The last time the jubilee bunting came out, the Sex Pistols were all the rage and a Brit was winning Wimbledon. Nick Morrison looks at what a difference 25 years can make

UP and down the country, trestle tables were laden with jellies, bunting was hanging from every lamp-post and every hand clasped a Union Jack. Community spirit was in plentiful supply, as it seemed the whole nation turned out to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee.

It was the year the US space shuttle made its maiden manned test flight and Red Rum became the first horse to pull off a Grand National hat-trick. Kerry Packer split the cricketing fraternity with his World Series and Liverpool won the European Cup for the first time.

Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in a tense and error-strewn final against the Dutch champion Betty Stove and Freddie Laker launched his Skytrain, offering transatlantic flights for £59, when the normal single fare to New York was £186.

Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith accepted the principle of one-man one-vote, heralding the end of almost 90 years of white rule, and Steve Biko died in a prison cell in South Africa.

1977 also saw the deaths of Bing Crosby, Joan Crawford, Marc Bolan and Groucho Marx. Cinema's greatest clown, Charlie Chaplin, died on Christmas Day, and while her subjects shouted 'Long Live the Queen', the King was dead. Elvis Presley was found dead at his mansion in Graceland, Tennessee, at the age of 42.

A quarter century on, while the Golden Jubilee may not be quite the damp squib that was predicted earlier in the year, there is no doubt that the celebrations are more low key. But although British society has moved on in the last 25 years, 1977 left its mark across the cultural spectrum, and its stars stand comparison with today's counterparts.

MUSIC

1977: An enduring symbol of the punk scene, especially band members Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious, the Sex Pistols were the musical phenomenon of the year. After bursting onto the scene with their first single Anarchy In The UK, they made headlines for their stream of swearing during their appearance on LWT's Today programme with Bill Grundy. They released their most famous track God Save The Queen during the Silver Jubilee celebrations, which was re-released last week. Despite a daytime radio ban, the single rose to Number 1 in the New Musical Express chart, although the 'official' chart recorded it at number 2.

2002: After manufactured bands, this year has seen manufactured soloists. Millions watched Pop Idol which took an unknown performer to a lucrative record contract and chart success, with 8.7 million people voting on the final night. Eventual winner Will Young broke records with his first single Anything Is Possible/Evergreen as it rushed to No 1. The top-selling single of the year so far, he was knocked off the top spot by runner-up Gareth Gates, whose cover version of Unchained Melody is the 2002's second best-selling single.

FILM

1977: The film that made John Travolta a star, Saturday Night Fever became legendary through its disco scenes, still copied in clubs around the world whenever the Bee Gees hit is played. The film, which summed up the disco era and daily life in Brooklyn, briefly made it fashionable for men to wear white suits.

2002: Children's books about an orphaned wizard have been read by millions of all ages around the world, making a fortune for author J K Rowling and the first Harry Potter film was a massive hit at the end of last year. The DVD/video release in May became the most successful ever, selling more than one and a quarter million copies to beat Titanic which held the previous record. The second film is due for release in November.

TV

1977: Making their debut in Silver Jubilee year were Citizen Smith, where Robert Lindsay played the leader of the Tooting Popular Front, the Krypton Factor, Bodie and Doyle in The Professionals, and Secret Army, charting the heroics of the Resistance during the Second World War. 1977 also saw the drama 1990, a futuristic drama where bureaucracy has run riot.

2002: Reality television has become a phenomenon in recent years, and the popularity of Big Brother 3 suggests there is plenty of scope left. Revisiting past successes has also been a theme, with the Forsyte Saga and a new series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, and our appetite for US imports shows no sign of slackening, with Frasier, Sex and the City, Friends and Will and Grace all pulling in the audiences.

STAR WARS

1977: The biggest earning film of all time, Star Wars crashed into the world's consciousness in 1977, breaking all box office records. The first of George Lucas' saga to be released, it will eventually be the fourth in the series. Harrison Ford had been working as a carpenter when he was chosen for the part of Han Solo which blasted him to fame. Carrie Fisher is still best known for her portrayal of Princess Leia.

2002: Attack of the Clones, the second instalment, has been setting the box office alight, although it lacks the magic of the original, but it could still send the careers of its stars into orbit. Hayden Christensen started his acting career as a child, appearing in commercials, but the 21-year-old Canadian was a relative unknown when he was chosen for the part of Anakin Skywalker. Natalie Portman, who made her name in her first appearance in Leon, also appeared in 1999's The Phantom Menace.

TENNIS

1977: The last British player to win Wimbledon, taking the ladies singles crown after beating Betty Stove, Virginia Wade is one of the most successful British tennis players of all time. She won her first title at the US Open in 1968, her Wimbledon victory marked the pinnacle of her career and remains one of the most memorable wins in the tournament's history.

2002: Ranked six in the world, British number one Tim Henman has often reached the final rounds of Wimbledon but has never won the title, losing several times in the semi-finals to regular winner Pete Sampras. Now aged 28, his opportunities of winning a Grand Slam title are running out. One of the best serve and volleyers in the game, he will be hoping to reprise Wade's Jubilee triumph next month.

FOOTBALL

1977: One of the greatest strikers of his era, Kevin Keegan played 63 times for the England side, as well as captaining the team and scoring 23 goals. He also won the title of European Footballer of the Year in both 1978 and 1979. He scored 100 goals during his time at Liverpool, before going on to manage Newcastle United, Fulham, Manchester City and the England team. A style icon of his time, despite a bubble perm in the 1980s.

2002: As famous for his celebrity lifestyle as his footballing talents, England captain David Beckham made his debut for the national side in September 1997. A hate figure after being sent off against Argentina in the World Cup in 1998, the Manchester United player has since regained his national hero status. His broken foot before this year's World Cup has had the nation biting its nails, while his dress sense has filled almost as many column inches.