definitely not my genre, but god this album is energy. I wasn’t alive in that time, but get why this album was controversial and now so iconic. It’s punk

That’s angry 70s punk alright - rotten and viscous. Better now than it was back then, but still rotten and viscous, and still overrated. Album title, God Save The Queen, and Johnny’s sneer got this one on the list. This album got the Brits up in a twist when it dropped, not as much over here. (2.4*s)

It's hard for me to appreciate Sex Pistols as I don't know much about them. I always hear they were hugely influential and an iconic British punk act but I can't tell you anything about their music. This album is a decent British punk rock album on the surface level. I'm sure it so much more than that but that is about the only way I can take this one in. Decent album, nothing special, hard for me to tell the difference between any of the songs. 2.37 stars

Why is there so much punk? I'm tired, pops.

Very British..not my style but some good tracks

Sex Pistols fall into that category of “I understand their influence, and why they need to be talked about in regards to music history”, but I’m honestly not a huge fan. A lot of these songs just sound so familiar from one to the next. I think the lyrics are the best part, but John Lyndon’s voice just doesn’t cut it for me.

Ahh maybe we’ve just had too much Brit rock but I just wasn’t into this. It was good though and I know the Sex Pistols are supposed to be important but ya

Un buen álbum de pop, porque de "punk" los Sex Pistols no tenían nada. Le daría una mejor nota, pero el espíritu punk definitivamente nunca estuvo presente en la banda liderada por Lydon (quien se declara abiertamente fascista en la actualidad). Cada detalle del disco se siente fabricado y poco auténtico, y pensar que este LP fue la inspiración para múltiples generaciones de "punk", hace dar cuenta que el verdadero "punk" yace en la subversión de las expectativas artísticas de cualquier género, más que en una estética "caótica, colorida y de pelos en punta". Lo pondría como un indispensable del catálogo musical solamente por ser el primer "álbum poser" de la historia.

I can see where this was probably pretty influential, and I love the idea of punk. I want to love it conceptually, but I guess I just don't love the actual sound of it. Vocals are too grating and overall find it kind of repetitive.

The songs were too repetitive and negative, using phrases like 'the problem is you,' 'liar,' 'there is no future',etc. The singer sounded more like he was talking than signing. The guitar overpowered the vocals on some songs. Not for me.

I listened to this album extensively as a teenager, as an adult it doesn't hold up as a great album.

Poor sound quality (assuming a sign of the times) made this album difficult to listen to. Sound is tinny which caused me to consistently reach for the volume dial and turn it down.

Maybe 10-15 years ago I would have felt differently about this album; as I initially bought the CD around that time. But I think this doesn't deserve more than two stars as I listen to it again in my 30s. Maybe it's because my tastes have changed throughout the years.

Shouting out the obvious won't make it any less commonplace. I imagine, however, that it was less so in its time and context. What's more, Sid Vicious used to beat up his girlfriend, making him a fairly well-integrated member of British society. "Die, little bab-oy" He was a kid and he won't get to be anything else at least What do you mean he's not the only one on the band? Now I can admit: I truly adore the track "No Feelings" 2 because I like 2 of those tracks but it's a secret

I know this is sacrilegious, but this album is not that great. Bunch of angry kids trying to get attention by saying extreme things and making themselves sound very stupid. Mostly image focused and little attention to substance.

I feel like I've grown out of this type of punk.

I'm a bit conflicted here. On one side, it's a monumental piece of music history and the energy is just crazy. On the other, I don't really enjoy listening to it anymore. It was ok when I was doing some cleaning around the house but having it on made feel like an old fart these guys would hate. I also found their English accent and pronunciation rather funny than rebellious. 2.5/5 marked as 2 because I can't see myself going back to it voluntarily.

It‘s punk… no more and no less

I mean iconic but meh. Pretty vacant still slaps.

I've felt that the Sex Pistols have been long overhyped as a punk group. Their very formation resulted from manager Malcolm McLaren getting involved, which comes off as against the DIY understanding of punk music. I understand that for many people starting to get into punk music, the Sex Pistols may come off as a gateway band, not unlike the Ramones or the Clash. That notion has some merit, given how tuneful the band's song construction can be. Steve Jones came up with some catchy guitar riffs, while Glen Matlock, Sid Vicious, and Paul Cook were competent in the rhythm section. There is a backbone to this album. But that brings us to Johnny Rotten. McLaren picked Johnny as the vocalist for the group simply because he looked like trash, which was the image he had in mind for the group. Well, he didn't just look the part; he is trash. Johnny is such an irritable vocalist. There have been far better vocalists out there who can better snarl and have actual conviction than Johnny ever could. As for the lyrics, most songs tend to be pretty generic and try to be shocking or provoking for the time, and yes that includes the likes of the singles "Holidays in the Sun", "Anarchy in the U.K.", "God Save the Queen" and "Pretty Vacant." The one exception to this is track two "Bodies", which is an anti-abortion song that is absolutely disgusting. Hearing lines like "Dragged on a table in a factory" and "Throbbing squirm/Gurgling bloody mess" in the song's context makes my stomach churn, and I've listened to grindcore. I get why this album was included on the list. I also get why it can be considered influential. But holy shit, it's not good. Check out the singles if you are curious, but that's the best I can offer.

Nice recording quality and decent performances, musically speaking, but sounded kinda like one long song, without much inflection or complexity or interest. Two stars.

Disappointing

shaking my head disapprovingly while i listen to this so that everyone looking at my scrobbles knows that my hand has been forced

This is yet another case of: Was it influential? Yes. Game changing? Probably, at the time. Good? Not really.

The 1970s British monarchy was never a time or place for me. The anger is very apparent and I think appealed to the youth of the time and I bet the parents were terrified of it. Musically for me it pretty bad. I don’t like the “singing” style and every sone sounds pretty much the same. Very weak guitar and mostly just annoying. I get the influence it had on the youth and punk music but something I can not relate to at all.

Angsty British teens kinda goes down with a thud for me. Anarchy tends to put less advantaged people at risk, so this just reads as selfish these days.

A thick British accent combined with horrendous sound mixing leaves 80% of this album unintelligible

I love punk rock and I think it's a very punk thing to recognize that the Sex Pistols were overrated posers

no dudo q sean buenos, y el genero n general, pero como no es mi estilo, no le veo nada mas alla

2.5

Never really listened to them too much, but have enjoyed a few of the Punk era albums I've had. This doesn't hold up to them. Prefer PIL, Iggy, or The Fall.

I almost like Liar, God Save the Queen

kinda annoying, sex pistols aren't for me

This was a bit noisy for me. I don’t know what constitutes good noisy music but I don’t think this was it. It wasn’t painful to listen to but wasn’t my thing. 5/10

Ok I listened while driving so didn’t pay super close attention. But from what I heard it was Just more rock and roll. The Wikipedia mentions his “half-singing” explicitly. Did not bode well. Not a fan. 5/10

4/10 - Birmingham mentioned +1 Lots of screaming -2. Overall not my ideal type of music. It was not terrible but not too good in my opinion. I know why God Save the Queen and Anarchy In the UK are the most popular they were the best songs.

Oh goody goody how exciting another British band. The songs all sound the same, no favourites because nothing really stood out. Not the worst but not very good. Im in a hater mood right now so 2/5, sorry Mr. Pistols

Bro lowkey this album is doodoo because I was so excited to listen to it because I loveee punk rock except then it was just a mid british man fuck you johhny rotten 🖕🖕anyway like i suppose the album was overall okay it just did NOT meet expectations and after a while his voice starts becoming grating and it sounds like he's barely even singing the whole time. people will be like "music used to be so much better" and then this is what they listen to. brother where is the musicality or the singing or the lyricism or literally anything. i just can't stand this type of album where it literally has nothing going for it. i was originally gonna rate it a 3 but now im mad so fuck you 2/5. favourites were when it ended and i got to go listen to good british rock (nothing but thieves).

Look it wasn’t the worst album but I felt all of the lyrics and songs quite repetitive. On top of that I could barely understand what they were actually singing about as most of the lyrics are half yelled, drowned by the other instruments and slurred. Eh

I love a good old anarchist anthem. Very samesy despite the instruments being really good. 2.5 just for vibes, that’s just me though

Meh

A slightly higher-rated punk album than I'd normally give a punk album, but only because of familiarity with 2-3 tracks

Meh

I understand this was a pivotal moment in music history but I’m not a fan!

Een beetje duistere punk-rock. Ik vind het niet heel erg aangenaam. **

Meh

Every song sounds the same and that's not a good thing. Without sounding too pretentious, this is music for morons.

I've got into more punk just recently but I feel like this is just one of those punk bands that aren't my cuppa… and some of the lyrics (new york) ugh… not fresh

I'm trying to like it

I really do NOT understand some of these choices. There are so many better albums out there. Well to be honest there are only a few albums out there where all of the songs can be considered good.

vocal just hurts my ears and head every song sounds the same influental tho Significant 46/141 Liked 21/141 Added 6/141 YNN

This was an alright album, but it didn't really resonate with me. I found it difficult to differentiate between songs, as they all sounded very similar. At one point I finally realized I had listened to the album almost twice through on repeat. Not terrible, not great, just decent.

This album keeps up an unrelenting rebellious attitude for its entire duration. The lead vocalist's voice is well-suited to this punk rock style of music, but is grating to hear for 40 minutes straight. My main gripe with the album is the lack of variety -- no one track stood out enough from any of the others.

There was a moment in my life that I really liked the Sex Pistols. Their style and attitude were attractive to a jaded teen. Now I can’t get past their corny lyrics. The attitude still works, but far better punk bands have come along since this made waves. 2.5/5

Not as good as expected

Not my style

Very punky, but not overly harsh

Some decent syuff but too simple for me personally.

2.5. Idk, fake punk that’s super samey and shallow and now the lead singer is a conservative twat. How lame. Important at the time and I’m not gonna pretend there’s not a couple fun songs, but not really into it.

I think I'd rather have the bollocks. I've generally preferred the more underground britpunk albums. I recognised Anarchy In The U.K. and Pretty Vacant. Stand-out: Liar

I heard of this group but can't recall any of their songs. Guy is talking and/or yelling. It is not singing. Pre-rap?

Un do

I can see why this was important but I found it very unpleasant and grating to listen to

This suffered from following the day after the Buzzcocks, which seemed a higher tier of 70s punk.

I can see why the band broke up not long after.

meh. guitar is nice, but after about 3 songs with the sing/talk/shout pattern, I'm good

Meh. Too much yelling. Good thing they knew power chords or there would be no guitar. Metronome must have been stuck at 120 BPM

This album by the Sex Pistols was a pleasant surprise. I am not a big Punk Rock fan but I have heard of the Sex Pistols. However, I never really listened to them back in the day. Still not a favorite but better than expected.

Not my thing. I can't help but imagine these guys in their old age screaming "Get of my lawn" to the current day anarchists/protestors.

I didn't understand the attraction to the Sex Pistols back in the 80's. 2024, nothing has changed. I tried really hard to like the music, but couldn't wait for the album to end. +1 star for not making the album longer!

uhhh ok lang pero baka wala ako sa mood

A good album. Rotten's vocals are iconic and elevate the simple music. different than Ramones. Not as good.

Helt ok men lite monotont

It was ok. The album itself felt a bit too same-y

Definitely a landmark album but I just don't appreciate the head-banger noise like I did as a youth.

Punk is not my cup of tea at all but only because SP had a great influence and since this album emerged as a gate into a deeper sub genre of punk it deserves 2 stars

Started the punk revolution. But, once again, not my cup of tea. Get it? English band…. Cup of tea.😀

It’s cool. I get it. I wouldn’t listen again.

Je kan er veel van zeggen, maar dit is geen gejengel. Het is rauw, grof in de mond, maar gaat wel direct op het doel af. Om de titel vrij te vertalen, niet lullen maar poetsen. Zou ik het vaker luisteren? Nee, dat niet.

I was too young for punk and so everything I know is academic and in hindsight. If punk was designed to exploit anger and shake up the system it was very good at it. The music here is pretty basic but gets across what it needs to achieve. There are 4 hits. Holiday in the Sun, Anarchy in the UK , God Save the Queen and Pretty Vacant. Pop songs with punk lyrics and production. They are rubbish but singalong rubbish that will go down as genre defining. The remainder is interesting for Johnny Rotten’ cathartic lyrics. Which are beyond disturbed. Bodies is the most distrurbed and depressing of them. It’s a subject matter that should never have been approached and certainly not in the way Rotten did. Yes he was angry but he needed therapy not exploitation. Not a record for New Years Day. I know it’s important but I can only give it 2 stars.

Sometimes when I listen to music from this list it's been many years since I've heard the album and I get nuance I didn't get when I was younger. This sounds exactly like I remember. I guess I don't actively hate it...

1/1001 did not enjoy this.

Jeder Titel klingt wie der zuvor. Laut, immer der gleiche Takt, gleiche Gitarre und Gesang.

I'm not a big punk fan but thought this was pretty good. Aside from Anarchy, a little one-note honestly. Surprised how it seemed so squarely aimed at school kids. I've been enjoying punk a bit more as I get older, but Bollocks won't be the album that converts me.

Unfortunately I was never a fan of the sex pistols. This wasn't terrible but it did start to get on my nerves pretty quickly. I realized halfway through listening to this that despite this coming out nearly 50 years ago this is the first year that the lyrics of God Save The Queen has been outdated. A 2 for me.

Wild that this is the best they could do before like 3 of them died or whatever

overrated pap

Not the one

English Punk, not for me.

Favorite track God save the queen

I like: God Save The Queen

Of historical significance but the songs are medicore

Not very nice

It was fine, but not my taste

None of these really stuck out to me. It’s a little too angry for me I guess.