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Cover of The Cost of Living E.P. by The Clash
Cover: The Cost of Living E.P.

Song · The Clash

“I Fought the Law” by The Clash

From the EP The Cost of Living E.P. (1979)

“I Fought the Law” by The Clash appears on 62 radio countdowns from 28 stations between 1988 and 2025. It was first released in 1979 on the EP The Cost of Living E.P.. Its best result is #13 on The Colorado Sound Top 850 Cover Songs. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #366 alternative song of all time.

62countdowns
28stations
#13best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1988–2025years charted

Watch

The Clash - I Fought the Law (Official Video)

Video from YouTube (theclashVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"I Fought the Law" found the Clash in 1979, on The Cost of Living E.P., taking on a song written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets that the Bobby Fuller Four had turned into a hit back in 1966. The Clash don't treat it like a museum piece. They plug it straight into the mains.

Joe Strummer sings lead and bashes out guitar alongside Mick Jones, who also adds vocals, while Paul Simonon plays bass and joins Jones on the backing vocals and Topper Headon's drums crack like a starting pistol. The band produced it with Bill Price, and it comes out tough and wiry, all ringing guitars and gang-shout harmonies.

In their hands it becomes a punk rallying cry, an old song played with fresh spit and swagger.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1988 124 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 204 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 382 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1991 392 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 468 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1992 436 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1994 433 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1995 475 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1996 443 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 271 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1998 485 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 140 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 992 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 382 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 909 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 206 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 722 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 207 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 207 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 364 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 207 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 848 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 207 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 295 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 104 Q101 Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 84 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 207 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 193 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 449 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2005 478 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 208 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 475 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2005 57 The Edge KEDJ Top 103 on Independent Radio 103
2005 488 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2005 59 96.5 The Buzz 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the 70s & 80s 96
2006 368 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 439 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2007 399 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 665 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2008 390 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 391 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 388 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 387 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 389 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 463 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR CT 500 (2013) 500
2013 922 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Grand Jam 1000 (2013) 1000
2014 391 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 842 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 943 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 931 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2016 791 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2019 886 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2020 1959 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 685 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2022 102 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s 908
2022 942 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2023 959 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2023 977 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 389 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2024 883 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 13 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Cover Songs 850
2025 1014 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043

Also listed as: I Fought The Law; I Fought the law.

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