“God save the Queen
The fascist regime They made you a moron
Potential H-bomb God save the Queen
She ain’t no human being There is no future
In England’s dreaming ”
The Sex Pistols, ‘God Save the Queen’, Verse 1, 1977.
‘God Save the Queen’, by the Sex Pistols in 1977 as the lead single for their debut Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, is known for its vehement criticism of the monarchy. With the passing of Queen Elizabeth on Sep 8 and the ascension of Charles to the throne, the prospect of knowing how the previous monarch has ruled over what is among the biggest shifts in the UK’s history with music. It’s one thing to talk a bit about how she listens to classical music as part of her free time, it’s another to talk about the story about Elton John and Eric Clapton’s honours on top of Britain’s shifting tides in culture and trends. This is a small story about how Elizabeth’s reign align with the development of Britain’s music scene.
To start off, Elizabeth’s reign begins on 1952 at the age of 25. During then, there was a huge interest in big bands as the leading trend in British music while jazz is starting to take roots in popular music. During the later years of the 50s, the UK’s young working class, having started to carve out their distinct subculture, are making some waves with the mods and rockers emerging out of the open. With the US’s influence expanding through the music, there lies the emergence of many genres that seeks to emulate blueglass and rockability. Out of that comes the likes of Merseybeat, characterised by its four-by-four snare beats and a strong sense of melody, and skiffle which moves from the US to enjoy a brief spark of popularity that preludes the British Folk Revival in the next decade.
All the mimicking changes in the 1960s where many bands start to rise up to become some of the most important acts in musical history. Merseybeat and skiffle bands have made their transition to a more ‘mature’ genre of rock with better production, more refined musicianship, and a better drive for innovation. The Beatles, for instance, epitomises the explosion in what we now know as the British Invasion with their initial talent for catchy pop music making way for their later experimentation with psychedelia, Indian music, and tinkering with synths. This is especially noted in 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and 1969’s Abbey Road (the latter containing ‘Her Majesty’ in the end which is a short snippet inspired by the Queen!), two albums that are not only considered to be the best of the band’s discography. They are also recognised as one of the greatest in music history for starting the album era or in Sgt. Pepper’s case, inspired many to take up the hippie lifestyle in the Summer of Love.
Other contemporary acts like the Who and the Kinks have forwarded power pop with their emphasis on chords and energy while the likes of Frank Hinchliffe rose up to prominence for helping with the resurgence in traditional folk. This would later create a feedback loop to American music artists like the late Ric Ocasek from the Cars or Bob Dylan as they advance on from their career beyond the 60s, leading to different stylistic nuances between the two country’s representation of the genres. As the likes of Paul McCartney and Ray Davies were later knighted for their contributions to music, Queen Elizabeth’s reign did not overlook the bands who helped to make immense progress in popular music even if they might not confine to her classical preferences.
The 1970s and 1980s saw two distinct genres that many attribute to have been kickstarted in the UK – prog-rock and punk rock. The likes of Pink Floyd have found innovative ways to diversify their music structure by popularising the use of classical composition into rock music alongside greater sophistication in their lyrics. Highlights like The Dark Side of the Moon in 1973 or Wish You Were Here in 1975 are hailed as among the greatest of all time with even Robert Chrisgau, having made clear his dislike of prog-rock, admitting that there are clear merits to be found. Matching alongside contemporaries like Yes or Genesis, prog-rock’s peak is marked completely by Britain’s affiliation with their high-quality ambitions. Step back from the genre, and you have piano-driven artists like Elton John with all the glamours found in Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Fans of classic rock would otherwise be pleased with standout tracks like ‘Layla’ by Eric Clapton which is hailed as one of the greatest love songs of all time. Many of the influential artists would later on be granted the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (or OBE for short) for their importance. The Queen takes good care to ensure that the most talented (in the mainstream) are to receive the badge of honour they deserve for their services.
In stark contrast with the grandiosity of prog-rock, punk rock starts to emerge out of the blue in London during the mid-70s in a complete aversion to the trending genre. Instead of classical sensibilities, ambitious songwriting, and lyrical literacy, punk looks deep into overt simplicity with short track durations, fast rhythms, strong emphasis on the three-chord progression, and digestible lyrics. One that points finger on the authority including the Monarch herself. Remember the beginning of the article? It’s one of the handful of anti-monarchal statements against Elizabeth II that makes up its small quantity for undeniable trending legacies. Lead singer John ‘Johnny Rotten’ Lydon’s opinion on the Royal family might have softened to not having any resentment, but that doesn’t stop his legacy from popularising Republican sentiments. The Smith’s legendary 1986 opus The Queen is Dead has its title track make fun of the obsession surrounding royal power and line of succession compared to the growing mundaneness/irrelevance of their lives. Seen as one of the most important albums to the post-punk wave of experimentation, Morrissey doubles down on his views on the Monarchy in an interview with NME, saying that they’re “made to seem more powerful than [the idea] really is.”
Needless to say, the 1980s’ have proved itself to be a big middle finger to an old standing legislation about protecting the Crown – the Treason Felony Act 1848. Even hidden within albums as a deep cut is the Queen not spared from the pressure of dissolving the Royal family’s claim as head of state with the Stone Roses’ ‘Elizabeth My Dear’ on their 1989 self-titled debut. “Tear me apart and boil my bones/ I’ll not rest till she’s lost her throne” is, simple as it is, clear in its aim to say the least. Thatcherism might be the political trend of the day, but not even the prevailing preference of conservatism could stop a group of young Brits from bad-mouthing their ruler.
Seemingly true to what Morrissey had argued, the music industry’s interest in the Queen as the key subject matter have peppered out in terms of iconic singles after the 80s. Any mentions of her onward tend to be from American artists with the main implication being around dreams of success or recognition. Travis McCoy’s breakout single ‘Billionaire’ has featured singer (later superstar) Bruno Mars sing a chorus that fantasises about being on the Forbes magazine “smiling next to Oprah and the Queen”. Meanwhile, British music had strayed from royalty for a long time, focusing instead on attacking the government party. Whatever music videos have been made such as Basement Jaxx’s ‘U Don’t Know Me’ or Sihail Sen’s ‘Ek Chumma’, expect the Queen to be played by look-alikes even from the other side of the Commonwealth. Finally, events that are parts of the key milestone such as the Party at the Palace on the Golden Jubilee were held with commercially successful artists with a handful of whom were honoured or knighted either prior or after the concert. It’s no lie when some had argued that Queen Elizabeth regards the arts in a state of admiration and fascination that few head of states had before or during her reign.
In the end, while there are many criticisms that can be leveraged against the late Monarch, to suggest that she undermines the direction of her country’s popular music scene is not one of them. Without resorting to pressure the government to silence oppositions or check any unflattering critiques, she allows punk rock to grow into a genre that’s proud of its anti-establishment stance. In addition, her leniency towards American influence helps to enrich the UK’s genres into innovative, progressive characteristics. Lastly, rewarding the most notable singers or musicians with an OBE or even a knighthood speaks volume for her awareness on her country’s influence to music over the past decades. One can’t help but welcome the fact that while she might not be hands-on in determining the entertainment industry, it might have well helped Britain churn out albums that have left an impenetrable shift in the music scene, rewarding artistic talent over trend-following even to this day. Maybe she does left a future for England’s dreaming after all her time.
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