Former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon thinks The Rolling Stones should retire

Former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten thinks The Rolling Stones should call it quits after all these years.

Lydon announced his own retirement after his wife Nora’s death in 2023 after a battle with Alzheimer’s, but changed his mind and now has dates planned with his band Public Image Ltd. During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, Lydon joked about his change of heart, noting, “That’s dementia for you, I forgot that bit.”

But then he explained his decision to perform again, which is when he took a dig at The Stones.

“As I indicated before, if I just sat back and retired, that’s not me. I’m not that kind of person,” the 69-year-old said. “By all means, The Rolling Stones should retire. I’m not short of a song idea or two, so there’s a difference.”

He then acknowledged, “I’ve offended music lovers.”

Lydon seems to be suggesting The Stones don’t have any good music left in them, although the band did release a new album, Hackney Diamonds, in 2023. The album went on to win a Grammy for best rock album.