# Stiff Little Fingers vs The Clash **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2013, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120 "2013-07-10T09:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrQwertyasd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@MrQwertyasd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrQwertyasd)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/1 "2013-07-10T09:54:13Z")
Which one is better ? ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/2 "2013-07-10T10:53:24Z")
The Clash all the way. They had a much wider musical range and often used it brilliantly. SLF was good, but not nearly at the same level. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/3 "2013-07-10T12:22:59Z")
Whichever one you like better! While I like Stiff Little Fingers (name taken from a cool Vibrators song btw), for me it is The Clash by several miles for the reasons listed above, and they just wrote better songs. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/4 "2013-07-10T14:20:56Z")
Clash. Hands down. It really is comparing apples to oranges, though. SLF should be compared to bands they inspired, like Green Day. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/5 "2013-07-10T15:10:27Z")
Yeah, I’d have to go with the Clash here. SLF are great, but I find the Clash a bit more ambitious and varied in terms of sound and songwriting. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/6 "2013-07-10T17:21:34Z")
No comparison: The Clash. They are one of the best rock bands ever and their album _Combat Rock_ is one of just a handful of truly perfect albums; it’s #2 on my list of best albums of all time. ---
**Author:** ![MrQwertyasd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@MrQwertyasd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrQwertyasd)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/7 "2013-07-10T17:30:02Z")
Hmmm, true the Clash seemed to have a broader style and a global outlook, and SLF concentrated on more local troubles - but that did give them more bite and intensity, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/8 "2013-07-10T17:45:27Z")
I love Stiff Little Fingers, but Clash has to win this contest, for all the reasons listed above. ---
**Author:** ![MrQwertyasd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@MrQwertyasd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrQwertyasd)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/9 "2013-07-10T20:04:55Z")
But is this just the love of status and high sales, or true appreciation of the music - the two are mingled thoroughly in our chart obsessed culture after all ? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/10 "2013-07-10T20:15:45Z")
I have no idea what you mean by that. I have no clue how well the Clash charted vs Sticky Little Fingers except that “Should I Stay or Should I Go” and “Rock the Casbah” both got regular radio play. (And both songs I didn’t particularly like. It wasn’t until I discovered the first three albums that I loved the Clash. _Sandanista!_ and _Combat Rock_ just don’t do it for me.) So, in terms of what music I just viscerally enjoy the most, the answer is the Clash. The one that is most musically interesting to me also happens to be The Clash, but what is “interesting” musically doesn’t necessarily correlate with what I prefer musically. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/11 "2013-07-10T20:45:50Z")
The only difference that charting or popularity could conceivably have in this case is that more people have likely heard more Clash songs. If your fave is SLF, that’s cool, but The Clash have a much richer body of work. Which is your favorite OP? ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/12 "2013-07-11T14:19:03Z")
> [@MrQwertyasd](#): > > But is this just the love of status and high sales… No one has used this as their reason for liking The Clash better. Like Purd Werfect said, if you like SLF better, that’s cool, you’re not wrong. Certainly people have had more exposure to The Clash, but there’s nothing wrong with good bands becoming popular. Now, you could enter the argument that Stiff Little Fingers were more “punk” than The Clash, but that’s a whole lot of whatever. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/13 "2013-07-11T16:52:32Z")
> [@MrQwertyasd](#): > > Hmmm, true the Clash seemed to have a broader style and a global outlook, and SLF concentrated on more local troubles - but that did give them more bite and intensity, IMO. The first Clash album has more bite and intensity than _Inflammable Materials_. Second album’s close, too, though over-produced. I highly doubt anyone would pick The Clash because they had bigger hits - most fans consider their last proper album to be sub-par (to quote Too Much Joy: “Every great band should be shot/Before they make their _Combat Rock_”). I think most of us just think they had far better material. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/14 "2013-07-12T05:41:51Z")
Alternative Ulster is better than anything the Clash ever produced…in my opinion. In the end it’s subjective and a silly thing to argue about. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/15 "2013-07-12T12:55:04Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > Alternative Ulster is better than anything the Clash ever produced…in my opinion. In the end it’s subjective and a silly thing to argue about. No it isn’t… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/16 "2013-07-12T20:38:51Z")
_Obviously_ The Clash. ---
**Author:** ![MrQwertyasd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@MrQwertyasd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrQwertyasd)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/17 "2013-08-17T11:01:19Z")
If you were to measure rockness on a scale of 1-10, SLF would measure the same as the Clash easily. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/18 "2013-08-17T11:11:41Z")
But using that standard I could say if you rate TVness on a scale of 1-10 then _The Nanny_ rates as highly as _Cheers_. But one was great and the other was ho-hum. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/19 "2013-08-17T18:09:02Z")
Yeah, yeah, yeah…it’s all subjective and whatever you like better…it’s all a matter of personal opinion… Hey, some people might say _Balto_ is a better movie than _Toy Story_. But if that’s their opinion then their opinion is wrong. Subjectively, it’s whichever band you like better. Objectively however, the correct answer is The Clash. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120/20 "2013-08-17T19:03:15Z")
If the question is “which was the better rock band?”, The Clash were the better band, IMHO. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stiff-little-fingers-vs-the-clash/663120.md?page=2)