10 Best Singles From The Golden Age Of Punk
4. White Man In The Hammersmith Palais - The Clash
The Clash stand alongside The Sex Pistols as the two most important and influential bands from the punk era. The Clash had so many great singles that it is almost impossible to pick one out for this list - how about 'White Riot', 'Complete Control', 'Clash City Rockers' and 'Tommy Gun'? Given the remit of one entry per band, however, 'Hammersmith' has to be their sole entry.
The clichés about The Clash mixing punk and reggae have been done to death, but in reality, other then The Ruts, very few bands were mixing styles to the extent that The Clash did. The 'London Calling' album's breadth of styles is remarkable. There is something special about this single though - a unique feel that transcends all genres and ages.
It was a song that Joe Strummer was particularly proud of. Although the lyrics went through several revisions, based on bootlegged demos, they were of great importance to Joe, who quoted them verbatim in an interview before the song was even recorded. The sincerity of Joe's delivery and the haunting anthemic backing vocals make this the perfect introduction to the might of The Clash for anyone unfamiliar with their work.