The Clash formed in London in 1976 and released the album London Calling.
The band’s original core included Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Terry Chimes. The Clash quickly became one of the leading groups in the first wave of British punk, while also incorporating reggae, ska, rockabilly, funk, and American rock ’n’ roll.
London Calling was released in the United Kingdom in December 1979 as a double album. Its title track, “Train in Vain,” and “Lost in the Supermarket” showed the band moving beyond the shortest, fastest format associated with early punk.
The Clash are sometimes described simply as a punk band, but their broad musical range was central to their identity. Their political lyrics and interest in international styles helped make them one of the most influential British rock groups of the late 1970s and early 1980s.