Punk in the UK Becomes More Mainstream The Sex Pistols' live TV confrontation with Bill Grundy on December 1, 1976, was the defining moment in the transformation of British punk into a major media phenomenon. Press coverage of punk's misbehavior intensified: on January 4, 1977, The Evening News of London ran a front-page story about how the Sex Pistols "vomited and spat on a flight to Amsterdam." In February 1977, the first album by a British punk band appeared: Damned Damned Damned (by the Damned), which reached number thirty-four on the UK charts. The Clash's debut album defined classic punk rock and included a cover of the recent Jamaican reggae hit "Police and Thieves" by Junior Murvin (1946 - December 2, 2013). Other first-wave bands, like the Slits, and newcomers to the scene, like the Ruts, interacted with the reggae and ska subcultures, incorporating their rhythms and production styles. The punk rock phenomenon helped spark a ska revival movement known as 2 Tone, centered around bands like the Special, Madness, and the Selecter. In July, the Sex Pistols' third single, "Pretty Vacant," reached number six. In September, Generation X and the Clash reached the top forty with, respectively, "Your Generation" and "Complete Control." X-Ray Spex's "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" didn't chart, but became a must-hear for punk fans. The BBC banned "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" due to its controversial lyrics. In October, the Sex Pistols reached number eight with "Holidays in the Sun," followed by the release of their first and only "official" album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. Inspiring another round of controversy, it topped the British charts. In December 1979, one of the first books on punk rock was published: *The Boy Looked at Johnny*, by Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons. The Boy Looked at Johnny* is a book about the British punk rock scene, known for its irreverent and often scathing commentary on the bands and personalities of the time, particularly those considered sell-outs or overly commercial. The book is considered by some to be a "rock and roll obituary" due to its cynical tone and focus on the perceived decline of the original punk spirit. Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons were young journalists at the New Musical Express (NME) when they wrote the book. They were known for their sharp and often controversial writing style. The Boy Looked at Johnny is seen as a significant document of the punk era, capturing its energy and contradictions. It remains a subject of discussion and debate for its perspective on the evolution of punk rock. Alex