#8 The Clash's London Calling

The greatest punk rock band and the greatest punk rock album of all time. That's right. The Clash and 1979's London Calling changed the way that punk rock operated and the way the public heard it. Not only was it a punk album, but it was a genre confused album with sounds of reggae, rockabilly, lounge jazz, ska, and 60s style pop among many other sounds. It really will blow the listener away with its raw power and constantly changing sound from song to song. Joe Strummer and Co. tear through 19 songs of sheer greatness in possibly the most important album of the late 70s and early 80s (UK release was Dec. 79 and US release was shortly after in 80.)

Anyone who has listened to this album knows why its so great. You don't need to be a punk rocker to love it. Many people who harsh on punk rock because there are so many rip-off and crappy punk bands should NOT disregard this album (I'm looking at you, Simon.) This isn't really a punk album as much as it is a Clash album. And the Clash wasn't a punk rock band anymore after they released London Calling. If anyone listened to Sandinista! and Combat Rock, you would know they were Clash albums. Listening to their debut or Give Em Enough Rope know that they sound more like what 70s punk was all about. This is why London Calling is great. It's the first truely unique Clash recording.

"London Calling" is a song the mission statement for the album (obviously) because in the late 70s, punk rock was HUGE in Britain. It was the new Mod scene that took over the youth. Songs like "Hateful", "The Guns of Brixton" and "Clampdown" were the doctrine of punk rockers of that time. They embody the political atmosphere and attitudes of the punks.

Songs like "Jimmy Jazz", "Lost in a Supermarket" and "Revolution Rock" are the perfect staples of new sounds for the Clash. With reggae and jazzy sounds including horns, exotic instruments and tones that were more clear and polished then the usual harsh guitars made the album much more dynamic and mature. "Rudie Can't Fail" is their ska experiment and ska bands to this day live by this song (and I live by this song as well... and I'm not a ska kid in the least.)

My first experience with the Clash was their compilation entitled "Story of the Clash" which had some of the songs from this album. Things like "Train in Vain", the titular track, "Guns of Brixton" and "Spanish Bombs" were on there. When they finally reissued them in 2000, I picked up my copy of this and was floored. I never thought there would be songs like "The Right Profile" or "Four Horseman" on a Clash record. I loved the Clash, but once I heard this album, I worshiped them. It was odd because I remember seeing Punk kids loving the Clash and when I listen to this album I was thinking "I have nothing in common with these kids. Why do they love this even though it sounds so different and dynamic than most punk stuff." Then it hit me... how can you not love this album? If you love music, be it punk, rock, prog, whatever... you have to love the songs on this album. London Calling is just that essential to any music lovers collection.