Ongoing History Daily: The Clash broke up because of…The Who?

October 14, 2025 Alan Cross 0 Comments 0 min read

The Clash never really officially broke up. After a final record with a new lineup in 1986, they just kind of evaporated, faded away, never to be heard from again. Why? The usual reasons. Musical differences. The departure of key member Mick Jones. Drummers with drug problems. But the main reason can be traced to The Who.

In a 1999 interview, Joe Strummer said this: “One of the reasons The Clash broke up was we saw what The Who were like at the end of their tether. It’s a bad scene. You very quickly turn into nothing. I’ve enjoyed my life because I’ve had to deal with all kinds of things, from failure to success to failure again.” That’s why Joe called an end to the Clash so they wouldn’t be seen carrying on past their best-before date, relying on old material.

And the band never did reunite despite offers of millions of dollars.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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