John Lydon’s Favorite Album from the Punk Era: The Raincoats’ Groundbreaking Sound

“Completely Different”: John Lydon’s Favourite Album from the Punk Years

What was punk? With the distance of time, it’s become increasingly difficult to pinpoint what truly defined the genre. However, one pivotal moment from the early days of the Sex Pistols offers some insight. At one of their earliest live performances in 1976, where chaos reigned—band members interacted with scantily clad audience members on stage, and furniture was destroyed in a fury of rebellion against the mundane—one Frenchman shouted at guitarist Steve Jones, “You can’t play!” To which Jones famously retorted, “So what?”

The significance of this moment was not in the band’s supposed incompetence (which has been greatly exaggerated over the years), nor in the mayhem of the show itself. Rather, it was in the attitude encapsulated by that simple response: “So what?” This brief, defiant phrase captures the essence of punk—an ethos of daring, rebelliousness, and a fierce rejection of conformity.

When we recently sat down with former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon, he pointed out exactly what he believes has plagued modern music since the punk revolution: “Corporate thinking,” he said. “Record labels are very much a death by committee.” Such corporate constraints were far removed from the raw, unfiltered spirit that characterized punk in its heyday, particularly when Lydon was on stage in the 1970s.

Though the music industry may have tried to commercialize punk, EMI learned quickly that the Pistols’ “so what” attitude could not be easily controlled. The label’s attempts to impose its will were thwarted, and soon they released the band from their £45,000 contract. What mattered most to Lydon and the band was originality and authenticity. Yes, elements of punk music may have been influenced by the Ramones and Richard Hell, but the Sex Pistols were never about copying others. If anyone called them out, their response would have been: “So what?”

Lydon valued this boldness in others, but he was highly selective in his admiration. He rejected the notion that punk had been birthed in New York, dismissed The Clash, criticized The Stranglers as “shit,” and dismissed most subsequent bands as mere imitators of the original movement. So, who did he truly appreciate?

According to Lydon, “I cared deeply about what we were doing with the Pistols, and it was hurtful to be put in a ‘punk’ package alongside lesser mortals.” For Lydon, the key was authenticity, and he found this in The Raincoats—a band he felt offered something uniquely different. “The Raincoats offered a completely different way of doing things, as did X-Ray Spex,” he told The Guardian. “These women were involved for no other reason than that they were good and original.”

In fact, The Raincoats’ self-titled debut album from 1979 became Lydon’s favourite record from the punk era. His admiration for them was evident even in the early days. He declared in a fiery interview, “Rock ’n’ roll is shit. Music has reached an all-time low—except for The Raincoats.” In the Raincoats, Lydon saw a fresh approach that focused on individuality and charm. They weren’t trying to conquer the world, they were simply being themselves—a stark contrast to the more bombastic punk bands of the time.

This sentiment was reciprocated by The Raincoats. Gina Birch, the band’s lead singer, reflected on Lydon’s influence in early punk: “John Lydon was what made the Sex Pistols, and what made early punk interesting. He wasn’t just there to shout ‘Aargh!’ He had very interesting ideas. He was a cross between Richard III and Albert Steptoe … But he’s complicated, isn’t he? He’s not one to be put in a box. He’s a contrarian a bit as well.”

Like Lydon, The Raincoats defied expectations. Though they may have appeared ordinary at first glance, their music was anything but. The band’s steadfast refusal to conform allowed them to create something unique, though they were often derided for it. Birch commented, “What can you say? We tried to move things along, make something that was a voice from us, that had a heart to it and was a bit feisty, a bit courageous. We were doing our thing.”

Lydon’s frustration with much of what became classified as “punk” was clear. For him, the essence of punk was about creating something new, not just mimicking what had come before. As he concluded with his signature sharpness, “It’s a million miles away from the blancmange that is Green Day, where you have a Johnny Rotten first verse, a Billy Idol chorus and a Sham 69 second verse. Preposterous!”

In the end, Lydon’s admiration for The Raincoats highlights the importance of true originality in the punk movement. They weren’t about fitting into a scene—they were about forging their own path, much like Lydon himself and the Sex Pistols.

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