Anarchy in the UK

Veteran disc jockey John Peel tells a story of having to leave mid-way through a concert by a top 70s progressive rock trio. The concert had been big on technology and complexity and Peel left the arena in tears, despairing that good old rock and roll had surrendered to complacency and pomposity. There had to be a reaction, and in 1976 it hit the industry with the force of a speeding gob.

Punk Rock was the response of a generation of teenagers angered by rising youth unemployment and frustrated by over-indulgent musicianship. Fast, angry and basic, Punk Rock brought as sense of rebellion back into popular music. The leaders of the genre were the Sex Pistols, who crashed into the national consciousness following a notorious encounter with television interviewer Bill Grundy.

If the musical impact of Punk was limited, it had a major influence on lifestyle, spawning bondage fashions, outrageous hairstyles and body piercing. It also shook up the recording industry. In keeping with the ethos of their music, many Punk bands turned to DIY recording, giving birth to an array of new labels.

music 100 includes the famous Bill Grundy interview, along with footage of the Sex Pistols in concert. It also includes a display of Punk fashions, and in-your-face pictures of a Punk audience gobbing.