10 Perfect Rock Singles Of The 80s

10. The Clash: Should I Stay Or Should I Go (1982)

Punk burned hard and fast. It exploded onto the scene with a flash of aggressive attitude only to fizzle away, slowly. The groups that made up the old guard, either split or were forced to evolve. The Sex Pistols disintegrated and the Dammed morphed into a gothic new wave group. But if there was one act who knew how to roll with the times, it was the Clash.

By the '80s they had transcended their punk origins and morphed into an eclectic rock act. Unshackled by the confines of any one particular genre they excelled. But, Combat Rock was one of the last hurrahs before the group finally crumbled under rising tensions.

Rumours around the origins of Should I Stay Or Should I Go range from Mick Jones' relationship with singer Ellen Foley, to his feelings of discontent within the band. Jones, however, has claimed the song was an amalgamations of feelings that didn't relate to any one particular thing. Nevertheless it foreshadowed what would be the last record with the Clash's original line up. In a twist of prophetic irony, Mick Jones' question was answered two years later when he was fired from the group.