Joe Stummer and the CLash elevated "punk rock" to a Beatlesque quality...in fact...it really is a disservice to categorize them as "punk"...they were way better than that...in musicianship,songwriting caliber,and creativity...while the genre was full of McPunk, "flash in the pan" safety-pin bands...the CLash had enough quality material to ensure some longevity...their combination of power pop melodies,reggae,and deep dub will likely be unmatched...and their intelligent,social consciousness brought a certain serious angle that separated them from their contemporaries...like the Beatles...a band that housed two very gifted songwriters(Mick Jones being the other half)... made some of the most compelling music of the 80s...and would easily make the top 50 bands of all time...quite an accomplishment