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Cover of Combat Rock by The Clash
Cover: Combat Rock

Song · The Clash

“Should I Stay or Should I Go?” by The Clash

From the album Combat Rock (1982)

“Should I Stay or Should I Go?” by The Clash appears on 163 radio countdowns from 53 stations between 1982 and 2026. It was first released in 1982 on the album Combat Rock. Its best result is #8 on the CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #3 alternative song of 1982, #24 alternative song of all time and #124 of the '80s.

163countdowns
53stations
#8best position
0#1 finishes
6top 10 finishes
1982–2026years charted

Watch

The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go (Official Video)

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

"Should I Stay or Should I Go" comes from Combat Rock, the Clash's fifth studio album, released in 1982, and it's the band at its most direct: a riff, a question and a shout-along chorus. Mick Jones takes the lead vocal on a song written in 1981 and credited to him and Joe Strummer, and it sounds like a garage-band stomp dressed up in new wave sharpness.

Jones and Strummer both play guitar and sing, Paul Simonon rumbles along on bass and Topper Headon keeps it plain and punchy on drums. Joe Ely drops in as a guest vocalist, Bob Clearmountain engineered and Glyn Johns handled the mix, keeping it lean and loud.

At first it did modestly, released as a double A-side with "Straight to Hell" and scraping onto the Billboard Hot 100 without making the top 40. Then, nearly a decade later, a Levi's jeans commercial put it in front of a new generation. The 1991 reissue went to the top of the UK Singles Chart and cracked the top 10 in New Zealand and a string of European countries, and Rolling Stone named it among the greatest songs of all time in 2004.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1982 31 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982 107
1982 26 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1982 50

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 10 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s 200
1988 210 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 48 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 40 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 93 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 40 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 134 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1990 38 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1991 23 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 111 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 76 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1991 259 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1992 43 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 76 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 71 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 64 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 147 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 13 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 286 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1995 848 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1995) 1000
1996 39 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 13 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 177 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1996 692 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1996) 1000
1996 388 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 848 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1998 27 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1998 735 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998) 1000
1999 51 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 40 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 74 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 12 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 132 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 19 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 19 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 27 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
1999 13 The Buzz The Buzz Top 99 Songs of All-Time (1999) 99
1999 651 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1999) 998
2000 10 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 19 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 9 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 18 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 37 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2001 1393 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2001 25 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 23 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 9 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 347 KISW KISW Top 999 of All Time (2002) 999
2002 324 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (2002) 500
2002 232 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 45 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 91
2003 26 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 9 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 93 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 57 Q101 Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 113 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 8 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 114 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 27 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2005 106 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 11 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 32 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2005 101 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2005 11 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 100 Brit Songs of All-Time (May 2005) 100
2005 30 The Edge KEDJ Top 103 on Independent Radio 103
2005 100 WFPK WFPK Top 100 Party Songs 100
2005 48 96.5 The Buzz 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the 70s & 80s 96
2006 102 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 66 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 85 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 28 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2006 76 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006) 107
2007 173 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 509 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2008 125 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 136 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 326 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 145 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 158 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2010 286 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2011 168 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2011 269 97.9 The Loop The Loop Rock N Roll 500 (2011) 500
2012 345 WYEP WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown 500
2012 365 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) 500
2012 131 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 171 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 52 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 272 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2013) 500
2013 230 Big 100 BIG 500 Labor Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 212 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR CT 500 (2013) 500
2014 174 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 272 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 400 (2014) 400
2014 305 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 832 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2014 195 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 261 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2015) 500
2015 185 I-95 I-95 Memorial Day Weekend Top 500 (2015) 500
2015 162 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2015) 499
2015 280 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2016 73 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2016) 500
2016 52 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2016) 500
2016 187 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2016 250 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2016) 500
2017 58 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2017) 500
2017 40 97.9 The Loop 97.9 The Loop Top 540 Countdown (2017) 540
2018 874 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2018 231 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2018) 500
2019 225 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2019) 499
2019 675 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2019 459 WYEP WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 1017
2019 306 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2019) 500
2019 457 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2019) 500
2019 459 WYEP WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 1099
2019 145 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2020 153 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2020 148 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2020) 500
2020 260 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2020) 500
2020 77 DC101 The DC101 Top 500 500
2020 508 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2021 57 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2021 167 WCSX WCSX Rock & Roll 500 (2021) 499
2021 452 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2021) 500
2021 73 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2021 493 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2021 55 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2021) 499
2022 337 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 318 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2022 135 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2022 270 97.1 The River River 500 (2022) 500
2022 115 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 184 94.1 KRNA KRNA Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2022 442 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2022 29 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022) 500
2022 751 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2022 391 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 421 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2022) 500
2023 14 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850
2023 344 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 151 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2023 178 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2023 217 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 265 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 600 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2024 252 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2024) 498
2024 162 KQRS KQRS KQ 500 (2024) 499
2024 354 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 316 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2024) 500
2024 336 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2024 237 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 499
2024 197 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 383 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2024) 500
2024 456 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2025 734 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2025 245 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2025) 498
2025 269 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 417 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2025) 500
2025 192 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2026 483 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s 498
2026 500 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2026) 500
2026 295 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2026) 500
2026 467 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

Also listed as: Should I Stay Or Should I Go; Should I Stay or Should I Go; Should I Stay Or Should I Go?; Shoudl I Stay or Should I Go; Should I Stay Or Should I go.

Charting alongside it in 1982

Best songs of 1982 →
  1. 1Town Called MaliceThe Jam
  2. 2Rock the CasbahThe Clash
  3. 4Promised You a MiracleSimple Minds
  4. 5TemptationNew Order
  5. 6I Ran (So Far Away)A Flock of Seagulls
  6. 7Sex DwarfSoft Cell

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