THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

27-Sex Pistols-Pretty Vacant.

1977-Number 6 single.

Best Bit-At 0.26. Arguably the best ‘Boy Band’ in the world ever, and as an added bonus, they were pretty….vacant.

The Sex Pistols (see also best songs 576 and 92) were formed in London, England, in 1975 by Johnny Rotten, (John Lydon) (vocals) (see also best songs 967 and 323) Steve Jones, (guitar) Paul Cook, (drums) and Glen Matlock, (bass) Matlock was replaced by Sid Vicious, (John Simon Ritchie) (1957-1979) (bass) in February 1977. The Sex Pistols remained active until 1978, but have since reformed to tour without Matlock in 1996, and then again between 2002-2003, and 2007-2008. The Sex Pistols got their name from their manager Malcolm McLaren (1946-2010) (see also best songs 751) who was trying to promote his clothing store ‘Sex.’ McLaren has said that he chose the name to invoke ‘Sexy young assassins,’ and has said that the word ‘Pistol’ was a double entendre.

‘Pretty Vacant’ was the third of four singles released from the Sex Pistols only studio Album ‘Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols,’ from October 1977. The Album was originally going to be called ‘God Save Sex Pistols,’ but the title was changed based on a phrase suggested by Steve Jones. Jones has said that he picked up the phrase ‘Never mind the bollocks’ from two fans who would always say it to one another. Johnny Rotten has explained its meaning as a working-class expression to ‘stop talking rubbish.’ The Album has been described as a ‘game changer,’ with the Sex Pistols considered to be amongst the most influential groups in the development of Popular Music since the mid 1970’s. Artists who have stated a debt to the band include Morrissey, Nirvana, and Guns N’ Roses, with Noel Gallagher (see also best songs 1006-758 and 15) in 2013 saying about ‘Pretty Vacant,”One of the first things you learn when you pick up the electric guitar is that riff.’ He then further commented, ‘I made 10 Albums, and in my mind they don’t match up to that, and I’m an arrogant bastard. I’d give them all up to have written that, I truly would.’

The writing of ‘Pretty Vacant’ is credited to Cook, Jones, Lydon, and Matlock, but the likelihood is that the song is the work of Glen Matlock, with some of the lyrics improvised by Lydon, ‘Pretty Vacant’ has three producer credits, they being Chris Thomas, Bill Price, (1944-2016) and Dave Goodman, (1951-2005) as no records were kept of who was sat in on each recording, the three agreed to share credit for all 11 tracks on the Album.

Speaking in 2022 Glen Matlock said that he drew inspiration to write ‘Pretty Vacant’ from the 1976 ‘Punk Rock’ song ‘Blank Generation,’ by Richard Hell and the Voidoids.’ Matlock said,’Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren brought back it back from the United States and told Sex Pistols to write a song like ‘Blank Generation.’ Matlock has said that the phrase ‘Blank Generation’ got him thinking about the desperation and hopelessness many in London felt. He reworked it into ‘Pretty Vacant,’ and wrote the single about the concept with John Lydon. He went on to say, ‘I kind of misunderstood what his song was all about, you gotta put the songs in the context of what was going on for a bloke like me in mid ’70’s London, with the three-day week, and the IRA bombings and power cuts, against the fact I was a young man who met some interesting people who was trying to form a ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’ band. Pretty Vacant is a primal scream kind of thing, we don’t know what we’re gonna do, but we’re gonna do it anyway. Malcolm had been saying to us all the time, you must write a manifesto. I’m proud of the fact that when people were coming up with a song about a girl or dancing or something, I wrote ‘Pretty Vacant’ before John (Lydon) wrote ‘Anarchy in the U.K.’ It’s not a competition, but that’s just the way it evolved.’

In my opinion ‘Pretty Vacant’ oozes sarcasm, with Johnny Rotten saying what is the point of trying to tell you what we think because you ain’t gonna listen, you don’t think we have a brain capable of understanding. But the telling line when the sarcasm stops is,’So stop you’re cheap comment,’cos we know what we feel.’

‘There’s no point in asking, you’ll get no reply. Oh just remember a don’t decide. I got no reason it’s all too much, you’ll always find us out to lunch.’