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London Calling 1979
Album · by The Clash ↗ View artist

London Calling

When The Clash went to record London Calling, they were coming from a particular moment. They had left their manager, Bernard Rhodes, behind, and that meant moving out of their studio in Camden Town. The new rehearsal space, in the back of a garage in Pimlico, was the setting where, starting in August 1979, they began to shape this double album. The band, with Joe Strummer and Mick Jones leading the songwriting, had gone through a period of creative block. To break the ice, they dedicated themselves to exploring and playing covers of genres like rockabilly, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and reggae. These private sessions, away from external scrutiny, allowed them to regain confidence and laid the groundwork for the variety of styles they would end up capturing on the album.

Year
1979
Songs
19
Duration
64 min 1 seg
Listen to the album ★

19 song|s

Song list

# Title Available ⏱
00

The Guns of Brixton

Easy

3:08 00

Train in Vain

Easy

3:02 00

Revolution Rock

Intermediate

5:29 00

I’m Not Down

Intermediate

3:03 00

Four Horsemen

Intermediate

2:55 00

Lover’s Rock

Intermediate

3:59 00

The Card Cheat

Easy

3:44 00

Koka Kola

Easy

1:44 00

Death or Glory

Intermediate

3:52 00

Wrong ’Em Boyo

Easy

3:08 00

Clampdown

Intermediate

3:45 00

Lost in the Supermarket

Intermediate

3:43 00

The Right Profile

Intermediate

3:50 00

Spanish Bombs

Intermediate

3:17 00

Rudie Can’t Fail

Easy

3:25 00

Hateful

Intermediate

2:42 00

Jimmy Jazz

Intermediate

3:51 00

Brand New Cadillac

Intermediate

2:05 01

London Calling

Intermediate

3:19

About the album

London Calling, according to DoReSol

The result of that process was a sound that moved away from the purer punk rock that had characterized them. On London Calling, The Clash opened up to exploring reggae, rockabilly, ska, New Orleans R&B, pop, lounge jazz, and hard rock. The lyrics touched on themes such as social displacement, unemployment, racial conflicts, drug use, and the responsibilities that come with adulthood. The album, which was released in the UK in December 1979 and reached the United States and Canada in January 1980, had a good reception on the charts, with the title track reaching the top 20 singles.

The influence of this work is notable. It is estimated to have sold over five million copies worldwide and was recognized with platinum in the United States. Its impact is reflected in lists of the best albums of all time; for example, on Rolling Stone's list, London Calling ranked 8th in the 2003 and 2012 editions, and 16th in the 2020 edition. Even in 2010, the UK's Royal Mail commemorated it in a series of postage stamps dedicated to classic British album covers. The cover itself, designed by Lowry and photographed by Pennie Smith, is a nod to the design of Elvis Presley's first album.