John Lydon’s favourite songs of 1977
In 1977, the world was rife with punks. The Ramones and their energised sound had found its way across the Atlantic, and The Clash, The Damned and Johnny Rotten’s Sex Pistols had taken the genre by the scruff of the neck and ran with it. Things were about to get shredded. We were far removed from the strange situation of Johnny Rotten supporting the right wing, doing adverts for butter, or ultimately sullying his image as a creative freedom fighter—but I digress.
Perhaps the strangest point to reflect on when it comes to the year is how wildly disparate the ends of the cultural spectrum were. For every album produced by one of London’s punk bands, there was a string of disco, reggae and mainstream pop hits that still resonate today. As disco balls glittered in the spotlight and spun over the top of the most glamorous venues, so did spittle glisten in the moonlight. Mucky pubs were filled with even muckier audiences and battered with three chords of dissonance. 1977 was the year of punk, but it wasn’t the only thing happening in music.
During the summer of ’77, the Sex Pistols’ growing infamy gathered pace with every new release and every subsequent banning from the radio. The band and their members had seemingly traversed into becoming the ultimate cultural enemy of the established forms of media. Capital Radio broke ranks. It offered Johnny Rotten (AKA John Lydon) an entire radio show to speak his mind to the fullest, with no holds barred. Here, in this recording, the snarling singer takes to the airwaves to offer a selection of his favourite records of the moment as well as some naturally razor-sharp commentary.
DJ Tommy Vance would vacate his slot on Capital Radio, an independent radio station, for the cutting words of Lydon to be transmitted across the airwaves with abandon. A remarkable thing considering just a few months earlier, Sex Pistols’ iconic punk anthem ‘God Save The Queen’ was not only banned by the BBC but kept off the official number one spot in the charts despite receiving the most sales. A proper rock and roll swindle, many contested.
Bosses and executives must’ve been really worried about the Nevermind The Bollocks singer verbally destroying the radio show as they did the ‘Today Show’ with Billy Grundy. Lydon and his bandmates bring Grundy’s career to a halt following their foul-mouthed rant. But they needn’t have worried. Lydon was not only incisive and intelligent but also musically clued up as anyone else on the radio, punk or otherwise. With the selections of his favourite songs of that year, he showcased the widespread musicality of the era, and while not all the tracks are from 1977, they highlight the depth of the casual listener.
Discussing his own record collection, from which the show’s music was allegedly compiled, Lydon reveals a deep-seated love of reggae and dub music, selecting acts like Peter Tosh, Makka Bees, and Dr Alimantado. A musical penchant that much of London was experiencing (see The Clash’s iconic London Calling for extra reading) would go on to influence Lydon in his later work with post-punk legends Public Image Ltd.
When on the stage, Lydon is a prowling and teeth-bearing beast, staring down the crowd; he moves with both intent and spontaneity to create a truly unforgettable experience. A far cry from the man being interviewed about his favourite music. Though he does have a few barbed words for mega-stars like The Rolling Stones and David Bowie, the latter he calls “a bad drag queen”, but, on the whole, he has an appreciation for the music they create and a begrudging acceptance of their influence over his generation and arguably himself too.
Of course, he manages to keep up the angsty image over the minutes, casting his verbal spines out at ’60s music and saying most of his contemporaries in the punk scene were “stagnant”. However, the overarching theme is of Lydon showing his intelligence and the arguments he put forward, no matter how he violently spat out across the airwaves. Lydon might be an agitator at heart, but he has the intelligence to back it up.
Also appearing in Lydon’s 1977 record collection are a host of singer-songwriters including, Nico, John Cale, Lou Reed, Can, Kevin Coyne, the aforementioned “drag queen” Bowie and Tim Buckley—and an awkward selection of convicted sexual abuser Gary Glitter to boot, an artist who has since been routinely charged for paedophilia. To show off his increasing love of lyrics, something which would again be represented in the subsequent projects Lydon would pursue, he offers some candid views on Lou Reed and John Cale.
The whole interview is a wonderful listen for any Sex Pistol fan or anyone who wants to try and change their opinion on Johnny Rotten. The singer’s recent jump to support Donald Trump in the face of overwhelming damning evidence has left us with a sour taste in our mouths, but, in honesty, you cannot disagree with his musical knowledge.
The playlist arrives as a glimpse into the burning mind behind one of the most iconic bands in rock and roll history. Welcome to Johnny Rotten Radio.
John Lydon’s favourite songs from 1977:
- Tim Buckley – ‘Sweet Surrender’
- The Creation – ‘Life Is Just Beginning’
- David Bowie – ‘Rebel Rebel’
- Unknown Irish Folk Music / Jig
- Augustus Pablo – ‘King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown’
- Gary Glitter – ‘Doing Alright With The Boys’
- Fred Locks – ‘Walls’
- Vivian Jackson and the Prophets – ‘Fire in a Kingston’
- Culture – ‘I’m Not Ashamed’
- Dr Alimantado & The Rebels – ‘Born For A Purpose’
- Bobby Byrd – ‘Back From The Dead’
- Neil Young – ‘Revolution Blues’
- Lou Reed – ‘Men Of Good Fortune’
- Kevin Coyne – ‘Eastbourne Ladies’
- Peter Hammill – ‘The Institute Of Mental Health, Burning’
- Peter Hammill – ‘Nobody’s Business’
- Makka Bees – ‘Nation Fiddler / Fire!’
- Captain Beefheart – ‘The Blimp’
- Nico – ‘Janitor Of Lunacy’
- Ken Boothe – ‘Is It Because I’m Black’
- John Cale – ‘Legs Larry At Television Centre’
- Third Ear Band – ‘Fleance’
- Can – ‘Halleluhwah’
- Peter Tosh – ‘Legalise It’
