1982 Songs: Rock the Casbah

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No doubt if you turn on a “classic rock” or “80s” station on the radio or satellite today’s song is bound to show up sooner or later. You might even hear it in a restaurant playing “oldies.” Yeah, “oldies.” This song is now 40 years old. Wow. Here’s another one from 1982. Rock the Casbah - The Clash Yeah, I feel old now. I saw these guys on this tour. This song also helped me explain to a friend the difference in “disco” and “dance”: if you like a song, it’s “dance.” If you don’t like it, it’s “disco.” The Clash were punk, no doubt, but there were elements of all sorts of world music in their sound. You can hear rap (“The Magnificent Seven”), reggae (“Revolution Rock”), and even pop (“Hitsville UK”) throughout their angry-as-heck lyrics. This song, while dealing with the Islamic Revolution’s ban on western music, could resonate with Americans who were dealing with people like the genesis of the Parents Music Resource Center or who were old enough to remember Elvis being banned for shaking his hips or sounding “too black.” That “boogie sound” wasn’t stopped, though. Rock the Casbah Written by Topper Headon, Joe Strummer, and Mick Jones Recorded by The Clash From Combat Rock, 1982 (Today’s 1972 song: “Run to Me”) The in crowds say it’s cool: