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Song · The Clash

“This Is Radio Clash” by The Clash

Released 1981

“This Is Radio Clash” by The Clash appears on 29 radio countdowns from 11 stations between 1982 and 2023. It was first released in 1981. Its best result is #59 on the Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #145 alternative song of 1982 and #455 alternative song of all time.

29countdowns
11stations
#59best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1982–2023years charted

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This is Radio Clash

Video from YouTube (The Clash - Topic). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"This Is Radio Clash" came out as a Clash single in 1981, following "The Magnificent Seven", and it pushes the band further down the road away from three-chord punk into rap rock and funk, a blend that had been winning over the American market.

It's the Clash as pirate broadcasters: a loping, hypnotic groove from Paul Simonon's bass and Topper Headon's drums, Mick Jones and Joe Strummer scratching and slashing at their guitars and trading vocals like they're jamming the airwaves from a secret transmitter. The band wrote and produced it themselves, and the lyrics come loaded with their trademark anti-authority politics.

Critics who wanted the old anarchic punk fire back were split on it, but the experimental streak and the political bite won it praise all the same.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1982 102 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982 107

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 153 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s 200
1988 139 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 132 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1991 500 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1999 353 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 243 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 353 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 353 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 353 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 168 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 353 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 59 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 353 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 375 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 355 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 703 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2006 398 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 270 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2007 221 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 166 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 172 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 178 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 179 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 175 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 183 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2019 462 KEXP KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time 627
2021 100 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2023 576 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850

Also listed as: This is Radio Clash.

Charting alongside it in 1982

Best songs of 1982 →
  1. 1Town Called MaliceThe Jam
  2. 2Rock the CasbahThe Clash
  3. 3Should I Stay or Should I Go?The Clash
  4. 4Promised You a MiracleSimple Minds
  5. 5TemptationNew Order
  6. 6I Ran (So Far Away)A Flock of Seagulls

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