One of the bands that were directly influenced by the Sex Pistols' legendary performance at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester, a performance that was wonderfully portrayed in the film 24 Hour Party People. They say no single performance spawned so many influential bands, with future members of Joy Division, The Smiths, and The Fall all in attendance. The Buzzcocks however might well be the most important of these acts, having created some of the best albums of the decade and crafting hooks never heard before in punk music.
The Buzzcocks were formed in 1975 creating an amazing blend of the Pistols' energy, with the melodies of the 1960's British Invasion. The songs were layered with Pete Shelley's outstanding lyrics, that embodied the UK's punk spirit better than any band. The Buzzcocks did not go down the political punk route like the Clash, or the Sex Pistols did. They opted instead to talk about sex, and inebriation, while bringing a party atmosphere to the spitting, pissed off, pogoing, English punks. Over the years this new style of pop-punk would pave the way for bands like Hüsker Dü to Nirvana.
The definitive Buzzcocks compilation is 1979's Singles Going Steady, with each song more captivating than the next. They pushed sexual boundaries with songs "Orgasm Addict," and "Why Can't I Touch It," and tackled frustrating love affairs with the brilliant "Ever Fallen In Love?" Their music would continue to influence throughout the 80s, with various reunions continuing off and on since 1989, including supporting Nirvana on one of their last ever tours in 1994.
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