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Cover of Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols by The Sex Pistols
Cover: Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols

Song · The Sex Pistols

“Pretty Vacant” by The Sex Pistols

From the album Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)

“Pretty Vacant” by The Sex Pistols appears on 23 radio countdowns from 10 stations between 1977 and 2022. It was first released in 1977 on the album Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols. Its best result is #6 on the John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1978). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #51 alternative song of 1977, #1,443 alternative song of all time and #51 of the '70s.

23countdowns
10stations
#6best position
0#1 finishes
1top 10 finishes
1977–2022years charted

Watch

The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant (official video)

Video from YouTube (jaroshy). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Pretty Vacant" hit the shops on 1 July 1977 as the Sex Pistols' third single, and it later took its place on Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, the only album they ever made. Chris Thomas produced it, and the credit goes to all four: Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon and Glen Matlock.

Matlock said the main riff came to him after hearing ABBA's "SOS", and that the idea owed something to Richard Hell's "Blank Generation", even if he'd misread what Hell meant. What you get is a blank-eyed, gleefully bored anthem, the guitars charging like a stampede and Lydon sneering the title word, stretching its last syllable into something rude enough to give the song its notorious reputation. On the flip, the band tore through the Stooges' "No Fun" without a proper rehearsal.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1977 51 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's Forgotten Fifty of 1977 61

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1978 6 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1978) 50
1979 16 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1979) 50
1980 23 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1980) 50
1982 44 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (1982) 50
1989 65 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989) 100
1991 823 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1999 909 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 713 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
2000 29 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (2000) 50
2001 366 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2001 1099 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2002 1535 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 590 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 266 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2007 1816 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 1731 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 1713 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 1663 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 1647 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 1639 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 1646 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2022 852 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s 908

Charting alongside it in 1977

Best songs of 1977 →
  1. 1Dancing the Night AwayMotors
  2. 2Uptown Top RankingAlthea & Donna
  3. 3You Beat The Hell Out of MeMotors
  4. 4I Can't Stand My BabyRezillos
  5. 5Suspended SentenceJohn Cooper Clarke
  6. 6SmokescreenDesperate Bicycles

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