Public Image Ltd.

After the Sex Pistols’ demise, singer Johnny Rotten was eager to reinvent himself. Reverting back to his birth name, John Lydon and assembling a new band, Public Image Ltd. became one of the pioneering post-punk bands of the late 70s. Formed by Lydon, guitarist Keith Levene, and bassist Jah Wobble, PIL’s first three albums First Issue, Metal Box/Second Edition, and Flowers of Romance all became early post punk classics, becoming incredibly influential on later alternative rock. After Wobble and later Levene left, PIL went in a more commercial direction before breaking up in 1992. In 2009, John Lydon reformed the band with a new lineup and they have recorded two new albums since.