The true original John Lydon thought was wildly underrated: “Bowie copied a lot out of that geezer”
Although the Sex Pistols and many of their fellow punk revolutionaries would like to deny some of their influences in popular music, the evolutionary trail is easy to see. Although Ramones named themselves after Paul McCartney’s chosen alias, John Lydon denounced The Beatles as a significant influence on the Sex Pistols, which allegedly became a factor in Beatlemaniac Glen Matlock’s dismissal from the band.
Whether or not the rumours about Matlock’s dismissal are true, the Sex Pistols often refrained from endorsement since gushing was uncool and certainly didn’t align with the anarchistic visage. Despite these tendencies, Lydon and his bandmates tentatively appreciated David Bowie as an eternally fashionable idol and an undeniable influence on the punk wave.
When picking out his 25 favourite songs to date in a 1977 radio interview with Tommy Vance, Lydon gave a nod to Bowie’s 1973 LP Diamond Dogs, selecting its energetic lead single, ‘Rebel Rebel’ as a favourite. However, ever the aloof cynic, Lydon was careful not to pile too much praise on the Starman.
During the interview, Lydon said he couldn’t pinpoint any one moment in his childhood that turned him onto music. Still, he remembered enjoying the pop music TV show Ready Steady Go! when he was “really small”. During the 1960s, Lydon had a little Beatles wig and “felt part of it” but became increasingly alienated by pop music.
The Sex Pistols frontman mentioned his mixed feelings about Bowie. “In recent years, over the ’70s, I haven’t felt part of anything in particular,” he admitted. “Like, Bowie was good for a while, but you couldn’t really get into it because you didn’t really believe he believed in what he was doing. I dunno what he was up to.”
At the time, Bowie had recently released Station to Station and Low, two of his most critically acclaimed releases of all. Lydon clearly hadn’t taken much to these releases or felt Bowie’s capricious creativity conveyed a lack of direction and conviction. When picking out ‘Rebel Rebel’ to play, Lydon appraised Bowie once more, targeting his androgynous stage personas. “He was like a real bad drag queen, and some drag queens are very good, but he wasn’t. Bad stuff,” he asserted. “‘Rebel Rebel’ was a good single; it’s about the New York Dolls, I think.”
Later in the interview, Lydon picked out ‘The Institute of Mental Health, Burning’ and ‘Nobody’s Business’ by Peter Hammill. In another mild swipe at Bowie’s creative stature, Lydon deemed Hammill as the more original of the two. “Peter Hammill is great. A true original. I’ve just liked him for years,” he said. “If you listen to him, his solo albums, I’m damn sure Bowie copied a lot out of that geezer. The credit he deserves just has not been given to him. I love all his stuff.”
Over the decades, Lydon’s outlook on Bowie’s position as a rock innovator has shifted somewhat. Speaking to Far Out in 2023, Lydon denounced the American influence on the British punk wave. “An awful lot of American journalism is saying that New York punk is where it all comes from,” he bemoaned. “Oh, go fuck yourselves; it is talking shit. I was brought up in Britain!”
Continuing, the Public Image Ltd. singer praised Bowie and some of his contemporary glam stars as irrevocable influences. “Mud, Sweet, T. Rex, Mott the Hoople, Dave Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Alex Harvey Band, Status Quo, Traffic, a vast extending universe of music,” he listed. “That’s what influenced me.” Lydon then admitted that Hunky Dory was one of his favourite albums of all time, even if Earthling was a crushing letdown.
