The Clash

The photo of Paul Simonon smashing his bass onstage, on the cover of London Calling, captures the Clash perfectly: furious, political and bursting with energy.

Their debut, The Clash, was raw London punk with something to say, but they quickly outgrew the genre. London Calling ranged across reggae, ska, rockabilly and R&B, and Sandinista! went further still into dub, funk and early hip-hop.

Combat Rock brought a US Top 10 hit with 'Rock the Casbah', plus 'Should I Stay or Should I Go', but the band splintered and was gone by 1986. Joe Strummer died in 2002.