14 December 2023

London‘s punk icons THE CLASH released their magnum opus, double LP LONDON CALLING 44 years ago today, on 14 December 1979. A monumental record with the band mixing a lot of different musical genres such as reggae, rockabilly, ska, New Orleans R&B, pop and lounge jazz.

Lyrically, the songs were about social issues like inequality, unemployment, racial conflicts, drug abuse and our climate’s ugly future. The final result was a bold, multi-faceted, and overall a astonishing achievement. A pure classic. It scored big time, worldwide, with sales of over five million copies.

Rolling Stone wrote: “Merry and tough, passionate and large-spirited, London Calling celebrates the romance of rock & roll rebellion in grand, epic terms. It doesn’t merely reaffirm the Clash’s own commitment to rock-as-revolution. Instead, the record ranges across the whole of rock & roll’s past for its sound, and digs deeply into rock legend, history, politics and myth for its images and themes.”

– LONDON CALLING –

– GUNS OF BRIXTON –

ALBUM

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Back sleeve

THE CLASH: Bio – Discography – Instagram