7 STORIES
1977 · 70S
"Complete Control" is The Clash biting the hand that fed them — a furious, joyous protest song aimed directly at their own record label, CBS…
1977 · 70S
"White Riot" isn't a song about racial conflict — it's the opposite. Written after Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon were caught up in the 1976 …
1979 · 70S
The Clash's most famous anthem of rebellion isn't a Clash song at all — it's a 1959 tune written by a Texan in Buddy Holly's old band, which…
1979 · 70S
LONDON, UK
— In December 1979, The Clash released a song that sounded less like a punk anthem and more like a transmission from a city on the edge of c…
1979 · 70S
The Clash's first American Top 30 hit was a heartbroken soul song hidden as a secret track on London Calling — written overnight by Mick Jon…
1982 · 80S
The Clash's biggest American hit is a satirical fable about a king who bans rock music and a population that refuses to stop dancing — writt…
1982 · 80S
Released in 1982 on Combat Rock, The Clash's most playful single is also their most haunted — a punk-rockabilly hybrid written by a band alr…