This Punk Rock Scandal Took A Violent Turn 49 Years Ago Today
The Sex Pistols are one of the greatest punk rock bands in history, but before fame came infamy. Forty-nine years ago, after the release of a controversial song, Johnny Rotten was attacked and stabbed outside a pub.
It all started in May 1977 with a song called "God Save the Queen." The Pistols never shied away from saying what they believed with their full chest, and "God Save the Queen" is a perfect example. The song had lyrics like "she ain't no human being" and "fascist regime" that ignited tensions among the general public. John Lydon, better known as Johnny Rotten, explained on his website that "You write a song like that because you love [the English], and you're fed up with them being mistreated."
The song was the first release on their new label after they were fired from previous companies for inappropriate behavior, namely Sid Vicious slashing someone with a broken beer mug. Although it was originally intended to drop earlier in the year, it was released one week before the Queen of England's Silver Jubilee celebration. Better yet, the Pistols promoted the record by performing the song on a pleasure boat called the Queen Elizabeth as it sailed past the Houses of Parliament. Manager Malcolm McLaren was arrested for the stunt.
On June 13, the band's art director wound up on front-page news after being beaten up. Then, on June 18, nearly 50 years ago today, a group surrounded and attacked Lydon and producers Chris Thomas and Bill Price. The attackers used razor blades, slashing the victims. Lydon was stabbed in the hand, and they tried to slash his leg, but his pants were too thick. Thomas explained, "I realized then that John was Public Enemy Number 1."
The stabbing was only the first attack on the band members. The next day, six men attacked drummer Paul Cook with a lead pipe. On June 22, Lydon was attacked unprovoked outside of a music venue.
The violence from the public toward the band created tension between the Sex Pistols and their manager, McLaren.
A less violent consequence of their controversial song was that "God Save the Queen" was banned from the radio. Instead of backing off, the Sex Pistols doubled down. Later in 1977, the Pistols released the groundbreaking and scandalous album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols.
That album sparked controversy across Britain, yet it also soared to number one on the UK Album Charts. People were offended by their use of the word "bollocks," as well as some of the other songs included, such as "Bodies" and, of course, "God Save the Queen." A young man named Chris Seale was arrested for advertising the album in a record store. That arrest, along with numerous other objections, led to Seale and the Sex Pistols being in court. Journalist Caroline Coon said, "It wasn't ‘bollocks' on trial, it was the Sex Pistols. They'd become too influential. The powers that be wanted to crush them." Yet Seale was ultimately found not guilty and Never Mind the Bollocks remained on sale.
The Sex Pistols' career at this time was brief, lasting only three years because of the controversy, drugs, violence, and fracturing relationships with each other and their manager. Even in those few short years, their impact continues today. "God Save the Queen" is included in the Rolling Stones' Top 500 Songs of All Time.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 5:00 AM.