"The Beatles and the Stones kicked things off in the '60s, but the Clash renounced both bands in '77. Duran Duran and Culture Club softened the edges with new pop in the '80s, which gave way to the Britpop moment and the Spice Girls' rewriting of the female pop handbook in the '90s. Amy Winehouse kicked off another wave in the 2000s, which Adele rode en route to becoming one of the best-selling artists of all time."
"Never mind the personnel, here's the Sex Pistols ... the 2025 version, at least. While Sid Vicious is long gone and John Lydon a.k.a. Johnny Rotten has spent decades fronting Public Image Ltd and embracing reactionary politics, the core of the U.K.'s first major punk act - Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock - are back, with tattooed firebrand Frank Carter on the microphone, playing the entirety of one of the most significant one-and-done albums of all time."
"The influence of the Sex Pistols began almost immediately: Inspired by an early review and a couple of the band's shows, Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley formed Buzzcocks. While Devoto soon left to form post-punk act Magazine, Buzzcocks have soldiered on since a nearly decade-long hiatus in the '80s. The band entered a self-described "new era" in the wake of Shelley's death in 2018, performing a mix of early hits ("Harmony in My Head," "What Do I Get?") and more recent material."
British pop influence has unfolded as recurring waves and reactions over six decades, from the Beatles and the Stones through punk, new pop, Britpop and contemporary soul. The Clash rejected earlier influences while Duran Duran and Culture Club introduced polished '80s pop. The Spice Girls rewrote female pop in the '90s; Amy Winehouse initiated a 2000s soul revival that Adele later propelled to global commercial success. In 2025 many U.K. acts representing these eras are active internationally. Original Sex Pistols members have reunited with a new frontman to perform a seminal album live, and Buzzcocks continue performing early hits alongside newer material.
Read at The Washington Post
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