10 Bands That Destroyed Their Careers
1. The Clash
As the punk movement started to make its way out of 1977, the Clash felt like they were on the verge of a new musical revolution. After London Calling cemented their name in rock history forever, this felt like the punk version of the Beatles that could lead us towards the future. And lead us to the future they did...until management got involved.
Towards the end of the sessions for Combat Rock, there was a lot of dysfunction going on between Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, with Mick casually playing up his more rock star tendencies. Looking to strip things back to the core ethos of punk, manager Bernie Rhodes convinced Strummer to fire Mick and tried to nudge his way into the producer's chair for the next album Cut the Crap.
Missing a large chunk of their identity at this point, Strummer ended up trading in his indestructible songwriting partner for some of the most lackluster musicians imaginable for their next album, with songs that felt like they were mocking the very notion of punk that they cultivated at the beginning. Even dyed-in-the-wool punk fans don't even want to call this gospel, choosing to believe that the Clash ended once Mick left the fold. These last few years might not have killed the Clash's staying power, but it certainly is a stain on their legacy.