Okays... Having fun listening to London Calling right now... rightly described as one of the best albums of all time... But should they hold the crown of greatest punk band of all time?... C'mon... let's be honest... it's a two horse race, isn't it?... It's down to The Clash or The Sex Pistols... I'll put The Damned in third place because I always had a soft spot for Captain Sensible... Now... I would probably come down on the side of the Pistols, but I'm looking for anybody who is willing to persuade that I'm wrong and I should hand that gob covered crown over to The Clash... Fly...
damn you damn you! for making me choose, that's not fair. as punks, i guess sex pistols were the best, but that's not something that appeals to me. but musically, i like the clash more - there was more variation in their songs, and more tuneful melodies
The Pistols were only really around for 5 mins and were as about as punk as milkshake. The crown has to go to the Clash. I mean for god sake, what kind of self respecting punk would walk around with a swastika t-shirt? Sid you silly boy! Your forgiven though you junkie fuckwit you!:H
I'm up for putting the Stranglers in there too, and then of course, if we were getting into folk-punk there'd have to be New Model Army, and, of course, THE LEVELLERS! But London Calling is a classic, I love it. I also like the Sex Pistols, but I think they're a bit too commercialised, especially Jonny Rotten these days....
The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Souxsie & the Banshees, Sham 69, The Stranglers were only in it the money by being on a major label ,which I believe is not really Punk, For the best uncommercial Punk bands I would look at Crass (Feeding the 5 thousand), The Subhumans (The day the county died) and although I do not like them very much and early on they had commercial success was the UK Subs (Another kind of Blues). Although to me the best punk band ever is a band called Zounds (The Curse of Zounds) which is an amazing album.
skids / buzzcocks / undertones / splogeness bounds / chelsea / stiff little fingers were good bands in the punk days ...........oh those memories /peace/
i must agree! although i love the pistols (specially sid) the clash are so much better...the best thing ive heard is them do a cover of louie louie oh what fun
I definitely put the clash at no. 1 punk rock band. The first album is by far and away the best for me. It has an energy that was so much of the time, and yet it's still just as relevant now, if not more so. "I'm so bored with the USA" for example. After that first album, they ceased to be the same band in a way. Nothing they did subsequently has the sheer energy and uncompromising power of songs like "remote control" or "london's burning" See also the movie 'Rude Boy' - great footage of them live back in the late 70's. By to-day's standards, unbelievable! Sex pistols were a different bag. Guess putting them at n0.2 about right. Once again, based all on one record "Never mind the Bollocks etc.." Another punk outfit I always liked, and who never became 'commercial' were Crass. Highly radical, and no bullshit.
How dare you knock the Clash? That's PROPER punk that is - not like this modern scheidt which is all distortion artefects burying the actual guitar sounds and doesn't even have a good tune. The Clash are legends, and from W12 too. Or maybe W6. And Mick Jones is an R. *has London Calling for a ringtone* (made it myself).
Its a toughie, but i would say that the Pistols are the better punk band. But where music is concerned, the clash would take it. They were far more musically adept, and werent afraid to try new things. Btw sax machine, i agree that new punk is a lot of bollocks.
