10 Hard Rock Bands Never Better Than Their First Album

The Sex Pistols' arrival on the music scene was a groundbreaking moment for the harder side of rock. Instead of just being a fashion statement among city kids, the band helped lay the groundwork for what would become punk rock, led by the raw anger of Johnny Rotten. Though their time in the spotlight was fleeting, it didn't leave us short of incredible moments.

In this band's case, it's pretty easy to say that their first is their best considering what little they have afterward. Coming out a few months before bands like The Clash and The Damned, Nevermind The !*$% is the band's true magnum opus, where they spend the better part of an hour assaulting your senses with their wall of noise. The way in which Rotten's snide attitude clashes with Steve Jones' fuzzy guitar tone is something that many pop-punk kids are still trying to figure out.

This may have been a great record, but the band's days were numbered shortly after it was released. Hiring new bassist Sid Vicious, the Pistols' tour of the US was cut short due to drug problems, after which the band quickly dissolved once they got back to England. We may still have remnants like the soundtrack to The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, but the golden period of the Pistols' recording career more or less comes down to this one solitary release.