History Music / LondonCalling

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: The album might be the most literal example, with all kinds of stylistic variations. The Neoclassical influences could be in "Lost in the Supermarket", the Zydeco (African) styles in "Revolution Rock" (which even features Strummer saying at the end, "''Bongo jams are our speciality!''"), the band is obviously {{Punk}}, and the {{Rockabilly}} styles from "Brand New Cadillac" (as well as the aforementioned ShoutOut to Music/ElvisPresley on the cover).

** "Death Or Glory" is an upbeat little number about, uh, how even the toughest rebels eventually sell out.

* PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy: The band's embrace of reggae on this album can come across this way.

* FakeOutOpening: ""Wrong 'Em Boyo" starts off with a verse of the traditional song "Stagger Lee" before stopping and restarting with the real song (though the story of Stagger Lee and Billy gets a CallBack later in the song).

* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis[=/=]GrowingUpSucks: Young people abandon their old passion and "Death Or Glory" becomes just another story - a rebel who sleeps with nuns eventually joining the church or a pacifist growing up to become a child abuser. Coming from a PunkRock band branching into several styles at once, it could be read as a pre-emptive defence against accusations of selling out.

* EasterEgg:
** An accidental one. "Train in Vain" was meant to be released as a promo for ''Magazine/{{NME}}'' magazine. When that fell through, they quickly added it to ''London Calling'' after the packaging had already been printed. As a result, "Train in Vain" wasn't listed on the album cover. This didn't stop it from becoming one of the band's best-known songs.
** A more deliberate version from the same album: Alongside the usual [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrix_number matrix number]], the double LP had a message etched into the run-out grooves one word at a time: "[[UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan TEAR... DOWN... THE... WALLS!]]"

* GratuitousSpanish: "''Yo te quiera infinito, yo te quiera, oh mi corazón''", from "Spanish Bombs".

* LongestSongGoesLast: "Revolution Rock" was intended to be this. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted,]] however, because of the inclusion of "Train in Vain."

** "Lost in the Supermarket" stands out in particular - a very poppy and catchy disco melody that goes with arguably the most introspective and depressingly direct lyrics within the band's catalogue.
** Almost any time "London Calling" is used on tv - especially in advertising - it's likely to be this.

** The typographic design on the album cover is a shout-out to the debut album ''[[Music/ElvisPresleyTheAlbum Elvis Presley]] (1956)'' by Music/ElvisPresley.
** "The Fear" by Music/{{Skindred}} is based around samples from the song "London Calling".
*** Punk cover band Me First and The Gimme Gimmes borrows the "London Calling" riff for their cover of Music/TheTurtles' "Elenore".

* TakeThat: "London Calling" has the line "Phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust", which has been taken as referring to either a Broadway musical called ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatlemania_(musical) Beatlemania]]'' whose run ended around the same time the album was recorded, or to Music/{{Wings}}, implying that it was Music/PaulMcCartney's failed attempt to remain as popular as he was with Music/TheBeatles. However, this later led to some UnfortunateImplications after Music/JohnLennon was shot and killed the following year.

* GenreBusting: Whether or not ''London Calling'' should be considered a PunkRock record remains up for debate given the heavy jazz and reggae elements. Some would argue that PostPunk is a more accurate description of the album.

''London Calling'' is the third studio album by Music/TheClash, released in late 1979. It is arguably their most popular and most critically acclaimed album, and it established the band as one of the most diverse and talented PostPunk artists in the world. The songs drew from styles as diverse as {{Jazz}}, {{Ska}}, and {{Rockabilly}}, the latter of which led to the font of the album cover to be similar to Music/ElvisPresley's [[Music/ElvisPresleyTheAlbum debut]]. Critics agree that the band [[GrowingTheBeard grew the beard]] around this time and presented their music with insight and maturity, without alienating much of their young fanbase.

The result effectively demonstrated The Clash's ability to [[EvolvingMusic evolve rapidly and successfully]]. ''London Calling'' is the subject of the book [[http://www.marcusgray.co.uk/clash/ ''Route 19 Revisited: The Clash and the Making of'' London Calling]] by Marcus Gray, who exhaustively compiled interviews and information about the record in order to provide a new appreciation for The Clash and its work. ''Magazine/TimeMagazine'' included the album in their [[TimeAllTime100Albums 2006 list of 100 timeless and essential albums]], and it is listed at #8 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time]], #39 on ''Magazine/{{NME}}'s'' [[UsefulNotes/NME500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime list of the same name]], and is currently the 6th-most-acclaimed album of all time according to Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums compilation of various critics' lists]].

* TakeThat: "[[Music/{{Wings}} Phony Beatlemania]] has bitten the dust", from "London Calling", which refers to Music/PaulMcCartney's failed attempt to remain as popular with Music/{{Wings}} as Music/TheBeatles. However, this later led to some UnfortunateImplications after Music/JohnLennon was shot and killed the following year.

** The original CD issue of ''London Calling'' credited "The Guns Of Brixton" to Music/PaulSimon instead of Paul Simonon, as well as listing the title track as being five minutes long instead of three.

The band began to take the recording sessions pretty seriously, and would spend long hours in the studio working on each track. Motivated to remain true to a PunkRock aesthetic while branching out toward newer styles, Joe Strummer and Mick Jones drew from more personal accounts and dynamic musicality rather than the signature [[ProtestSong protest songs]] with which they had been associated. While maintaining solid political stances in songs such as "London Calling" and "Spanish Bombs", the band spoke out against consumerism and homogeneity in songs such as "Death or Glory" and "Clampdown". ''London Calling'' both [[TropeCodifier codified]] the trajectory of TheSeventies {{Punk}} movement and also [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece displayed the genre's mainstream accessibility]].

The result effectively demonstrated The Clash's ability to [[EvolvingMusic evolve rapidly and successfully]]. ''London Calling'' is the subject of the book [[http://www.marcusgray.co.uk/clash/ ''Route 19 Revisited: The Clash and the Making of'' London Calling]] by Marcus Gray, who exhaustively compiled interviews and information about the record in order to provide a new appreciation for The Clash and its work. ''Magazine/TimeMagazine'' included the album in their [[TimeAllTime100Albums 2006 list of 100 timeless and essential albums]], and it is listed at #8 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time]] and at #39 on ''Magazine/{{NME}}'s'' [[UsefulNotes/NME500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime list of the same name]].

!!Tropers Calling:

** This Troper interpets it as him not being concerned with a faraway concern (the Three Mile Island disaster), and more concerned with what's closer by (London is drowning)

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[[caption-width-right:350:''"London calling, at the top of the dial, and after all this, won't you give me a smile?"'']]

* GenreBusting: Whether or not ''London Calling'' should be considered a PunkRock record remains up for debate given the heavy jazz and reggae elements.

''London Calling'' is the third studio album by Music/TheClash, released in late 1979. It is arguably their most popular and most critically acclaimed album, and it established the band as one of the most diverse and talented PostPunk artists in the world. The songs drew from styles as diverse as {{Jazz}}, {{Ska}}, and {{Rockabilly}}, the latter of which led to the font of the album cover to be similar to Music/ElvisPresley's [[ElvisPresleyTheAlbum debut]]. Critics agree that the band [[GrowingTheBeard grew the beard]] around this time and presented their music with insight and maturity, without alienating much of their young fanbase.

** "The Guns of Brixton" makes reference to ''Film/TheHarderTheyCome'' which stars reggae singer and Clash influence Jimmy Cliff.

* EasterEgg: An accidental one. "Train in Vain" was meant to be released as a promo for ''Magazine/{{NME}}'' magazine. When that fell through, they quickly added it to ''London Calling'' after the packaging had already been printed. As a result, "Train in Vain" wasn't listed on the album cover. This didn't stop it from becoming one of the band's best-known songs.

* LyricalDissonance: "Death Or Glory" is an upbeat little number about, uh, how even the toughest rebels eventually sell out.

* HorribleHollywood: "The Right Profile" is about actor Montgomery Clift, who spiraled into addiction and alcoholism after being disfigured in a car crash.

* HorribleHollywood: "The Right Profile" is about Montgomery Clift, who committed suicide after being outed as gay. It references his long struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, as well as those who dismissed him outright for his actions.

*** Punk cover band, Me First and The Gimme Gimmes "borrows" the London Calling riff for their cover of Music/TheTurtles' "Elenore".
** "The Right Profile" is about the life of actor Montgomery Clift.