Sex, drugs and rock n’ roll

This catchphrase has passed into the language and has come to epitomise the world of popular music. Most of the lyrics and subject matter of popular music are driven by one, two or all three of these topics. The phrase was coined by the British singer and musician Ian Dury (1942-2000) when he wrote and released a single called, Sex, Drugs and Rock n’ Roll in 1977. He released the song under his own name but previously he had been the lead singer of a punk group called Ian Dury and the Blockheads. The song was not a hit, selling only 19,000 copies, but it did win critical fame. Today, the phrase rather than the song is remembered and is frequently used to describe the entire genre of pop music. Ian Dury died from cancer in the year 2000, aged 57.