10 Best Alt-Rock Albums Of The 80's

As the 70's were coming to a close, the Clash were still known as one of the most militant punk acts in the music world. Each album the band had released up to that point had been a bold assault of punk fury with overtly political lyrical themes. Where did they go from there? Transcending the punk label altogether.

Make no mistake, there are definitely ragers across London Calling from the title track to the short adrenaline shot of "Koka Kola," but the album is much more than nervy punk. The band were quickly coming into their own as quite the eclectic musical collective, as they toyed with other musical styles like reggae on "The Guns of Brixton" and even 50's rock on "Brand New Cadillac."

Even when not dipping their toes in other genres, songs like "Lost in the Supermarket" showed the band's lyrical approach becoming sharper, with songs about paranoia, injustice, and forging ahead in the face of adversity. The band even had time to put together a bonafied hit record with "Train in Vain," whose bouncy rhythm and sing-song chorus has been engrained in the punk DNA for decades. With the punk sound becoming too homogenous, London Calling is the sound of alt-rock's birthing pains.