Complex sentence: However, the band knew they had it made when Washingtonian Magazine named TFI "worst band" in 1980 (without ever hearing them), cementing their status and popularity in the punk/new wave scene.
Split into simpler sentences: However, the band knew they had made it when Washingtonian Magazine named TFI "worst band" in 1980-without ever having heard them. This cemented TFI's status and popularity in the punk/new wave scene.