Legend Credentials:

The Clash are legends for many, many reasons, not least because you can name 'em all… even the drummer. Jones, Strummer, Simonen and Headon. Few can claim such an honour - The Stones, The Beatles, erm, The Spice Girls – hardly a Litmus test for true legend status, but a half decent rule of thumb we'd wager.

And more importantly it's a rule that works for us as we desperately try to think of something new to say about one of music's true legends. The Clash, you see, are not only head and shoulders the best punk band ever, they were one of THE best bands ever. But don't take our word for it – 1979's 'London Calling' is more often than not cited as one of the greatest albums of all-time.

Formed in London in 1976, The Clash were light years apart from their punk peers many of who saw any chance of longevity evaporate before the Seventies were even out. For starters, The Clash could actually play their instruments. And write their own songs. Stand anything they did alongside anything produced by any punk band you care to mention (listen again to any Sex Pistols you care to think of first) and it really is like calling 999 to get a match put out.

Mixing politics with punk, dub, dancehall, ska, funk, rap and rockabilly, The Clash wriggled and squirmed musically for their entire existence setting the agenda for pretty much everything with guitars that was to follow. No mean feat. And they looked at cool as mustard. We're gushing aren't we?

The Original Song:

Released as double A-side with 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go' in September 1982 it's hard to believe it only dented the Top 20, peaking at 17. 'Straight To Hell' serves up some trademark Clash soapboxing with three issues for the price of one - the closing of steel mills in England, alienation of immigrant workers and abandonment of children born to GI fathers stationed in Vietnam during the war. You don't get those issues covered in one song that often let us tell you.

Classic clip:

We struggled to find clip to do 'Straight To Hell' justice, we did. While we continue to look (there’s a live version here below let's talk about the lovely Lily Allen. Did you know she's the God daughter of the late, very great Joe Strummer? You can only begin to imagine the sort of chaos her old man and Lord Strummer got up to. Anyway, in the absence of a decent clip of the featured song, try this magnificent clip of 'What's My Name' and 'Garageband' from the controversial 1980 film, 'Rude Boy'. Masterful.