Artist Playlists
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Of all the U.K. punk bands, The Clash were the most passionate, the most prolific, and the most ambitious. They formed in London in early 1976 after playing in various proto-punk and pub-rock bands, and the following year their self-titled debut defined punk's fury and energy. While the band's lyrics remained fiercely politicized and socially conscious, the sound evolved quickly. Their 1979 masterpiece London Calling incorporated everything from rockabilly to soul to reggae, and they soon embraced disco and hip-hop. By 1983, the original lineup had split, and the 2002 death of singer/guitarist Joe Strummer ended speculation of a reunion. - The Clash excelled at making rough-hewn clips that were true to their music, partly because most were directed by their pal Don Letts, a filmmaking novice. The videos could be shadowy portents (“London Calling”), cop-show spoofs (“I Fought the Law”), or comical provocations (“Rock the Casbah,” where a Hasidic Jew and a kaffiyeh-wearing Muslim defy stereotypes), and collectively, they proved “punk-music video” wasn't an oxymoron.
- Many U.K. bands embraced Jamaican music in the late '70s, whether it was the pop-reggae of The Police or the dub influence heard in bands like Public Image Ltd. and The Slits. None did it better than The Clash, however. Sharing both the righteous anger and politicized worldview of many of their Rastafarian brethren, The Clash incorporated everything from roots to rocksteady to dub and did it well. Just listen.
- The Clash's influence runs deep. Their punchy early work cleared the way for anthem merchants from Minutemen to Rancid and U2, while Massive Attack and LCD Soundsystem went digging in their pockets of reggae, funk, and hip-hop. The band's lyrical worldviews inspired Living Colour and Billy Bragg, and newer artists like Arctic Monkeys and M.I.A. prove that The Clash's rebel spirit will live on for generations.
- The punk pioneers' more obscure cuts are also some of their most thrilling detours. "Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad" is a bopping, piano-rocking tale of an infamous LSD bust, the Allen Ginsberg-featuring "Ghetto Defendant" is a dub doozy, and "Rebel Waltz" is a woozy battlefield march. And don't miss their final single, "This Is England," in which Joe Strummer unleashes one of his most powerfully triumphant rants.
- The Clash may have started out as a slash-and-burn punk band trying to free UK rock from the influence of classic groups like The Beatles. As the band developed their sound, they displayed a wide range of influences, from reggae and rockabilly to R&B and garage rock. As The Clash entered their Top 40 tenure in the '80s, they continued to incorporate other genres, including early American hip-hop.