Metascore
100

Universal acclaim - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Rolling Stone
    100
    A serious, ridiculously ambitious punk album. [14 Oct 2004, p.100]
  2. Q Magazine
    100
    What burns from the music is The Clash's defining characteristic: the fact that they were insatiable omnivores. [Oct 2004, p.136]
  3. Easily one of the best classic re-releases yet.
  4. London Calling itself stands tall as the band's masterpiece, the showcase for all their musical tastes and inclinations.
  5. Mojo
    100
    Whether you consider London Calling to be the last great rock album of the '70s or the first great rock album of the '80s, the extent to which it fully merits its cultural and aesthetic status is utterly beyond question. [Oct 2004, p.123]
  6. 100
    It's fitting that an album that truly deserves an expanded edition not only gets the deluxe edition it deserves, but one that makes a convincing argument that the sometimes ridiculous practice of expanded, multi-disc editions has a purpose after all.
  7. 100
    A quarter-century after its first release, London Calling is still the concentrate essence of The Clash's unparalleled fervor.
  8. With the 25th anniversary edition of London Calling, Epic/Legacy has outdone itself.
  9. Filter
    94
    Everyone--yes, everyone--should buy this version of London Calling, because in this form, audio and video, it acts as a veritable design for living. [#12, p.96]
  10. The Clash's London Calling stands as one of the few unimpeachably perfect albums... but it doesn't necessarily gain from the added scrutiny.
  11. Sketchy sound quality (on The Vanilla Tapes), to be sure, but its rawness makes the final product that much more impressive.
  12. Blender
    80
    The demo versions... sound like an incompetent Clash cover band rehearsing in a sock.... If you're considering buying this glorious record for the first time, save 20 bucks and go for the basic version. [Oct 2004, p.136]
User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 200 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 16 out of 200
  1. BryanS
    Jan 9, 2007
    10
    One of the best rock albums of all time. It also demonstrated how punk could deliver very powerful and meaningful messages.
  2. RichardS
    Nov 2, 2004
    0
    Just decided to throw off the average because I was bored.
  3. EoinG
    Oct 8, 2004
    7
    Good album but overated. There are a few very skippble tracks on this (e.g "Lost in the Supermarket"), and this album would have been much Good album but overated. There are a few very skippble tracks on this (e.g "Lost in the Supermarket"), and this album would have been much better condensed to about 12 or 13 of the best songs. Full Review »