The Universal Appeal of Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen in Love”

When people think of the most influential artists in punk, there are some obvious options. You’ve got the Clash, The Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop, Joy Division, Black Flag, Fugazi. But a band that get overlooked for their considerable influence is the Buzzcocks. Think about it. Their 1977 Spiral Scratch EP was the first independently released punk record, which fused the idea of DIY to the punk ethos. It set a precedent for bands releasing their own music, their New Hormones label predating Rough Trade, SST, Touch and Go, Subpop and Dischord. Guitarist Pete Shelley and original frontman Howard Devoto also booked the Sex Pistols to play their first Manchester gig, making the band not just a London scene blip but a national presence, as well as kickstarting the Manchester punk/indie scene. Plus for better or worst, they invented pop punk and did it better than any other band since. But for this video Trash Theory will be focusing on their greatest moment: “Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)”.