How The Clash Changed Music

If you can afford it, please consider donating to me on Patreon: A brief documentary about The Clash. Produced and written by Matt Beat. Check out @theclash’s music: Sources/further reading: We Are The Clash: Reagan, Thatcher, and the Last Stand of a Band That Mattered by Mark Andersen Purchase here: The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town by Marcus Gray Purchase here: Punk Rock: An Oral History by John Robb Purchase here: Joe Strummer And The Legend Of The Clash by Kris Needs Purchase here: An annotated script of this video: #musicdocumentary #behindthemusic #theclash Today, The Clash is way more popular than it ever was when they were still together. Sure, the Sex Pistols and Ramones came first, but The Clash were arguably even more influential than both in terms of bringing the entire punk movement into the mainstream, even if that took a couple decades. But while the Sex Pistols sought to destroy rock, The Clash sought to resurrect it, and indeed, they took it in an entirely different direction. This is why most folks don’t even know about The Clash’s punk rock roots- they ended up being so much more than a punk rock band actually, exploring seemingly every music genre in existence. They planted the seeds of what eventually became known as “alternative rock,” this weird genre that exploded into the mainstream in the 1990s. The Clash were one of the first significant political bands. They were known for lyrics about social and racial injustice. For years after they broke up, concert promoters consistently tried to throw lots of money at them for a reunion show, but they always resisted. After all, they didn’t seem to do it for the money. They did it for the passion. They did it for the fans. And that’s why their spirit still lives on. 0:00 Early Years 4:57 Self-titled debut 9:21 Give ’Em Enough Rope 11:37 London Calling 13:31 Sandinista! 15:32 Combat Rock 18:31 Cut the Crap 20:01 Legacy