As I have said before, I like to review different genres and eras on this page. One genre I haven’t really delved into is ska.

Ska is a genre that originated in Jamaica in the 1950s and was a precursor to reggae. It is basically a faster version of reggae, characterised by a walking bass line and rhythms on the off beat.

Ska experienced a revival in Britain in the late 1970s, with a harder punk-influenced sound and lyrics reflecting the political situation of the time.

One of the most prominent bands from this classic second wave is The Specials. Here’s my playlist of them to check out. It features hits along with some lesser-known tracks. See you next time.

  1. Gangsters
  2. Do the Dog
  3. Concrete Jungle
  4. Rudy, A Message To You
  5. Nite Club
  6. Too Much, Too Young (Live)
  7. You’re Wondering Now (theme to the TV show Death In Paradise)!
  8. (Dawning of A) New Era
  9. Monkey Man
  10. Ghost Town (Radio Edit)
  11. Rat Race
  12. Enjoy Yourself
  13. Friday Night, Saturday Morning
  14. Free Nelson Mandela
  15. Embarrassed By You

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2 responses to “Ska Article: My Specials Playlist”

  1. hotfox63 Avatar

    The Ska revival in Britain in the early 80s was largely determined by 2 Tone Records. The label included Madness, Selecter, The Beat, and The Specials.

  2. Dave Avatar

    some great sounds coming from 2 Tone. It’s a shame that it didn’t catch on really here, but at least those of us lucky enough to grow up in select cities like Toronto and LA got to hear it on the early alt rock stations, and now can hear it on satellite radio. Curiously, I heard ‘Message to you Rudy’ earlier today on the latter!

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