Sandinista! Songs Ranked

Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side. It crosses various genres including funk, reggae, jazz, gospel, rockabilly, folk, dub, rhythm and blues, calypso, disco, and rap. For the first time, the band’s traditional songwriting credits of Strummer and Jones were replaced by a generic credit to the Clash. The band agreed to a decrease in album royalties in order to release the 3-LP at a low price. Sandinista! was voted best album of the year in the Pazz & Jop critics poll in The Village Voice. In 2020 it was ranked number 323 on the Rolling Stone list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and Slant Magazine listed the album at number 85 on its “Best Albums of the 1980s” list. Here are all of Sandinista! songs ranked.

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11. Ivan Meets G.I. Joe

“Flute playing “Oranges and lemons” in intro. Space Invader type sounds. Brass features. This is the the most misunderstood record these guys put out, and is everything punk should be.”

10. Junco Partner

“Most critics were too lazy to listen to all three records when this came out, so it was given only moderate ratings. Truth be told, it is as good as London Calling, better than Combat Rock and much more diverse than both. The ultimate desert island album: quality, quantity and variety.”

9. Hitsville U.K.

“Hammond type organ features. Bass seems to recall “Your love keeps lifting me higher”. Female choir, more or less. dmittedly this is not an easy album to listen to, but you have to give it time for all the nuances to sink in.”

See more: The Clash Albums Ranked Worst to Best

8. Charlie Don’t Surf

“Noteworthy bass playing/melody in this song. Poppy track in a 1950s style. Repetitive lyrics. Features the line “Everybody wants to rule the world”. Organ and piano feature as well as an interesting instrumental effect.

7. The Call Up

“The call up has a nice groove to it. Nice glassy percussion too. Repetitive lyrics. Brass instruments feature as well, I think…or maybe a xylophone type instrument…nice melody by it in any case.”

6. The Magnificent Seven

“A disco type of song! Medium-slow tempo, very bassy groove. Smooth sounds. A driving bass-fueled forward-marching rap cut, the band’s determination to claim yet more generic territory was plain and not in vain, as was Strummer’s immersion then and there in the early works issuing from the then-new rap genre of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and The Sugar Hill Gang.”

5. Up In Heaven (Not Only Here)

“Up in Heaven (not only here) poppy keyboard, the other guy sings this song. Not bad and has a familiar melody, possibly…An overlooked gem. Great rocker. “

See more: The Clash Songs Ranked

4. Something About England

“Something About England makes a social statement but also feels like an urban fantasy a la Neil Gaiman or Charles de Lint, while Rebel Waltz has the feel of a traditional fantasy or historical novel; you actually begin to care about the fate of the rebel army and see them “dancing to the news that the war is not won.” Let’s Go Crazy, meanwhile…well, this one you really have to hear to understand.”

3. Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)

“The funky bass in this song is amazing. Not to mention the backup vocals in the chorus. This is an absolutely amazing album that should be owned by everyone who is interested in the Clash or a vast scope of good music. The Clash transend the musical barriers imposed by genres and commercial limitations that are so effective today–especially in the punk genre”

2. Police On My Back

“A cover, but done SOO well. A true punk rocker, The most rocking thing on the album. The lead guitar sounds like sirens, and Jones gives a remarkable vocal performance, literally spitting the phrase “What have I done!?”

1. Somebody Got Murdered

“One of the best on the album. catchy hooks that will be stuck in your head for days.  A song distinctly English and yet cathartic enough to have come from any urban center. One of the best Clash songs ever.”