#12 The Clash

The Clash were among the first wave of British punk that emerged in the mid-seventies. Their first album, The Clash, was an instant smash and propelled them to stardom. They were different than their punk brethren in two major ways. First, they were neither anarchists nor nihilists. Instead, the incorporated leftist politics into their music. Second, they branched out beyond punk and included Ska, Reggae, Funk, Hip Hop, and Rockabilly into their music.

All the these elements were in place by their third album, London Calling. This post-industrial apocalypse is considered the greatest album of the eighties. It also opened the American market up for The Clash. By 1983, they were one of the biggest bands on Earth, toured with The Who, played Shea Stadium, and were considered “The Only Band that Mattered.” Inner tensions eventually broke the group apart and they were done by the mid-80s.

After the breakup, Mick Jones formed the successful band, Big Audio Dynamite. In 2008, Jones formed Carbon Silicon. Joe Strummer struggled with the breakup, did some movie work, and eventually returned to music with Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. Rumors of a Clash reunion began around 2000. In 2002, the band was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and considered reuniting to celebrate. However, Strummer died of an undiagnosed heart condition in 2002.

Rock n Roll Moment: The band demanded the record company offer the 3 album Sandinista! be offered at a fan friendly price.

Essential Clash:
The Clash (1977)
London Calling (1979)
Sandinista! (1980)

The Clash’s Top 10:
Complete Control
Career Opportunities
White Riot
English Civil War
London Calling
Train in Vain
The Guns of Brixton
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Rock the Casbah
Know Your Rights