Which punk band popularized the song 'Should I Stay or Should I Go'?

The punk band that popularized “Should I Stay or Should I Go” was the Clash.

The English punk band recorded the song in 1981 for Combat Rock, its fifth studio album. Mick Jones was the principal songwriter and lead vocalist, while the composition was credited to the Clash. The song combines a direct, chant-like chorus with a more traditional rock-and-roll structure, helping it reach listeners beyond the band’s original punk audience.

It was first released in 1982 as part of a double A-side single with “Straight to Hell.” The song initially performed modestly, but it gained a much larger audience after appearing in a Levi’s jeans advertising campaign in the early 1990s. A 1991 re-release then topped the UK Singles Chart.

The title is sometimes interpreted as a literal question about leaving the band or Mick Jones’s relationship with Ellen Foley. Jones later said it was not about one specific person or about predicting his departure from the Clash. The track remains one of the group’s best-known songs and a major entry point into its catalog.