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"God Save the Queen" (B-side "Did You No Wrong"), released on May 27, 1977 was the second single by the punk band the Sex Pistols. Apparently ironically referential to the popular title of the national anthem of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen", the record was viewed by many as a protest at Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee, and at the time was highly controversial for its equation of the Queen with "the fascist regime" and its claim that England had "no future."
Attempting to play the song from a boat on the river Thames outside The Palace of Westminster on the Jubilee holiday itself (a day which was billed as a national party), the band was arrested.
Many observers argue that GSTQ sold more copies in Jubilee Week than the official number 1, "The First Cut is the Deepest" by Rod Stewart, and that it was held at number 2 for political reasons. This has been refuted by some insiders, including Richard Branson, then head of Virgin Records. When it was released, it was banned by most radio stations.
The Sex Pistols originally wanted to call the song "No Future," but their manager Malcolm McLaren knew the Queen's Silver Jubilee was approaching. He convinced the band to change the song's name to "God Save the Queen" and delay the song's release to coincide with the Jubilee.
Before the group signed to Virgin, a small number of copies of God Save the Queen had been pressed on the A&M label. These are now among the most valuable records ever pressed in the UK, with the going rate as of 2004 being around £2,500 a copy.
The song also features on the album Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols.
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