Jonny Rotten can't be the most wonderful human being while Queen were still around and i never really liked the sex pistols anyway. NOTW was the best album of that year, and all following years until the game. It's only because Queen were smart enough not to go near the NME, like The darkness are now.
Pink Floyd had "Animals" that year too. I really like Never Mind The Bollocks but Album Of The Year seems a bit much. I guess it had a lot of cultural significance though. *shrugs*
1977 was the year of Punk! Typically NME and its readers jumped on the bandwagon hence Rotton's award. Funny thing is a year later NME had turned its back on Punk!
NMTB probably was the album of the year probably not the best musically but it certainly opened a few eyes.
I always thought Queen had a lot in common with the Punk bands strangly - the we are going to do it our way and fuk you attitude. With Punk and with Queen in those days there seemed to be no middle ground they sparked opinions you either loved them or hated them! I loved both Queen and Punk but it is only now all these years later that my Punk mates are telling me they liked Queen all those years ago as well - lol