Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols

Punk rock took a decidedly outrageous and political tone when it hit the U.K.; Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren lived by the credo "Cash from Chaos." Although he chose the group members for maximum visual impact, they turned out to have instrumental and songwriting chops wise beyond their years. Drummer Paul Cook and guitarist Steve Jones created a wall of sound (with Jones handling nearly all of Sid Vicious' bass parts on record), made only more impressive by producer Chris Thomas. It's over this uncompromising sound that Johnny Rotten breaks through with some of the most thrilling vocals ever committed to tape. His anger, his rage, his sarcasm, and his wit come blasting forth on pure rock 'n' roll classics such as "God Save the Queen," "Anarchy in the U.K.," "Pretty Vacant," and "EMI," a railing assault on the Pistols' former record label. There are those who consider the earlier versions on Spunk to be even better. But even if that's possibly so, Never Mind the Bollocks is among the most important and enduring albums of all time.