The Clash made a risky mess of a masterpiece with Sandinista!, but for many fans, it’s the band at their boldest, loosest, rudest, rowdiest, and just flat-out best. Why a triple album?

These 10 songs define The Clash's illustrious career, from their early, transformative contributions to punk to their later explorations.

After 'London Calling', The Clash were burdened with artistic expectancy. But as all good artists do, they pivoted and went against the grain.

The Clash followed the sprawling 'London Calling' with the even bigger 'Sandinista!' on Dec. 12, 1980.

Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” is lean, effective and almost completely without waste or filler. It is the anti-“Sandinista!”.

The arrival of "Sound System" coincides with the release of "The Clash Hits Back," a 2-disc compilation of popular Clash songs whose running order is based on a set list from a 1982 concert.

Whoa! I guess that's what happens when news of Nicaraguan election results trigger flashbacks to 25-year-old memories of listening to the Clash through a haze of smoke. Those were the days! Ortega ...

No record better encapsulates the Clash 's story than 'Sandinista!' Brilliant, infuriating, bursting with ambition yet bogged down with bad ideas, this 36-track triple LP perplexed fans and ...

The Clash ’s fifth album, Combat Rock, came at a crossroads for the band in 1982. Their ambitious 1980 three-LP set, Sandinista!, was viewed as something as a disappointment in their native U.K ...

The astonishing range of the Clash’s sound is what comes through most clearly on the albums “London Calling,” “Sandinista!” and “Combat Rock.” ...

Or The Clash… “Sandinista!” was just so eclectic that you go to New Orleans for a song, and they include New York rap and breakdancing staples, even though they are a punk band.