London Calling

about this album

"London Calling" is the third album by English punk rock band The Clash, released 14 December 1979, on CBS Records in the UK and in January 1980 on Epic Records in the United States. The album represented a change in The Clash's musical style, and featured elements of ska, pop, soul, rockabilly and reggae more prominently than in their previously released music. The album's subject matter included unemployment, racial conflict, drug use, and the responsibilities of adulthood. The album's cover was photographed by Pennie Smith and designed by Lowry. It was a homage to the design of Elvis Presley's debut album. The album was a top ten chart success in the UK, and its lead single "London Calling" was a top 20 single. The album has sold over five million copies worldwide, and was certified platinum in the US for sales of one million. It was also met with widespread critical acclaim and has retrospectively been named one of the greatest albums of all time. On Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, London Calling ranked eighth in the 2003 and 2012 editions, and sixteenth in the 2020 edition. In 2010, it was one of ten classic album covers from British artists commemorated on a UK postage stamp issued by the Royal Mail. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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