Although they never enjoyed much commercial success, the band is considered one of the most influential streetpunk bands in history, helping pave the way for the late-1970s punk scene and the Oi! subgenre. Their style was influenced by pub rock, glam rock and raw 1960s beat music as delivered by bands like the Small Faces and The Who. Their lyrics mostly dealt with topics related to the daily lives of working class people. Cock Sparrer's songs have been covered by many punk, Oi!, and hardcore bands.
Their name is sometimes thought to refer to cock fighting (as in 'sparring'), although as evidenced by their original name, Cock Sparrow, it refers instead to a Cockney term of familiarity.
From Wikipedia
