Combat Rock: Difference between revisions

| released = {{Start date|1982|5|14|df=y}}

| recorded = {{hlist|1980|, September, 1981|November 1981–January 1982|, April 1982}}

'''''Combat Rock''''' is the fifth studio album by the English [[Rock music|rock]] band [[the Clash]], released on 14 May 1982 through [[Columbia Records|CBS Records]].<ref name="Larkin2011">{{cite book|author=Colin Larkin|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&pg=PA2006-IA1258|date=27 May 2011|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|pages=2006–}}</ref> It was released on 14 May 1982 through [[Columbia Records|CBS Records]]. In the United Kingdom, the album charted at number 2, spending 23 weeks in the UK charts and peaked at number 7 in the United States, spending 61 weeks on the chart. The album was propelled by drummer [[Topper Headon]]'s "[[Rock the Casbah]]" which became a staple on the newly launched [[MTV]]. ''Combat Rock'' continued the influence of funk and reggae like previous Clash albums, but also featured a more radio-friendly sound which alienated Clash fans. While the recording process went smoothly, the producing process of the album was tiring and full of infighting between [[Mick Jones (The Clash guitarist)|Mick Jones]] and [[Joe Strummer]]. Headon's heroin addiction grew worse and he slowly became distant from the band while Strummer and bassist [[Paul Simonon]] reinstated [[Bernard Rhodes|Bernie Rhodes]] as manager, a move unwelcomed by Jones. The band had disagreed on the creative process of the album and called in [[Glyn Johns]] to produce the more radio-friendly sound of ''Combat Rock.'' Lyrically, ''Combat Rock'' focuses on the [[Vietnam War]], [[postcolonialism]], [[American decline|the decline of American society]], and [[authoritarianism]].

==''Background''==

Lead single "[[Know Your Rights]]" was released on 23 April 1982,<ref name="Gilbert-312-14"/> and reached number 43 on the U.K. singles chart.<ref name="Gilbert-321">{{cite book|last1=Gilbert|first1=Pat|title=Passion Is A Fashion: The Real Story of the Clash|date=2004|publisher=Aurum Press Ltd|isbn=1-84513-017-0|page=321}}</ref> ''Combat Rock'' was released on 14 May 1982 and reached number 2 on the U.K. album charts, kept off the top spot by [[Paul McCartney]]'s ''[[Tug of War (Paul McCartney album)|Tug of War]]''.<ref name="Gilbert-312-14"/> In the United States, ''Combat Rock'' reached number 7 on the album charts, selling in excess of one million copies.<ref name="Gilbert-330">{{cite book|last1=Gilbert|first1=Pat|title=Passion Is A Fashion: The Real Story of the Clash|date=2004|publisher=Aurum Press Ltd|isbn=1-84513-017-0|page=330}}</ref> Combat Rock was the band's most successful album in the United States. However, in the U.K, Combat Rock was tied with the 1978 album [[Give 'Em Enough Rope]] for the band's highest charting album for the band in their native U.K.

| length5 = 2:43{{ref|I|[I]}}

! scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=65}}</ref>

| stylealign="text-align:center;" | 32

{{album chart|Netherlands|29|artist=The Clash|album=Combat Rock|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 20, 2024}}

| stylealign="text-align:center;"| 722

{{album chart|UKNorway|27|artist=The Clash|album=Combat Rock|rowheader=true|access-dateaccessdate=12August April20, 20212024}}

{{album chart|Flanders|143|artist=The Clash|album=Combat Rock + The People's Hall|rowheader=true|access-date=MayAugust 3120, 20222024}}

{{album chart|Wallonia|65|artist=The Clash|album=Combat Rock + The People's Hall|rowheader=true|access-date=MayAugust 3120, 20222024}}

{{album chart|Germany4|48|id=21235|artist=The Clash|album=Combat the Rock|rowheader=true|access-date=27August May20, 20222024}}

{{album chart|Spain|56|M|url=https://www.elportaldemusica.es/lists/top-100-albums/2022/21|title=Top 100 Albums Weekly|publisher=El portal de Música|artist=The Clash|album=Combat Rock + The People's Hall|rowheader=true|access-date=MayAugust 3120, 20222024}}

{{album chart|SwitzerlandUK2|5616|artistdate=The Clash|album=Combat Rock20220527|rowheader=true|access-dateaccessdate=29August May20, 20222024|refname=UKA2}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Sales certifications for ''Combat Rock''}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Canada|artist=The Clash|title=Combat Rock|award=Gold|type=album|daterelyear=1982-12-01|relyearcertyear=1982}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|title=Combat Rock|type=album|artist=the Clash|relyear=1982|region=France|award=Gold|relyear=1982|certyear=1983|source=infodisc|access-date=12August February20, 2022|certyear=19832024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Italy|artist=The Clash|title=Combat Rock|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=19822009|certyear=2021|note=sales since 2009|accessdate=7August June20, 20212024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=The Clash|title=Combat Rock|award=Gold|typerelyear=album1982|datecertyear=1982-07-272016|id=1452-1068-2}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=The Clash|title=Combat Rock|award=Platinum|number=2|typerelyear=album1982|datecertyear=1995-06-06}}