Pete Shelley was always someone I admired, not just for his excellent work with The Buzzcocks, but his solo work too. His music literally pushed the late 70’s sneering punk aesthetic into the realm of pop and new wave. Some people have argued that maybe The Buzzcocks were power pop — and they wouldn’t be wrong, but they could easily be classified as the first punk-pop band too. The Buzzcocks were also one of the most influential DIY bands of its day, when they self-released their debut EP Spiral Scratchin 1977, setting a strong example for the future of independent music. Pete Shelley had died of a heart attack aged 63, but he made a dent in the musical landscape that will be felt by his fellow homosapiens for years to come.