"E.M.I." is a song on the Sex Pistols' 1977 debut album, ''

Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols ''Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols'' is the only studio album by English punk rock band the Sex Pistols, released on 28 October 1977 by Virgin Records in the UK and on 11 November 1977 by Warner Bros. Records in the US. The album ...

''. It was written after the group's contract with record label EMI had been terminated on 6 January 1977 after only three months, following the publicity storm caused by their appearance on the ''Today'' programme in December 1976. The song, often called a

diss track A diss track, diss record or diss song (diss – abbr. from ''disrespect'') is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feud between the t ...

, mocks the label for wanting to cash in on the growing punk phenomenon and sign the band, only to drop them when the group's antics damaged the label's reputation. The song was first recorded the same month at

Gooseberry Studios Gooseberry Sound Studios, also known as just Gooseberry Studios, were recording studios at 19 Gerrard Street, Chinatown, London, located in a cellar underneath a dental practice. The studio was owned by Peter Houghton and was known in its earl ...

, in Glen Matlock's last recording session with the band before he was fired, but the version that appears on the album was a re-recording made two months later at Wessex Studios. It was first played live at Notre Dame Hall, London, on 21 March 1977. ''

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'' called the song "the group's middle finger salute aimed at the record industry and label that fired them out of fear of their lyric content". The Sex Pistols' lead singer Johnny Rotten described "E.M.I." as "one of my faves" in his 1994 autobiography ''Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs'' and in 2017 he told ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'', "EMI wanted to sign us to show what a grand, varied label they were, but they really were not. This song was fun to write. It was actually mostly done in the studio because the groove was there, and it was relentless." ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...

'' has described the song as ranking "alongside Graham Parker's "Mercury Poisoning" as the most gleeful rant at a record company ever recorded."

References

{{authority control Sex Pistols songs 1977 songs Diss tracks EMI Songs written by Paul Cook Songs written by Steve Jones (musician) Songs written by Glen Matlock Songs written by John Lydon