A History of Ska: Part 2

2 tone was a genre founded in the UK, or more specifically, it was founded by musicians in the West Midlands in the late ‘70s. The name of the genre comes from the record label that many of the bands were signed to (2 tone records). Occasionally it has been referred to as “second wave” ska. Ska music was probably most well-known at this point, and some highly recognisable bands were part of the 2 tone movement (The Specials, The Beat, Madness and Bad Manners, for example). The 2 tone movement promoted multiculturalism, and many of the bands of the genre wrote songs about the current racial climate (since there was a lot of racial tension at the time, with riots occurring in many British cities).

The last phase of the ska story started in the ‘90s and was dubbed third wave ska. Third wave ska is still going strong today and largely consists of American bands, although many third wave bands have been formed in other countries. Some of the earliest third wave ska was created by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and The Toasters. Both of these bands were formed in the ‘80s, although didn’t receive much in the way of success until later on.