Pretty Vacant

Infobox Single
Name = Pretty Vacant

|"Pretty Vacant" cover
Artist = Sex Pistols
from Album = Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
Released = July 1, 1977 (UK)
October 27, 1977 (US)
October 15 2007 (30th anniversary re-issue)
Format = Vinyl single
[ Recorded = ]
Genre = Punk rock
Length = 3:15
Label = Virgin Records (UK) Warner Bros. (US)
Writer = Sex Pistols
Producer = Chris Thomas, Bill Price
[ Certification = ] hm
[ Chart position = ]
Last single = "God Save the Queen"
(1977)
This single = "Pretty Vacant"
(1977)
Next single = "Holidays in the Sun"
(1977)"Pretty Vacant" was the third single released by the punk rock band Sex Pistols. This ode to apathy was released on July 1, 1977. The song marked the band's only appearance on the British music show Top of the Pops. Also, according to Glen Matlock the riff was inspired by "S.O.S." by ABBA after hearing it on the radio. The song is particularly notable for John Lydon's (highly likely intentional) pronunciation of "vacant" with the clipped "-ant" producing a word much like the obscenity "cunt".

The song was featured in the 1981 Ralph Bakshi movie "American Pop."

The B-side is a cover of The Stooges' "No Fun" and lasts about 7 minutes, almost twice the length of the original.

"Pretty Vacant" was used as the theme song to a short-lived 1994 television sketch comedy show called "The Vacant Lot."

The New Musical Express magazine made it their Single of the Year in 1977 [ [http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/1977.html NME Single of the Year 1977] ] . In March 2005, Q magazine placed the song at number 26 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

Joey Ramone used the lead riff in his cover of Wonderful World.

South African pop group Shikisha released a cover version of the song in 1996 [ [http://womad.org/?artist_id=1569 WOMAD] ] .

The French band Les Négresses Vertes as well as grime MC Lady Sovereign have both covered "Pretty Vacant" and performed live versions of the song.

A version of this song entitled "Pretty Vacant (Guitar Hero Version)" was released on iTunes for download on October 16th, 2007. The song has since been confirmed to be included in Guitar Hero World Tour.

This song is on the soundtrack to the video game skate.

References