Anti-Queen anthem threatens to be Britain’s next number one song | Music | Entertainment
While patriotic royalists are recovering from their four-day Platinum Jubilee weekend, the Official Chart Company have revealed some troubling information about the music industry.
The Sex Pistols, Britain’s iconic punk band which started in the 1970s, may well grab a UK Number One Single 45 years after one of their biggest songs was released.
The band, which was fronted by singer Johnny Rotten, originally released the song, God Save The Queen, in 1977.
The anthem includes lyrics such as: “God save the Queen / A fascist regime,” and: “God save the Queen / She ain’t no human being.”
At the time of release, the song was criticised for being anti-monarchy.
It was even banned by the BBC’s radio stations for its lyrical content.
Now, the song was been rereleased on Friday, June 3, and has staked a new claim in the singles charts.
The Official Chart Company revealed The Sex Pistols released two vinyl variants of the song, launching it into the top five of the singles charts once again to commemorate the Queen’s jubilee.
At the moment, it stands at number five and threatens to take on the current number one, Harry Styles’ As It Was.
If it does manage this feat, God Save the Queen will be the UK’s Official Number One Single just one week after the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Steve Jones, the band’s guitarist, previously spoke about the song’s connection to the Royal Family.
Jones said: “I’ve never had any connection to the monarchy, to be honest. It meant nothing to me, still doesn’t.”
He said of the lyrical content: “To me, it was just a laugh, it was a giggle. I didn’t realise it would offend a lot of English people. They took it personally. It was a stab against the Queen.”
At the time, the BBC’s banning of the track came just before the song reached number two on the official singles charts. It did, however, hit number one in the UK’s NME Chart.
Jones added: “Times have changed. I’m [in my sixties], I’m like a monk now. But also, things are still the same. That’s the way it’s designed.”
The Sex Pistols aren’t guaranteed a number one hit, however, and it’s all because of a Netflix show.
Stranger Things season four just hit the streaming service, and one pivotal episode has revived a long-forgotten 1980s anthem.
Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill has also had a resurgence in the Official Charts.
At the time of writing, it is currently at number two in the list, just behind the former One Direction star’s single.
If The Sex Pistols want that highly-coveted top spot, they certainly have some work to do first.
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