20 Overlooked 1980s Music Videos
From major artists like the Clash and David Bowie to less famous brethren like Haysi Fantayzee and Grandmaster Caz, these are overlooked videos from the 1980s.
The Clash
The Who Release an Anemic Mix of a 1982 Historic Show
The third live album of the Who’s 1982 farewell tour improves little on the others. It’s hard to imagine that modern recording technology couldn’t have helped.
Slow Burn: Bob Marley’s ‘Catch a Fire’ 50 Years Later
Bob Marley’s Catch a Fire is when the Wailers transformed into the vehicle of his ascent to superstardom and reggae’s assimilation into the global pop music melting pot.
Ellen Foley Is Back in Swing of Things with ‘Fighting Words’
Ready to release her fifth solo album, New York triple-threat Ellen Foley revisits a career filled with legends of the stage, screen and recording studio, along with “The Thing That Will Never Die”.
Cowpunk: A Brief Y’alternative History
Cowpunk is a reaction against conventional country music, yet embodies some of its distant and deepest traits. Likewise, it's also a reaction against punk, yet manifests as one of its purest expressions.
Top 10 Most Notable Career Suicide Albums
Career suicide albums fall into two camps: those that were released ahead of their time, and those that set new standards in awful. The best thing that could be said about the later category is that these albums are oftentimes just as fascinating as an artist's best work.
What Was So Great About the Clash?
How does someone go from anti-nuke activist to serious foreign policy maven, student protester to mid-life bourgeoisie, and feel the same way about the Clash, aka “The Only Band That Matters”?
When Punk Took on the National Front It Screamed, ‘White Riot’!
Rubika Shah's savvy documentary, White Riot, shows punk music's casual flirtation with fascism and the rise of anti-racist punks' hugely popular response headlined by the Clash, Rock Against Racism.
The Deep and Distant Roots of the Ska-Punk Hybrid
Many only recognize ska-punk as a fad of 1990s US pop music, but its emanation and roots run much deeper and spread far wider than one may think.
Unite and Fight! England’s Punk-Reggae Hybrid
When Bob Marley went to London in 1977 he discovered, documented, and reveled in the punky reggae party.
Counterbalance No. 9: The Clash – ‘London Calling’
Counterbalance offers up the right profile of the Clash's London Calling, an epic, sprawling disc that will leave you sprawled out on the floor as your mind tries to wrap itself around the sprawl of genres over the course of an hour plus.
Call for Papers: All Things Reconsidered: The Clash – London Calling
As we reboot All Things Reconsidered, PopMatters will be starting with the Clash's London Calling, dissecting it from every angle, from track-by-track rundowns to a series of provocative, insightful essays.