Artist

Public Image Ltd

1978-1992, reformed·London

After the Sex Pistols imploded, John Lydon started over with guitarist Keith Levene and bassist Jah Wobble, announcing that 'rock is obsolete' and building something out of dub, Captain Beefheart, and krautrock instead. Lydon dropped the Johnny Rotten sneer for a warbling, unsettling vocal style borrowed from reggae's echo-chamber production and avant-garde blues phrasing. Wobble's bass did the melodic heavy lifting while Levene's guitar scraped and clanged around it, abrasive by design. Metal Box, released in 1979 in an actual metal film canister, stands as the group's masterwork and a direct rejection of everything a rock record was supposed to look and sound like.

At a glance

Active
1978–1992, reformed
From
London, UK
Records in the issues
1 (1979), 1 of them a Start here pick
Original label
Virgin
Listening guide track
“Public Image”

Listen

In the UK Post-Punk listening guide: “Public Image”

Spotify

In the issues

  • UK Post-Punk
    Principal · 1977-1984

    UK Post-Punk is a music scene from United Kingdom, 1977–1984. Its principal artists include Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Fall and Public Image Ltd. This issue covers 10 essential albums and 18 dated events.

Records

  • Metal Box sleeve

    Metal Box

    1979 · Start here in UK Post-Punk
    Original release: Virgin · METAL 1 · 12″ Vinyl · UK 1979

    Packaged in an actual metal film canister holding three 12-inch 45rpm discs, Metal Box turned dub-influenced bass and jagged guitar into a statement of intent: John Lydon's declaration that 'rock is obsolete' made physical. Jah Wobble's bass carried the melody while Keith Levene's guitar layered on abrasive noise, and the record's influence on alternative music has held for decades.

    Listen on Spotify

Family tree

Bands that shared members with Public Image Ltd, and who.