London Calling (studio album)
by The Clash

London Calling by The Clash
Year: 1979
Overall rank: 20th   
Average Rating: 
87/100 (from 3,156 votes)
     
Accolades:
Award Best album of 1979 (1st)
Award Top 10 albums of the 1970s (5th)
Award Top 20 albums of all time (20th)

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Product Details
Availability

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The Clash - London Calling [New Vinyl LP] 180 Gram
Condition: New


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RARE ORIGINAL 1979 WHITE LABEL THE CLASH LONDON CALLING VINYL 2 LP NM RARE
Condition: Used

$229.99


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The Clash - London Calling - 1980 Early Press Double Vinyl LP - Epic E2 36328
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The Clash bestography

London Calling is ranked as the best album by The Clash.

The Clash album bestography « Higher ranked
-
This album (20th)
London Calling
Lower ranked (279th) »
The Clash

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

Upcoming concerts

Jan
11
Sun
09:45
SCHOOL OF ROCK SEATTLE presents: Best of the 2010's / David Bowie / The Clash
The Crocodile, Seattle, United States. United States
Tickets from Ticketmaster Get tickets
 
Jan
20
Tue
20:00
A Celebration of The Clash/Jamaican Hurricane Relief Benefit w/a screening of "The Rise and Fall of The Clash" film
The Bowery Electric, New York, United States. United States
Tickets from Ticketmaster Get tickets
 
Feb
07
Sat
18:00
Chickie Wah Wah's 4th "Annule" International Clash Day
Chickie Wah Wah, New Orleans, United States. United States
Tickets from Ticketmaster Get tickets
 
Discover more upcoming concerts

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London Calling track list

   The tracks on this album have an average rating of 86 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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Track
Rating/Comments
1.
Track pick (920 - 1021 votes)
Average Rating: 92 (1,021 votes)Comments: View 16
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2.
Average Rating: 85 (586 votes)Comments: View 5
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3.
Average Rating: 84 (565 votes)Comments: View 5
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4.
Average Rating: 86 (584 votes)Comments: View 5
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5.
Average Rating: 88 (632 votes)Comments: View 9
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6.
Average Rating: 89 (656 votes)Comments: View 10
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7.
Average Rating: 83 (526 votes)Comments: View 7
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8.
Track pick (890 - 658 votes)
Average Rating: 89 (658 votes)Comments: View 15
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9.
Average Rating: 86 (580 votes)Comments: View 5
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10.
Average Rating: 89 (667 votes)Comments: View 7
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11.
Average Rating: 84 (531 votes)Comments: View 6
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12.
Average Rating: 87 (599 votes)Comments: View 5
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13.
Average Rating: 82 (511 votes)Comments: View 4
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14.
Average Rating: 85 (536 votes)Comments: View 9
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15.
Average Rating: 81 (513 votes)Comments: View 6
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16.
Average Rating: 79 (500 votes)Comments: View 5
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17.
Average Rating: 86 (546 votes)Comments: View 3
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18.
Average Rating: 83 (526 votes)Comments: View 6
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19.
Track pick (910 - 781 votes)
Average Rating: 91 (781 votes)Comments: View 11
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Track pick (1000 - 100 votes) Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

London Calling rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 20th | 1970s rank: 5th | 1979 rank: 1st

London Calling collection

London Calling ratings

Average Rating: 
87/100 (from 3,156 votes)
   Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 3,156 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
75/100
 !
11/27/2025 21:31 JoshN125   4967/100
 
70/100
 !
11/17/2025 11:36 timosbuecherei   29876/100
 
75/100
 !
11/12/2025 23:53 NYAndreas   1,43243/100
 
60/100
 !
11/09/2025 15:15 Deckiller   86076/100
 
100/100
 !
11/08/2025 03:56 pranafilms   23591/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 1% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 86.8/100, a mean average of 85.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 86.8/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.8.

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London Calling comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 259 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First | Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)

Rating:  
80/100
From 08/20/2025 23:35 | #310579
A great style of punk rock that incorporates hints of Ska and Reggae into the mix. For a double album, it's stacked with a lot of catchy tunes. (Side 1 is the superior)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 06/18/2025 16:34 | #309597
IMO, this is the best album of all time. PUNK, ROCK, JAZZ, and more. Rebellion. There is not a bad song on this album. The opening track goes hard, and then the rest of the album is such a many faceted musical odyssey.
This is the 1#. Influenced so many and this album truly holds up.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 11/10/2024 01:11 | #305963
This album keeps getting better and better with each listen. Absolutely exceptional. 13.5/10. Even the worst track is still good
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (2 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
45/100
From 12/17/2023 15:17 | #300518
Don’t understand the hype for this album- it was a struggle for me to get through
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (2 helpful | 3 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 11/19/2023 12:40 | #300034
The best punk album ever made
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (2 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 07/31/2023 22:53 | #298432
Still as relevant today as it was when it was released. The songs are still powerful and the music is still fresh.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (3 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 05/22/2023 09:45 | #297155
A unique take on punk music from The Clash where they aren't scared to experiment with their sound resulting in one of the earliest post punk records. I will start with the negatives which is the length of this album as it leads to an elongated listen that does drag near the back end of the second half. The lowest point is probably Lover's Rock and Four Horsemen which could probably both be cut. I can also see the argument for the music on here to be a little repetitive especially for people who aren't massive fans of this type of music. Onto the positives, with one of the major ones being that this is pretty much a greatest hits record. Up until about track 13 we just get hit after hit, except for The Right Profile, with every song being exciting, engaging and infectious. They are all unique and distinctive as well with them maintaining their roots in punk but mixing in other genres and styles to make an interesting fusion. One thing that helps this fusion work is the brilliant instrumental performances from every member of the group as well as some fantastic backing from The Irish Horns. This backing gives extra depth and character to the music with it making it sound rich and pleasing to the ear. The vocal performances are strong as well with them displaying a wide range that suits the style of music perfectly. The main draw to this album for me however, which is what makes it one of my all time personal favourites, is the charm that the group possesses. They just ooze charisma and their aura is infectious which has resulted in this becoming almost a comfort album for me and so while it might not be the greatest album of all time it will always be a special album to me. Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons on here with there being loads of personality and quality to make this one of the most beloved albums of all time as well as one of the greatest.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (2 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
65/100
From 04/30/2023 03:35 | #296488
I was expecting some punk rock nonsense. This album actually takes a lot of good stuff from multiple different genres and combines it with decent songwriting and lyrics covering a wide range of themes. Pretty good, but definitely could have cut a few songs.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
50/100
From 12/09/2022 19:36 | #291864
Great start, then a bit of a lull in the middle, then the last two tracks are great. Overall an enjoyable album but it's a little bloated - they could have cut some of the filler tracks and had an awesome 12-track album. Very hard to pull off a 19-track album and keep the quality as high as the high-points on this album. I wouldn't have this near my top 100 but I can definitely see why it's ranked in the top 20 on this site.

My favourites are Train in Vain, London Calling, Hateful, The Right Profile and Rudie can't fail.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -2 votes (0 helpful | 2 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 10/31/2022 06:49 | #290925
Overall it's a good album with some great songs but a bit patchy
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (2 helpful | 2 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1979
1. London Calling by The Clash
2. The Wall by Pink Floyd
3. Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division
4. Fear Of Music by Talking Heads
5. Off The Wall by Michael Jackson
6. Breakfast In America by Supertramp
7. Entertainment! by Gang Of Four
8. Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
9. Highway To Hell by AC/DC
10. Reggatta De Blanc by The Police
11. Tusk by Fleetwood Mac
12. Damn The Torpedoes by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
13. Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno
14. Metal Box by Public Image Ltd.
15. The B-52's by The B-52's
16. Armed Forces by Elvis Costello And The Attractions
17. Specials by The Specials
18. 154 by Wire
19. Singles Going Steady by Buzzcocks
20. Setting Sons by The Jam
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