John Lydon Announces Photographic Memoir Marking 50th Anniversary of Sex Pistols

John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) has announced a photographic memoir titled Archive, marking the 50th anniversary of his legendary punk band Sex Pistols.

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The book, which is available for pre-order in Luxe and Superluxe editions, is set for release in November.

Archive serves to document Lydon’s time both as a member of Sex Pistols as well as his work as frontman of Public Image Ltd. It also features tributes to his late wife Nora Forster and his best friend and manager John Rambo Stevens, both of whom have passed.

Lydon said of the book, “This isn’t a nostalgia trip. It’s a record of real life—the good, the chaos, the quiet moments, and the people who stood by me through it all. Looking back over 50 years, it was time to open up the personal collection and set the story straight.”

The “Luxe” edition features the 200+ page coffee table book in a slipcase and is signed by Lydon. The “Superluxe” edition features the book plus an exclusive companion volume of additional photos in a clamshell box alongside the new Public Image Ltd. live album Alive, a print of a self-portrait by Lydon, and a print of the recent portrait of Lydon done by photographer Lou Boileau for the National Portrait Gallery.

Public Image Ltd. are currently preparing for a second leg of their 2026-2027 North American tour set to begin February 17th in Salt Lake City, and run through March 24th in Cleveland. Get tickets here.

Meanwhile, Lydon’s co-founding members of Sex Pistols have been touring without him as Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter. They recently completed a North American outing, with a UK run set for December.

See the cover of Archives and images of the two editions below.