Top 10 Best Songs by The Clash

Their debut single. Two minutes of pure anger and adrenaline. It's about the race riots in London and a call to the white youth to also rise up. The guitars saw and the drums race. Strummer screams the lyrics out. It's punk in its most primitive and powerful form. An explosion of energy.

An atmospheric, slow song with a unique drumbeat (later sampled by M.I.A.). It's about the forgotten children of American soldiers in Vietnam and injustice in the world. The mood is melancholic and exotic. Strummer sings inwardly and cynically. A beautiful example of their later, more experimental work.

One of their early experiments with reggae. Joe Strummer sings about a disappointing concert and the state of England (racism, violence). The lyrics are literary and sharp. The music is relaxed, but the message is urgent. It shows that punk doesn't have to be fast and hard to have impact.

A cover of The Crickets, but The Clash made it definitively theirs. It's tight, energetic and catchy. "I fought the law and the law won." It's the ultimate outlaw song. The hand claps and simple riff make it irresistible. A rock-'n-roll classic full of bravado.

Written and sung by bassist Paul Simonon. It's a heavy, threatening reggae track. The bassline is iconic and driving. It's about police violence and tension in Brixton. "When they kick at your front door." The mood is paranoid and oppressive. It captures the heat and threat of a city about to explode.

A funky song that almost sounds like disco. It was added to the album London Calling at the last moment. It's about a relationship breakdown. Mick Jones sings it with a soulful sob. The beat is tight and danceable. It's a perfect pop song that shows how versatile the band had become.

Inspired by the emerging hip-hop scene in New York. It's built around a funky bassline. Joe Strummer rap-sings a stream of consciousness about capitalism and working life. "Magnificence cost." It's groovy, funny and sharp. One of the first times a rock band took rap seriously and integrated it.

Their biggest hit. A piano riff from drummer Topper Headon forms the basis. It's a danceable song with a political message about the banning of Western music in Iran. The sheik drives his Cadillac and rocks the Casbah. It's ironic, catchy and irresistible. A protest song you can dance to.

The riff that everyone knows. Mick Jones sings about the doubt in a relationship. The Spanish background singing ("Te tengo!") adds extra chaos and fun. The song builds and stops, builds and stops. The dynamics are excellent. It's the ultimate sing-along and a staple at every party.

The opening track of the best album of the eighties. The staccato guitar riff sounds like a morse code announcing a storm. It's apocalyptic: "London is drowning and I live by the river." Strummer sings with urgency and despair that grabs you by the throat. It's about the end of the world, nuclear threat and flooding. Raw, epic and historic.