The Sex Pistols may have only been together for two years in the late '70s, but they changed the face of popular music. In England, the group was considered dangerous to the very fabric of society and was banned across the country; in America, they didn't have the same impact, but countless bands in both countries were inspired by the sheer sonic force of their music, while countless others were inspired by their independent, Do-It-Yourself ethics. Even if they didn't release any singles by themselves, there was an implicit independence in the way they played their music and handled their career. The band gave birth to the massive independent music underground in England and America that would soon include bands that didn't have a direct musical connection to the Sex Pistols' initial three-minute blasts of rage, but couldn't have existed without those singles. Vocalist John Lydon, who would later perform under the name Johnny Rotten, met the rest of the group at the shop and was asked to join the band.

The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they are regarded as one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians. Their fashion and hairstyles have been credited as a significant influence on punk image , and they are often associated with anarchism within music. Matlock was replaced by Sid Vicious in early

The album has influenced many bands and musicians, and the industry in general. In particular, the album's raw energy, and Johnny Rotten 's sneering delivery and "half-singing", are often considered game-changing. It is frequently listed as the most influential punk album, and one of the most important albums of all time.

I eventually realized that the music will overcome, regardless of the alleged rules and regulations that were always being thrown at us. Ultimately, the Sex Pistols created the defining clarion call for punk mayhem. And around the time Never Mind the Bollocks came out on October 28th, , the band caused chaos as much as it inspired anarchy. Its singles were blacked out on the British charts, a record store manager was arrested and charged with obscenity for displaying the album cover, and the band — banned all over England — had to tour undercover as S.