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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Rotten is king of punks
By Jayne Atherton, Metro
17 June 2005
Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? Almost three decades after uttering that epitaph for the Sex Pistols' chaotic career, Johnny Rotten has been crowned reluctant king of punk.
But his old bandmate Sid Vicious has been left languishing alongside the modern-day likes of Liam Gallagher, Courtney Love, Eminem and Tracey Emin in a Radio 1 poll.
According to music industry experts, even country singer Johnny Cash was 'more punk' than Vicious.
The Pistols' bassist may have died of a drug overdose but this was not enough to 'out punk' Cash, who was addicted to speed, performed at America's notorious San Quentin and Folsom prisons and almost died fighting an emu.
Only four members of the 1970s punk music movement make the Top 20, which also features footballer Eric Cantona and revolutionary Che Guevara.
The Clash frontman Joe Strummer comes second with Johnny Ramone in fourth.
'Gonzo' journalist Hunter S Thompson, who recently committed suicide, was voted third by a panel including Babyshamblessinger Peter Doherty and label boss Alan McGee. Doherty himself, fired from The Libertines for heroin abuse, was voted seventh, behind fifth-placed John Peel and Cash in sixth.
But, true to awkward form Rotten, now known as John Lydon, seemed ambivalent about his award.
After hearing of the 'Most Punk' accolade, his spokesman sniffed: 'What is punk, anyway? John never said that he was a punk.'
Most Punk Top 20
1 John Lydon
2 Joe Strummer
3 Hunter S Thompson
4 Johnny Ramone
5 John Peel
6 Johnny Cash
7 Pete Doherty
8 Che Guevara
9 Kurt Cobain
10 Ian MacKaye
11 Bill Hicks
12 Liam Gallagher
13 Courtney Love
14 Sid Vicious
15 Eminem
16 Vivienne Westwood
17 Quentin Tarantino
18 Bill Drummond
19 Tracey Emin
20 Eric Cantona
[Edited by Ten Thousand Motels] |
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| FPM C10 |
Actually looks like a good list. Of course Iggy should probably be #1, and Keith should definitely be in the top 5.
But kudos for putting the great Hunter S. Thompson at #3!
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| mac_daddy |
i am sorry...
rotten is a tool (and a poseur).
quote:
'What is punk, anyway? John never said that he was a punk.'
that's because he never was more than a manufactured pinup for malcolm maclaren
and richard hell isnt even on the list..?
wtf
i could go on, but i wont, except to say that the STONES should be on that list (certainly WAY before that wananbe that used to be with libertines and that prick from oasis).
i just have to say that this kid doherty wouldnt know punk if it bit him in the a$$.
(10km posted this twice, so i figured i would reply a second time, too :P)
[Edited by mac_daddy] |
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| FPM C10 |
Well, I'm not going to stick up for Johnny, because he won't stick up for himself - which is sort of punk in and of itself. And I hadn't read the whole list, which is bogus once you get past the top 5 or 6.
I like Johnny myself, and both times I saw the Pistols were great experiences, but yeah he's a poseur - he's in SHOW BUSINESS!! Posing's what they do! Posing can actually be pretty punk if you do it right!
I guess I was just happy that Dr. Thompson was included. Whatever your definition of punk is, he belongs there. But Quentin fucking Tarantino? PUNK? Yeah right. Maybe when he was working at the video store.
I guess I didn't read closely enough. I saw Joe Strummer, HST, Johnny Cash and Che Guevara and thought it was a pretty cool list. NOW that I see the rest of these losers, I retract my endorsement. |
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| mac_daddy |
quote:
I guess I was just happy that Dr. Thompson was included. Whatever your definition of punk is, he belongs there. But Quentin fucking Tarantino? PUNK? Yeah right. Maybe when he was working at the video store.
I guess I didn't read closely enough. I saw Joe Strummer, HST, Johnny Cash and Che Guevara and thought it was a pretty cool list. NOW that I see the rest of these losers, I retract my endorsement.
word.
but for chrissakes, hell was the prototypical punk. and the voidoids album..? give me a break! that pretty much IS the most/best punk album ever!
anyway, i would put watt on that list, and i am pretty sure he would shy away from any conversation of the kind. but he is also genuinely gifted. lydon's gift was learning the art ofself-promotion from malcolm...
and those are just two glaring examples...
but props to hst, che and cash - they belong there for sure... |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
FPM C10 wrote:
But Quentin fucking Tarantino? PUNK? Yeah right. Maybe when he was working at the video store.
Who is Quentin Taratino? Am I missing something important? |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Well I just have zero respect for Che. One guy wears a red shirt and one guy wears a brown shirt but they're cut from the same cloth. |
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| FPM C10 |
quote:
Ten Thousand Motels wrote:
Well I just have zero respect for Che. One guy wears a red shirt and one guy wears a brown shirt but they're cut from the same cloth.
The only great thing about Che is that he looked so fucking cool in that beret.
Quentin Tarantino directed Pulp Fiction and a bunch of other over-rated films.
[Edited by FPM C10]
[Edited by FPM C10] |
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| keith_tif |
I'm ok for Eric Cantonna. Since, he doesn't play, football is boring!! |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
WTF? The Stones don't qualify as punks? |
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| Back Street Girl |
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| pdog |
quote:
Back Street Girl wrote:
Johnny Thunders, was punk. BUT!!! A huge asshole too!
Posing is punk when done right... Fucking RIGHT ON! |
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| Back Street Girl |
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| Soldatti |
Eric Cantona punk?
Gimme a break. |
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| Bloozehound |
oi
oi!
OI!
OI! OI! |
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| Madafaka |
Che Guevara! Hahaha! That's really funny! |
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| Cant Catch Me |
The list is completely bogus if Iggy's not in the top five, and he'd be a logical choice for #1. Not including Iggy at all is aggravated bogusness, compounded by extreme stupidity. |
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| mac_daddy |
absolutely ccm...
like i said, i wasnt going to point them all out...
speaking of iggy - i understand funhouse is getting the 6 CD treatment/box set. so it the first one... let's hope one of those is a straight dsd stereo transfer 
[Edited by mac_daddy] |
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| Egbert |
quote:
mac_daddy wrote:
absolutely ccm...
like i said, i wasnt going to point them all out...
speaking of iggy - i understand funhouse is getting the 6 CD treatment/box set. so it the first one... let's hope one of those is a straight dsd stereo transfer
[Edited by mac_daddy]
Mac - are you referring to something other than the Rhino Handmade FunHouse box set of a few years back? |
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| Mr Jimmy |
quote:
Cant Catch Me wrote:
The list is completely bogus if Iggy's not in the top five, and he'd be a logical choice for #1. Not including Iggy at all is aggravated bogusness, compounded by extreme stupidity.
I agree. And considering that so many lists are totally screwed up these days, I wouldn't have been surprised to see Ashton Kutcher squeezed in! |
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| Bloozehound |
that list sucks brown tails
it doesn't even mention THE EAGLES!
bona drag man!!
Oi! Oi! Oi! |
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| glencar |
Bill Hicks was definitely punk. |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Hell...what about Punk Numero Uno...Elvis himself? |
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| mac_daddy |
quote:
Ten Thousand Motels wrote:
Hell...what about Punk Numero Uno...Elvis himself?
i am gonna disagree with you here - elvis never was punk. |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
mac_daddy wrote:
i am gonna disagree with you here - elvis never was punk.
OK. What's punk? |
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| Honky Tonk Man |
quote:
keith_tif wrote:
I'm ok for Eric Cantonna. Since, he doesn't play, football is boring!!
Eric was the most rock 'n roll footballer since George Best. He was my ultimate hero when I was 10. |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Elvis & Rock 'n' Roll
Rock has always been about social and cultural conflict ever since its birth in the boogie blues of artists such as John Lee Hooker. The social alienation and angst of the black experience permeated the predominantly white middle class rock 'n' roll. That was until whitey in the shape of Elvis took control and introduced new brands of alienation like parents, society and girls along with clothes and attitude to symbolise that alienation.
"I had never seen anyone put on a show like that ...it was just shocking...he looked like a real street kid...that show really changed my life...I was overwhelmed by Elvis, I was overwhelmed by the musicians. I could feel the playing." Jerry Nolan (Heartbreakers, New York Dolls) from the book 'Please Kill Me'
Yep welcome to Elvis Presley and a thousand other rockabilly cats riding the crest of a teen culture and rebellion. Money and leisure and advances in technology were opening up an untapped market of the teenager. The parents hated it but the kids loved it. The first barbarians were at the gate. 24 years seperate us from Punk76. 24 years to that previous was Elvis. We tend to see Elvis as a bloated drug addict dying on the toilet and dismiss his songs through over exposure, but its weird how he can catch you off guard.
Elvis was young, sexy and mixed up blues and bluegrass and everything else. Hearing Heartbreak Hotel at high volume it can suddenly hit you just how good he was and how radical he was. But check out his Sun Sessions album (Mystery Train, Good Rockin Tonight, Thats All Right) and tell me the boy don't rock. Music and clothes that were different could give teenagers identity and annoy. At the same time as Elvis came Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard; hard rockers like Gene Vincent and the Bluecaps and of course Eddie Cochran. Mix in black singers like James Brown and you start to get the over the top singing and the wild front man. Rock'n'roll was dangerous and it was rebellious. Years later Malcolm Mclaren would resurrect these times and clothes in his shops and use it as a basis for his own teen revolution.
Gene Vincent...real rebel rock.
Elvis and rock 'n' roll was the start of the US relationship with the UK music scene which would see us trade sounds and ideas... well basically for ever. Rock'n'roll brought the birth of the teenager and as such brought the idea of teenage rebellion and a desire to forge your own identity through clothes and music. Music was a rush, it was a bout cars, clothes, love, shagging and dancing... three minutes of a slice of youth without responsibility. Rock'n roll had a profound influence on England where to celebrate we slashed cinema seats. It also gave us shite like Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard, The Dakotas and worst of all The Beatles.
Tommy Steele - What a rebel !!!!....Not!!!
But the Beatles once they dropped their early leather gear and became loveable mop tops made music more accessible which, allied with advances in technology, meant greater exposure for bands. Music began to exert an influence and generate publicity. Rock'n'roll was dangerous it was rebellious and it sold. As the shock of the new began to wear off capitalism like the all consuming beast it is absorbed the rebels and their clothes and styles and made them popular and made money while awaiting the next attack which wasn't long coming.
[Edited by Ten Thousand Motels] |
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| glencar |
Elvis was a change from the norm but was he punk? no. |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Elvis was a change from the norm but was he punk? no.
I dunno, you guys that insist on precise definitions, |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
Ten Thousand Motels wrote:
I dunno, you guys that insist on precise definitions,
I mean, in the long run, what's the difference between shit and piss? It's only rock n roll really.
[Edited by Ten Thousand Motels] |
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