4) The Clash
Photo by Oddsock, but it's a public image through Creative Commons.
THEIR STORY: Directly inspiring nearly every band on this list, The Clash combined rock 'n' roll, punk, a steady stream of reggae and an undeniable sense of melody to become musical legends. However, their sometimes aggressive, always-melodic style incorporated a wide range of genres—much to the chagrin of their label, CBS. They were one of the first mainstream rock bands to experiment with rap, dub, and hip hop; they also were extremely prolific, releasing a double record (London Calling) and a triple LP (Sandanista!) back to back.
THEIR STATEMENT: It's difficult to talk about politics and The Clash because the two are so dense and intertwined. The band certainly followed a leftist ideology by writing songs that rejected the nihilism of punk rock and instead found footing in social activism. They were a huge part of the Anti-Nazi league, spoke to the problems of the working class, and very publicly clashed with the money-driven politics of their label, CBS. Even after The Clash disbanded, singer/guitarist Joe Strummer remained a staunch activist until his death in 2002.
CRUC SONGS (YES, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE TO NARROW DOWN):
"White Riot"
"Rudie Can't Fail"
"The Magnificent Seven"
CRUC LYRIC: "When they kick at your front door/How you gonna come?/With your hands on your head/Or on the trigger of your gun?/When the law break in/How you gonna go?/Shot down on the pavement/Or waiting on death row?/You can crush us/You can bruise us/But you'll have to answer to/Oh, the guns of Brixton."
—from "Guns of Brixton," off London Calling
THEIR STORY: Directly inspiring nearly every band on this list, The Clash combined rock 'n' roll, punk, a steady stream of reggae and an undeniable sense of melody to become musical legends. However, their sometimes aggressive, always-melodic style incorporated a wide range of genres—much to the chagrin of their label, CBS. They were one of the first mainstream rock bands to experiment with rap, dub, and hip hop; they also were extremely prolific, releasing a double record (London Calling) and a triple LP (Sandanista!) back to back.
THEIR STATEMENT: It's difficult to talk about politics and The Clash because the two are so dense and intertwined. The band certainly followed a leftist ideology by writing songs that rejected the nihilism of punk rock and instead found footing in social activism. They were a huge part of the Anti-Nazi league, spoke to the problems of the working class, and very publicly clashed with the money-driven politics of their label, CBS. Even after The Clash disbanded, singer/guitarist Joe Strummer remained a staunch activist until his death in 2002.
CRUC SONGS (YES, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE TO NARROW DOWN):
"White Riot"
"Rudie Can't Fail"
"The Magnificent Seven"
CRUC LYRIC: "When they kick at your front door/How you gonna come?/With your hands on your head/Or on the trigger of your gun?/When the law break in/How you gonna go?/Shot down on the pavement/Or waiting on death row?/You can crush us/You can bruise us/But you'll have to answer to/Oh, the guns of Brixton."
—from "Guns of Brixton," off London Calling
i guess i never thought about them being political, because i tend to lean more towards songs like 'cheat' and 'janie jones' that are really just feel good jams..but you're right, white riot especially..and for them at the time, the music they were playing was very controversial. white boys playing dub, reggae...and fully supporting the working class above all others...
i love the clash. end of story. raise a toast to saint joe strummer!