London Calling, a double album released by The Clash in December, 1979, marked the band's critical and commercial breakthrough. Besides straightforward punk rock, it featured a much wider array of styles than the Clash's earlier albums, including American-style rockabilly and reggae works that resonated with the Ska movement in Britain (see 1979 in music). The album is considered a landmark by some, and tracks such as "Train in Vain", "Clampdown", and "London Calling" show up with regularity on rock stations to this day.

The title track alludes to the BBC World Service's station identification: "This is London calling...", that was used during World War II.

The cover features a photograph by Pennie Smith of Paul Simonon smashing his bass guitar, surrounded by typography that imitates Elvis Presley's debut album, Elvis Presley. The picture was later voted the best rock and roll photograph of all time by Q magazine, although ironically at the time Smith did not want the picture used as she did not feel it was technically a very good shot.

Notable commercial use of the album includes the use of the title track in the James Bond film Die Another Day in one segment of the film, and in a commercial for Jaguar.

In January, 2000 this album along with the rest of the Clash's catalog was remastered and re-released.

In September, 2004, Epic/Legacy Records released a Legacy Edition of the album which included not only the original remastered album (first released in 2000) but also The Vanilla Tapes, long rumoured lost, which contained rough rehearsal sessions for the album named after the studio in London where the recordings took place and a DVD containing a documentary and promos about the making of the album.

It was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll. In 1998 Q magazine readers voted London Calling the 32nd greatest album of all time; Rolling Stone named it the best album of the 1980s (although it was released in 1979 in the UK, its U.S. release was in 1980) in 2000; in 2003 the TV network VH1 placed it at number 25.

Sound sample

London Calling.ogg, 30 seconds, 616 KB.

Track listing

All tracks written by Mick Jones and Joe Strummer unless noted.

1. "London Calling" (3:20)
2. "Brand New Cadillac" (Taylor) (2:08)
3. "Jimmy Jazz" (3:54)
4. "Hateful" (2:44)
5. "Rudie Can't Fail" (3:29)
6. "Spanish Bombs" (3:18)
7. "The Right Profile" (3:54)
8. "Lost in the Supermarket" (3:47)
9. "Clampdown" (3:49)
10. "The Guns of Brixton" (3:09) (Simonon)
11. "Wrong 'Em Boyo" (3:10)
12. "Death or Glory" (3:55)
13. "Koka Kola" (1:47)
14. "The Card Cheat" (3:49) (The Clash)
15. "Lover's Rock" (4:03)
16. "Four Horsemen" (2:55)
17. "I'm Not Down" (3:06)
18. "Revolution Rock" (5:33)
19. "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)" (3:09)

25th Anniversary Edition track listing

Disc two on the 25th Anniversary Edition of the album containing The Vanilla Tapes

1. "Hateful"
2. "Rudie Can't Fail"
3. "Paul's Tune" (Simonon)
4. "I'm Not Down"
5. "4 Horsemen"
6. "Koka Kola, Advertising & Cocaine"
7. "Death Or Glory"
8. "Lover's Rock"
9. "Lonesome Me" (The Clash)
10. "The police Walked In 4 Jazz"
11. "Lost In The Supermarket"
12. "Up-Toon (Inst.)"
13. "Walking The Sidewalk" (The Clash)
14. "Where You Gonna Go (Soweto)" (The Clash)
15. "The Man In Me" (Dylan)
16. "Remote Control"
17. "Working And Waiting"
18. "Heart & Mind" (The Clash)
19. "Brand New Cadillac" (Taylor)
20. "London Calling"
21. "Revolution Rock" (J. Edwards/D. Ray)

Personnel

• Joe Strummer - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, "Pianner"
• Mick Jones - Guitar, Vocals, Piano
• Paul Simonon - Bass, Vocals
• Topper Headon - Drums, Percussion
• Micky Gallagher - Organ
• Irish Horns - Brass
• Guy Stevens - Producer
• Bill Price - Chief Engineer
• Jerry Green - 2nd Engineer
• Pennie Smith - Photography
• Ray Lowry - Design, Lyric calligraphy
• Johnny Green - Road Manager
• Baker Glare - "Pre-Production and Whistling"
• Warren Steadman - Tour Lighting
• Kozmo Vinyl - Management

Chart information

• In the United Kingdom the album charted at #9 and stayed on the British charts for 20 weeks.
• In the United States the album peaked at #27 spending 33 weeks on the chart and reaching gold status.