1976–1978 · Britain and Sweden
The filth and the fury! Punks shock the nation!
Punk
Panic meter
The verdict
Punk was seen as a threat to decency and the young. It changed music and fashion – and ended up in museums.
Reality meter
What was said?
In December 1976 the Sex Pistols swore on live television during an interview with the presenter Bill Grundy. The next day the Daily Mirror's headline read "The Filth and the Fury!". Concerts were cancelled, and the single God Save the Queen was banned by the BBC during the Queen's Jubilee year of 1977.
In Sweden, punks came into open conflict with the raggare – the American-car-loving greaser subculture – who attacked punk bands on tour.
The verdict: what happened next?
Punk became one of the most influential movements in modern music, and its aesthetic was taken up by the fashion houses. God Save the Queen reached number two in the charts despite the ban.
The greatest danger to most punks turned out to be the people who disliked them.
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