The Clash

The Clash were an English rock band that formed in London in 1976 and were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. The band were billed as “The Only Band That Matters”; they contributed to the post-punk and new wave movements that followed punk. The Clash used elements of a variety of genres, including reggae, dub, funk, ska, and rockabilly. For most of their recording career, The Clash consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist and vocalist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky “Topper” Headon.

In 1982, Headon left the band due to internal friction surrounding his increasing heroin addiction. Further internal friction led to Jones’ departure the following year. The band continued with new members and disbanded in early 1986. The Clash achieved critical and commercial success in the United Kingdom with the release of their debut album The Clash (1977) and their second album Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978). Their experimental third album London Calling, which was released in the UK in December 1979, earned them popularity in the United States, where it was released the following month. A decade later, Rolling Stone named London Calling the best album of the 1980s. Following continued musical experimentation on their fourth album Sandinista! (1980), the band were more successful with the release of Combat Rock (1982), which includes the US top-10 hit “Rock the Casbah”, helping the album to achieve a 2× platinum certification there. With a new lineup, the band released their final album Cut the Crap in 1985 before disbanding a few weeks later.In January 2003, shortly after the death of Joe Strummer, the band—including original drummer Terry Chimes—were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Clash number 28 on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”.

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