Sex Pistols' 'God Save the Queen' Ranked Among 'Best Punk Songs of All Time'

On May 27, 1977, British punk group The Sex Pistols released one of their most iconic hits, "God Save the Queen". The track was an immediate success for the breakout rock band, but British radio broadcasters were much less impressed.

"God Save the Queen" was the Sex Pistols' second official single, although the band had already become incredibly popular in the U.K. through their live performances and strong media presence. Many record labels were unwilling to release their music due to personal and professional controversies, which is exactly why they only ever released one studio album.

Ultimately, Virgin Records relented and agreed to release "God Save the Queen", and it became an immediate hit among punk fans. It shot to No. 1 on the NME Charts and No. 2 on the official U.K. Singles chart, solidifying the Sex Pistols as an emerging voice of their generation.

The success of "God Save the Queen" is made even more impressive by the fact that it was officially banned by the BBC and blacklisted from several record stores in the country, on the grounds of its anti-establishment lyrics and appeals for the abolition of the monarchy.

In the first lines of the song, the Sex Pistols call the monarchy a "fascist regime" and claim that the queen "ain't no human being", which caused immense controversy upon release. To make matters worse, the band made the provocative decision to release the single during Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee celebrations in May 1977.

Despite this controversy, "God Save the Queen" would go on to become one of the Sex Pistols' most iconic tracks, and has since been named in several rankings of the greatest punk songs ever written. Consequence ranked it No. 23 on their list, writing: "...the anti-establishment anthem of punk [...] when you try to keep a punk down, you only give them more power."

"God Save the Queen" was later included on the Sex Pistols' only studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, where it found another resurgence of popularity just months later. With its provocative lyrics and fierce, driving guitar sounds, the song inspired a whole new generation of punk artists who would develop the genre throughout the coming decades.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 2:55 AM.