The Rise and Fall of ... - 6. The Album, The Outrage and the Court Case

Download 6. The Album, The Outrage and the Court Case

After the chaos of their Jubilee riverboat stunt and the media storm around God Save the Queen, the Pistols were marked men. Attacked in the streets, vilified in the press, and hated by half the country, Britain’s most notorious band were now public enemy number one.

But manager Malcolm McLaren had no intention of retreating. Amid rising paranoia, infighting, and Sid Vicious’s self-destruction, the Pistols did what no one expected: they released one of the most incendiary debut albums of all time - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols.

It wasn’t just the music that caused outrage. One word on its cover dragged the band into a landmark obscenity trial that would test the limits of free

Episode 6 of The Rise and Fall of Sex Pistols is the story of the album that changed British music forever, and how the Sex Pistols took on the law, the tabloids, and the establishment… and won.

Featuring archive interviews from: Richard Branson, Johnny Rotten, Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Malcolm McLaren and Sid Vicious alongside a new interview with the legendary photographer Dennis Morris and a cameo appearance from BBC 1 continuity announcer Duncan Newmarch.

Presented by Gina Birch and Steve Lamacq

A BBC Audio Production

Published on Monday, 27th October 2025.

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