Imagine if John Lydon had died in 1980 and Ian Curtis was making adverts for Country Life butter

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Imagine if Chris Cornell had died in 1994 and Kurt Cobain had sung the theme tune for Casino Royale.

I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Saturday, 6 April 2013 14:28 (thirteen years ago)

what if Little Steven couldn't wait to play Sun City

da croupier, Saturday, 6 April 2013 14:28 (thirteen years ago)

What if Nick Cave ate a cheeseburger, like, yesterday?

Captain Amerykah (Drugs A. Money), Saturday, 6 April 2013 15:54 (thirteen years ago)

What if we had psychedelic ketchup?

Captain Amerykah (Drugs A. Money), Saturday, 6 April 2013 15:54 (thirteen years ago)

what if Tim Yuro were still alive?

m0stlyClean, Saturday, 6 April 2013 16:13 (thirteen years ago)

Aw, still miss hearing from that guy.

pplains, Saturday, 6 April 2013 16:54 (thirteen years ago)

What if Zac de la Rocha set himself on fire and a Buddhist monk was the front man for Rage Against the Machine?

Captain Amerykah (Drugs A. Money), Saturday, 6 April 2013 17:48 (thirteen years ago)

in two years this thread will become a series of links to news articles about disappointing sellouts

Let's Make Laugh II (Autumn Almanac), Saturday, 6 April 2013 21:57 (thirteen years ago)

What if Snoop and Nas were killed in the 90s and Pac was making terrible reggae and Biggie was divorced from Kelis?

The Reverend, Saturday, 6 April 2013 22:07 (thirteen years ago)

what if Tim Yuro were still alive?

― m0stlyClean, Saturday, April 6, 2013 9:13 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Aw, still miss hearing from that guy.

― pplains, Saturday, April 6, 2013 9:54 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

still miss seeing that guy ;_;

The Reverend, Saturday, 6 April 2013 22:13 (thirteen years ago)

He was a good guy and an ideal poster.

What About The Half That's Never Been POLLed (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 6 April 2013 22:18 (thirteen years ago)

yup

the world's most impertinent web designer (sleeve), Saturday, 6 April 2013 22:44 (thirteen years ago)

S-S-S-Superstar

OutdoorFish, Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:01 (thirteen years ago)

(Grouper)

What About The Half That's Never Been POLLed (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:06 (thirteen years ago)

What if Kenny Rogers had fallen in love with a dreamer

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:26 (thirteen years ago)

what if he performed 'islands in the stream' with patti smith

Let's Make Laugh II (Autumn Almanac), Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:30 (thirteen years ago)

THAT WOULD BE AWESOME

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:35 (thirteen years ago)

what if Dolly Parton married Fred Sonic Smith

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:35 (thirteen years ago)

what if fred sonic smith married knuckles the echidna

Let's Make Laugh II (Autumn Almanac), Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:36 (thirteen years ago)

What if they didn't have to move those refrigerators?

Clarke B., Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:39 (thirteen years ago)

what if they built this city on brostep

Let's Make Laugh II (Autumn Almanac), Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:44 (thirteen years ago)

O_O

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:44 (thirteen years ago)

What if Lol had kicked Robert Smith out the band in 1989 and went on to record 5 albums under the name "The Cure"

OutdoorFish, Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:46 (thirteen years ago)

Including the famous album The Cure- Squeeze.

What About The Half That's Never Been POLLed (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 6 April 2013 23:51 (thirteen years ago)

What if Kurt Cobain had quit Nirvana and gone on to make South Park cartoons?

http://images.mylot.com/userImages/images/postphotos/2379385.jpg

pplains, Sunday, 7 April 2013 00:21 (thirteen years ago)

Imagine no PiL sessions... I wonder if you can

the drummer for gay Daddy Yankee (some dude), Sunday, 7 April 2013 00:37 (thirteen years ago)

What if Mark Walberg had a successful career as a pop star and actor and Mark Wahlberg hosted Antiques Roadshow?

carl agatha, Sunday, 7 April 2013 03:34 (thirteen years ago)

What if Skee Lo had been like 6'9"? Would his life have been significantly different or was he just using his height as an excuse to cover for other shortcomings? Would Leoshi have been more interested?

Des Fusils Pour Banter (ShariVari), Sunday, 7 April 2013 06:47 (thirteen years ago)

lol why the picture of Andre Agassi?

OutdoorFish, Sunday, 7 April 2013 08:39 (thirteen years ago)

that's trey parker

how's life, Sunday, 7 April 2013 10:26 (thirteen years ago)

Gotta admit he had too much Brian Harvey about him to be Andre

OutdoorFish, Sunday, 7 April 2013 11:19 (thirteen years ago)

Imagine if Peter Hook had died in 1980 and Ian Curtis was touring an a cappella version of 'Unknown Pleasures'.

Hurry Up, Tell 'Em They're Dreaming (King Boy Pato), Sunday, 7 April 2013 11:48 (thirteen years ago)

I expect I Remember Nothing with fingerclicks would have gone a treat.

OutdoorFish, Sunday, 7 April 2013 11:56 (thirteen years ago)

if the wind were colors, and if the air could speak

reggie (qualmsley), Sunday, 7 April 2013 13:09 (thirteen years ago)

Imagine if Marty McFly had died in 1956 and Biff had invented Rock and Roll?

Hurry Up, Tell 'Em They're Dreaming (King Boy Pato), Sunday, 7 April 2013 13:12 (thirteen years ago)

Imagine if Nicky Wire died choking on a banana in 1995 and Richey Edwards dressed up as a tomato for charity?

Hurry Up, Tell 'Em They're Dreaming (King Boy Pato), Sunday, 7 April 2013 13:18 (thirteen years ago)

What if Eric Clapton had died in 1970 and Jimi Hendrix had a CD at Starbucks called Old Electric Ladysock?

cougars and sneezers (Eazy), Sunday, 7 April 2013 14:02 (thirteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW6jgLa63VA

What About The Half That's Never Been POLLed (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 April 2013 14:05 (thirteen years ago)

What if they were 4 blondes

My Sunn0))), My Sunn0))), What Have Ye Drone? (wins), Sunday, 7 April 2013 15:10 (thirteen years ago)

what if Eric Clapton had fallen out of the window instead of his son

no more tears in heaven

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 7 April 2013 15:22 (thirteen years ago)

Would have still created legal problems for Anal Cunt

'Separate Lives', by Phil Collins & Marilyn Manson (PaulTMA), Sunday, 7 April 2013 15:39 (thirteen years ago)

Xp I was gonna do that one but thought it would be ill-received

My Sunn0))), My Sunn0))), What Have Ye Drone? (wins), Sunday, 7 April 2013 15:50 (thirteen years ago)

lol why the picture of Andre Agassi?

― OutdoorFish, Sunday, April 7, 2013 3:39 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

that's trey parker

― how's life, Sunday, April 7, 2013 5:26 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

(just for clarification.)

http://data.whicdn.com/images/46095771/Kurt_Cobain__311996a_thumb.jpg http://images.mylot.com/userImages/images/postphotos/2379385.jpg

pplains, Sunday, 7 April 2013 15:50 (thirteen years ago)

Although mine was "what if clapton fell out the window & his son started complaining about 'wogs'" xp

My Sunn0))), My Sunn0))), What Have Ye Drone? (wins), Sunday, 7 April 2013 15:51 (thirteen years ago)

what if god was one of us

paolo, Sunday, 7 April 2013 19:49 (thirteen years ago)

The one of us would be God.

cougars and sneezers (Eazy), Sunday, 7 April 2013 20:18 (thirteen years ago)

what are the theological ramifications in sb'ing the almighty

mister borges (darraghmac), Sunday, 7 April 2013 21:57 (thirteen years ago)

what if Ken Thompson had spelt creat with an e?

What About The Half That's Never Been POLLed (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 April 2013 22:27 (thirteen years ago)

(Also theological concerns already addressed succinctly by da croupier up thread )

What About The Half That's Never Been POLLed (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 April 2013 22:29 (thirteen years ago)

Lol I was totally thinking about the Hendrix/Clapton/Old Moccasin one

que sera sriracha (Drugs A. Money), Sunday, 7 April 2013 23:05 (thirteen years ago)

Not all of them get to spend their entire adult lives wiping the arse of a friend who ended up famous.

Starmer: "Let the children boogie, let all the children boogie." (Tom D.), Tuesday, 26 October 2021 15:35 (four years ago)

On another note, I've only seen Lydon in-person once (in 2018 at PIL's Brooklyn stop), and I was surprised by how sheepish he seemed to be when he wasn't on and the music wasn't playing. During a song, it all melted away, and it was still like daggers when he flashed that famous stare directly at you, but outside of that, he seemed like a polite, harmless and insecure guy. I hadn't seen a picture of him in a while so I thought maybe it was because he had put on so much weight. (He seems to have lost a bit of it now.)

birdistheword, Tuesday, 26 October 2021 16:22 (four years ago)

four years pass...

Kaleidoscopic culture critic Chuck Klosterman rewrites the history of reality, built off a question that has never been asked or (in all likelihood) even considered: What if Phillip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle was actually about rock music?

The Velvet Underground & Nico was released in the spring of 1967. For decades, the cliche has been that it initially only sold 10,000 copies, though everyone who bought it supposedly started a band. It is the definition of a record whose influence outstrips its mass popularity. But what if the opposite had transpired? What if instead of selling 10,000 copies, it had sold … 10 million copies? What if it had sold 100 million copies? What would have happened if the Velvet Underground had inexplicably become the biggest group in the history of popular music, and everything about the rest of the 20th century was merely a footnote to that phenomenon? Whatever answer you imagine is an infinitesimal splinter, at least when compared to Rock*.

Chuck Klosterman has generated a fictitious universe where almost everything is different, except for the songs. The songs remain the same—the difference is how they are heard and what they now mean. Lou Reed is a messiah, reversing the monoculture and dictating the outcome of presidential elections. The Beatles disappear, though they never break up. The Rolling Stones collapse while Led Zeppelin goes bankrupt. Punk rock fills stadiums, undermined only by insouciant radicals like Boston and Van Halen. Disco is destroyed. Hip-hop becomes country. The 1980s are defined by disposable pop icons (like G.G. Allin) and Christian revivalists (like Madonna). Lenny Kravitz lets love rule, Oasis collides with a wonderwall, and the terrorist attacks of 9/11 are somehow blamed on the Strokes.

Presented like The Rolling Stone History of Rock & Roll if written by Jorge Luis Borges and Patrick Bateman, Rock* intermixes satiric contrarianism and Spinal Tap-ish absurdity with darker theories about what makes art popular, how success delineates perception, and the inescapable consensus of subjective history. It is not, nor does it claim to be, the greatest book ever written about rock and roll. But it’s probably the last one that ever needs to be written.

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/k/chuck-klosterman/rock.htm

Platinum Penguin Pavilion (soref), Friday, 29 May 2026 18:40 (one week ago)

Really makes you think

chr1sb3singer, Friday, 29 May 2026 18:53 (one week ago)

Wait what?

Dr. Winston O RLY? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 29 May 2026 19:16 (one week ago)

Bring the jubilee!

Dr. Winston O RLY? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 29 May 2026 19:16 (one week ago)

FWIW both PiL and the Sex Pistols w/o Rotten are playing Riot Fest. We'll see if they actually cross paths, but they could be booked on different days.

birdistheword, Saturday, 30 May 2026 02:20 (one week ago)


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