Global InformationLondon Calling information
| London Calling | ||||
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| Studio album by the Clash | ||||
| Released | 14 December 1979 | |||
| Recorded | August–November 1979 | |||
| Studio | Wessex, London | |||
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| Length | 65:07 | |||
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| The Clash chronology | ||||
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| Singles from London Calling | ||||
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London Calling is the third studio album by the English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records.
The Clash recorded the album with producer Guy Stevens at Wessex Sound Studios in London over a five- to six-week period starting in August 1979, following a change in management and a period of writer's block for songwriters Joe Strummer and Mick Jones. Bridging a traditional punk rock sound and a new wave aesthetic, London Calling reflects the band's growing interest in styles beyond their punk roots, including reggae, rockabilly, ska, New Orleans R&B, pop, lounge jazz, and hard rock. Lyrical themes include social displacement, unemployment, racial conflict, drug use, and the responsibilities of adulthood.
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.[1] On Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, London Calling was ranked number 8 in the 2003 and 2012 editions, and number 16 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.[2][3]
- ^ "10 Times the Clash's "London Calling" Was Recognized as One of the Greatest Albums of All Time". Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- ^ "Royal Mail unveil classic album cover stamps". The Independent. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ "Royal Mail puts classic albums on to stamps". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2022.