If any one style of music can be said to provoke rebellion against the establishment and led to frequent moments of controversy in the public eye, then punk rock is the one. The most influential band to push this simple yet abrasive style forwards were The Sex Pistols. Despite the fact The Sex Pistols were only active for less than 3 years and their lead singer Sid Vicious, who joined the band in 1977, died at the tender age of 21, their legacy to punk can still be felt in music released today - their seminal ode to smashing conformity, God Save The Queen, has even influenced the work of poets such as Heathcote Williams, who used the song as a point of reference for his scathing analysis of the royal family, Royal Babylon. Rock bands in the late 70s had become stuck in something of a rut, and the arrival of The Sex Pistols ushered in a new era of bands such as the Buzzcocks, Dead Kennedys and The Stranglers, all of whom owe a debt of gratitude to Johnny Rotten and company.
