I Just Can't Stop It

The "Beat Girl" icon seen on the cover, and used on the band's merchandising, was designed by Birmingham-based cartoonist Hunt Emerson.[4]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	A−[5]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[6]
Record Mirror	[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[8]
Smash Hits	9/10[9]
Sounds	[10]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	10/10[11]
Tom Hull – on the Web	A−[12]

At the end of 1980, I Just Can't Stop It appeared in numerous lists of the best albums of the year: NME ranked it 3rd,[13] Sounds ranked it 13th, The Village Voice ranked it 21st and OOR ranked it 41st.[14] In 1995, Spin ranked the album at No. 94 in their list of the top "100 Alternative Albums".[14] Fast 'n' Bulbous ranked the album at number 283 in their list of "The 500 Best Albums Since 1965".[15] A 2002 poll of KCPR DJs ranked it at No. 40 in their list of the "Top 100 Records of the 80s".[14] Les Inrockuptibles included it in their list of "50 Years of Rock 'n' Roll."[14] Music journalist Simon Reynolds lists it as one of the five most important albums of "2-Tone and the Ska Resurrection" in his 2005 book Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984.[16] In 2016, Paste ranked I Just Can't Stop It at No. 48 on its list of the 50 best new wave albums.[17]

"Mirror in the Bathroom" was ranked at No. 3 in the NME "Singles of the Year" list and at No. 24 in Sounds' "Singles of the Year" list.[18] In 2003, Q ranked the song at No. 517 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".[19] In 2002, Gary Mulholland included the song in his list This is Uncool: The 500 Best Singles Since Punk Rock.[18] In 2001, Michaelangelo Matos included it in his list of "The Top 100 Singles of the 80s."[18] In 2006, 97x ranked it at No. 186 in their list of "The 500 Best Modern Rock Songs of All Time."[18] In 1990, Robert Christgau ranked "Twist & Crawl" at No. 10 in his list of the best songs of the 1980s.[20]

The US LP release of the album on Sire Records added "Tears of a Clown" and "Ranking Full Stop", originally released as double A-sides of a single on 2 Tone Records in 1979 (TT 6).[21] These tracks remained on subsequent CD reissues of the album.[21]

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[22]

The Beat

• Dave Wakeling – lead vocals; rhythm guitar
• Ranking Roger – toasting; vocals
• Andy Cox – lead guitar
• David Steele – bass
• Everett Morton – drums
• Saxa – saxophone

Production and artwork

• Bob Sargeant – production
• Alvin Clark – engineering
• Mark Dearnley – engineering
• Mike Dunne – engineering
• Trevor Hallesy – engineering
• Nick Rogers – engineering
• Hunt Emerson – artwork

"Thanks to: John Peel, The Specials, Selecter, A/W Hunt Emerson"

• I Just Can't Stop It at Discogs (list of releases)