• About
  • Meet the Team
  • Contact Us

The Best of Reggae

Reggae Music

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • News
  • Festivals
  • Artists
  • Reggae & Ska Music Terms Glossary
  • Reggae Artist Search

What is Ska Music

By The Best of Reggae Editor Leave a Comment

what is ska musicThe original sound of reggae (pre-reggae), played in Jamaica in the early 1960’s, originated largely by the island’s resort and studio players who came together to form The Skatalites. The early hits from The Wailing Wailers, such as “One Cup Of Coffee,” “Simmer Down,” and the original “One Love” are all great examples of ska featuring vocals. (A large part of original Jamaican ska was instrumental—check anything from The Skatalites! The Skatalites were the instrumental backing band for some of the early Wailers’ tracks.) Ska relies heavily on the saxophone, trumpet, and trombone to carry the melodies, and has a prominent steady upbeat carrying the music forward.

List of notable bands and musicians who performed primarily Ska or Ska-influenced music for a significant portion of their careers.

The originators of Ska started performing in 1950s

  • Aubrey Adams
  • Laurel Aitken
  • Roland Alphonso
  • Theophilus Beckford
  • Val Bennett
  • Baba Brooks
  • The Blues Busters
  • Prince Buster
  • Clue J & His Blues Blasters
  • Stranger Cole
  • Desmond Dekker
  • Don Drummond
  • Jackie Edwards
  • Alton Ellis
  • The Ethiopians
  • Owen Gray
  • Derrick Harriott
  • Justin Hinds
  • Jah Jerry Haynes
  • Judge Dread
  • Lloyd Knibb
  • Byron Lee & the Dragonaires
  • Count Machuki
  • Carlos Malcolm
  • Tommy McCook
  • The Melodians
  • Johnny “Dizzy” Moore
  • Derrick Morgan
  • Eric “Monty” Morris
  • Jackie Opel
  • The Paragons
  • Lee “Scratch” Perry
  • The Pioneers
  • Ernest Ranglin
  • Rico Rodriguez
  • The Skatalites
  • Millie Small
  • Symarip
  • Lynn Taitt
  • Lord Tanamo
  • Toots & the Maytals
  • The Wailers
  • Delroy Wilson

Starting in late 1970s – 2 Tone Ska Revival

The 2 Tone sound was developed by young musicians in Coventry, West Midlands, England who grew up hearing 1960s Jamaican music.They combined influences from ska, reggae and rocksteady with elements of Punk Rock and New Wave music. Bands considered part of the genre include:

  • Andy Cox
  • Pauline Black
  • Rhoda Dakar
  • Bad Manners
  • Mike Barson
  • The Beat (known as The English Beat)
  • Mark Bedford
  • Buster Bloodvessel
  • The Bodysnatchers
  • John Bradbury
  • Jerry Dammers
  • Chris Foreman
  • Lynval Golding
  • Terry Hall
  • Madness
  • Everett Morton
  • Horace Panter
  • Roddy Radiation
  • Ranking Roger
  • The Selecter
  • Chas Smash
  • The Specials ( known as The Special AKA)
  • Neville Staple
  • Suggs
  • Lee Thompson
  • Dave Wakeling
  • Daniel Woodgate

1980s /1990s  Ska Punk / Ska-core (skacore)

Ska Punk is a fusion music genre that combines Ska and Punk Rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s.[Ska-core (sometimes spelled skacore) is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.

The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting genres. The more punk-influenced style often features faster tempos, guitar distortion, onbeat punk rock-style interludes (usually the chorus), and punk-style vocals. The more ska-influenced style of ska punk features a more developed instrumentation and a cleaner vocal and musical sound. The common instrumentation includes electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, brass instruments (such as trombones or trumpets), saxophones, and sometimes an organ.
Below is a list of famous Ska Punk and Ska-core Bands and Musicians

  • 7 Seconds of Love
  • Against All Authority
  • Allniters
  • The Allstonians
  • Animal Chin
  • The Aquabats
  • Area-7
  • The Arrogant Sons of Bitches
  • Athena
  • B. Lee Band
  • BAMF!
  • Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution
  • Blag
  • Blue Meanies
  • Big D and the Kids Table
  • Bim Skala Bim
  • Bomb The Music Industry!
  • Buck-O-Nine
  • The Busters
  • Capdown
  • Catch 22
  • Chase Long Beach
  • The Chinkees
  • Choking Victim
  • Chris Murray
  • Citizen Fish
  • Common Rider
  • Dance Hall Crashers
  • Deal’s Gone Bad
  • Desorden Publico
  • Distemper
  • The Donkey Show
  • Edna’s Goldfish
  • The Expendables
  • Farse
  • Fishbone
  • Five Iron Frenzy
  • The Flatliners
  • The Forces Of Evil
  • The Gadjits
  • General Rudie
  • Go Jimmy Go
  • Goldfinger
  • Gollbetty
  • Hepcat
  • High School Football Heroes
  • The Hippos
  • Hub City Stompers
  • I Voted for Kodos
  • The Impossibles
  • The Insyderz
  • Jeffries Fan Club
  • The Johnstones
  • Johnny Socko
  • Kid British
  • King Apparatus
  • The King Blues
  • King Prawn
  • The Know How
  • Kemuri
  • Lightyear
  • Less Than Jake
  • Let’s Go Bowling
  • Link 80
  • Locomondo
  • Long Shot Party
  • Los Kung-Fu Monkeys
  • Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
  • Los Hooligans
  • Mad Caddies
  • Mark Foggo’s Skasters
  • Mealticket
  • Mephiskapheles
  • The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
  • Missing Andy
  • Monkey
  • Mouthwash
  • Mr. Review
  • Mu330
  • Mustard Plug
  • No-Cash
  • No Doubt
  • No Torso
  • Nuckle Brothers
  • The O.C. Supertones
  • Operation Ivy
  • OreSkaBand
  • Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra
  • Panteón Rococó
  • Pepper
  • The Pietasters
  • Pilfers
  • The Planet Smashers
  • The Porkers
  • Potshot
  • Rancid
  • Random Hand
  • RedSka
  • Reel Big Fish
  • The Rough Kutz
  • Ruder Than You
  • The Rudiments
  • The Rudimentals
  • Rx Bandits
  • Save Ferris
  • The Scholars
  • The Scofflaws
  • Ska-P
  • Skankin’ Pickle
  • Skavoovie and the Epitones
  • Skinnerbox
  • The Skunks
  • The Slackers
  • Slapstick
  • Slow Gherkin
  • Spunge
  • Sonic Boom Six
  • Sounds Like Chicken
  • Spring Heeled Jack
  • Starpool
  • Sto zví?at
  • Streetlight Manifesto
  • Stubborn All-Stars
  • Subb
  • Sublime
  • Sublime with Rome
  • Suburban Legends
  • Suburban Rhythm
  • The Suicide Machines
  • Superhiks
  • The Supervillains
  • The Taj Motel Trio
  • Tip The Van
  • The Toasters
  • Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
  • The Unlimiters
  • The Upgrades
  • The Uptones
  • The Urge
  • Tijuana No!
  • Voodoo Glow Skulls
  • Westbound Train
  • Zdob Si Zdub

 


Filed Under: Reggae News Tagged With: 7 Seconds of Love, Against All Authority, Allniters, Alton Ellis, Andy Cox, Animal Chin, Area-7, Athena, Aubrey Adams, B. Lee Band, Baba Brooks, Bad Manners, BAMF!, Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, Big D and the Kids Table, Bim Skala Bim, Blag, Blue Meanies, Bomb The Music Industry!, Buck-O-Nine, Buster Bloodvessel, Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, Capdown, Carlos Malcolm, Catch 22, Chas Smash, Chase Long Beach, Choking Victim, Chris Foreman, Chris Murray, Citizen Fish, Clue J & His Blues Blasters, Common Rider, Count Machuki, Dance Hall Crashers, Daniel Woodgate, Dave Wakeling, Deal's Gone Bad, Delroy Wilson, Derrick Harriott, Derrick Morgan, Desmond Dekker, Desorden Publico, Distemper, Don Drummond, Edna's Goldfish, Eric "Monty" Morris, Ernest Ranglin, Everett Morton, Farse Band - The Best of Reggae - Reggae Artist, Fishbone, Five Iron Frenzy, General Rudie, Go Jimmy Go, Goldfinger, Gollbetty, Hepcat, High School Football Heroes, Horace Panter, Hub City Stompers, I Voted for Kodos, Jackie Edwards, Jackie Opel, Jah Jerry Haynes, Jeffries Fan Club, Jerry Dammers, John Bradbury, Johnny "Dizzy" Moore, Johnny Socko - The Best of Reggae - Reggae Music Artisit, Judge Dread, Justin Hinds, Kemuri, Kid British, King Apparatus, King Prawn, Laurel Aitken, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Lee Thompson, Less Than Jake, Let's Go Bowling, Lightyear, Link 80, Lloyd Knibb, Locomondo, Long Shot Party, Lord Tanamo, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Hooligans, Los Kung-Fu Monkeys, Lynn Taitt, Lynval Golding, Mad Caddies, Madness, Mark Bedford, Mark Foggo's Skasters, Mealticket, Mephiskapheles, Mike Barson, Millie Small, Missing Andy, Monkey, Mouthwash, Mr. Review, Mu330, Mustard Plug, Neville Staple, No Doubt, No Torso, No-Cash, Nuckle Brothers, Operation Ivy, OreSkaBand, Owen Gray, Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra, Panteón Rococó, Pauline Black, Pepper, Pilfers, Potshot, Prince Buster, Rancid, Random Hand, Ranking Roger, RedSka, Reel Big Fish, Rhoda Dakar, Rico Rodriguez, Roddy Radiation, Roland Alphonso, Ruder Than You, Rx Bandits, Save Ferris, Ska-P, Skankin' Pickle, Skavoovie and the Epitones, Skinnerbox, Slapstick, Slow Gherkin, Sonic Boom Six, Sounds Like Chicken, Spring Heeled Jack, Spunge, Starpool, Sto zví?at, Stranger Cole, Streetlight Manifesto, Stubborn All-Stars, Subb, Sublime, Sublime with Rome, Suburban Legends, Suburban Rhythm, Suggs, Superhiks, Symarip, Terry Hall, The Allstonians, The Aquabats, The Arrogant Sons of Bitches, The Beat, The Blues Busters, The Bodysnatchers, The Busters, The Chinkees, The Donkey Show, The English Beat, The Ethiopians, The Expendables, The Flatliners, The Forces Of Evil, The Gadjits, The Hippos, The Impossibles, The Insyderz, The Johnstones, The King Blues, The Know How, The Melodians, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The O.C. Supertones, The Paragons, The Pietasters, The Pioneers, The Planet Smashers, The Porkers, The Rough Kutz, The Rudimentals, The Rudiments, The Scholars, The Scofflaws, The Selecter, The Skatalites, The Skunks, The Slackers, The Special AKA, The Specials, The Suicide Machines, The Supervillains, The Taj Motel Trio, The Toasters, The Unlimiters, The Upgrades, The Uptones, The Urge, The Wailers, Theophilus Beckford, Tijuana No!, Tip The Van, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Tommy McCook, Toots & the Maytals, Val Bennett, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Westbound Train, Zdob Si Zdub

Popular Reggae News

  • Top Female Reggae Artists
  • History of Reggae Music
  • What is Dub Poetry
  • According to Google Insights Reggae Top 10 Cities Interested in Reggae is:
  • Rastafari Quotes from Bob Marley
  • British Bands Influenced by Reggae.
  • The Meaning of Rastafari
Follow The Best of Reggae with Bloglovin

Reggae is Soul

Other Reggae Resources

  • House of Reggae
  • Nuff Vibez
  • Reggae Node
  • Reggaeville
  • Surf Reggae

About The Best of Reggae

  • About
  • Meet the Team

Promote Your Reggae Band or Festival

  • The Best of Reggae Writers Guidelines
  • Submit Reggae Event
  • Submit Reggae Band Profile
  • Advertise

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Legals

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Services

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2023 The Best of Reggae