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]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[6]
Smash Hits	9/10[7]
Sounds	[8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	10/10[9]

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,[10] Sounds ranked it 13th, The Village Voice ranked it 21st and OOR ranked it 41st.[11] In 1995, Spin ranked the album at number 94 in their list of the top "100 Alternative Albums".[11] Fast 'n' Bulbous ranked the album at number 283 in their list of "The 500 Best Albums Since 1965".[12] A 2002 poll of KCPR DJs ranked it at number 40 in their list of the "Top 100 Records of the 80s".[11] Les Inrockuptibles included it in their list of "50 Years of Rock 'n' Roll."[11] 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.[13] In 2016, Paste ranked I Just Can't Stop It at number 48 on its list of the 50 best new wave albums.[14]

"Mirror in the Bathroom" was ranked at number 3 in the NME "Singles of the Year" list and at number 24 in Sounds' "Singles of the Year" list.[15] In 2003, Q ranked the song at number 517 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".[16] In 2002, Gary Mulholland included the song in his list This is Uncool: The 500 Best Singles Since Punk Rock.[15] In 2001, Michaelangelo Matos included it in his list of "The Top 100 Singles of the 80s."[15] In 2006, 97x ranked it at number 186 in their list of "The 500 Best Modern Rock Songs of All Time."[15] In 1990, Robert Christgau ranked "Twist and Crawl" at number 10 in his list of the best songs of the 1980s.[17]

All tracks are written by The Beat (as per ASCAP: Roger Charlery, Andy Cox, Everett Morton, David Steele and Dave Wakeling),[18] except where noted. Note that despite the group author credits on the label, Saxa is not listed as a co-author of any song according to ASCAP.

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).[18] These tracks remained on subsequent CD reissues of the album.[18]

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[19]

The Beat

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

Technical personnel

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