John Lydon first joined the Sex Pistols after rehearsing for the band in 1975. He sang Alice Cooper's "Eighteen" while wearing a Pink Floyd t-shirt with 'I Hate' written above it at the time. At this time the band's members were Glen Matlock on bass, Steve Jones on guitar, and Paul Cook as the drummer. Around this time, Lydon changed his name from Lydon to Rotten because his teeth looked like they were rotting.
In 1978 at San Francisco's Winterland concert, Lydon quit the band with the infamous line, "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" before dropping the mic and leaving the stage.
Later the year Lydon formed the post-punk band Public Image Ltd. (PiL) along with members John Wardle (Jah Wobble) and Keith Levene. The band would last from 1978 till 1992 with Lydon being the only consistent member. The band would release many critically acclaimed albums such as Metal Box and Album. After releasing the 1992 album, That What Is Not, the band broke up.
In 1984, Lydon performed the song "World Destruction" with Afrika Bambaataa being one of the first rock/rap crossover songs. In 1993, Lydon teamed with Leftfield and performed the song "Open Up" in which an extended version would appear on the album Leftism.
Five years after the dismemberment of PiL, Lydon released his first solo album Psycho's Path with the single "Sun" in which he sung through a toilet paper roll during the track. The album did not sell well and recieved mixed reviews from critics.
In 2005, Lydon compiled his own "greatest hits" style album, The Best Of British £1 Notes featuring work from his years in the Pistols, PiL, and his solo album as well. It also featured the newly recorded song "The Rabbit Song".
In 2006, the Sex Pistols were inducted in the Rock 'N Roll Hall Of Fame but refused to attend the ceremony complaining that they were asked for large sums of money.
For more on John Lydon read his autobiography Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs
