Beginner’s Guide To Ska

Featured, Playlists | May 6th, 2021

Beginner's Guide To Ska
Photo by Bryan Kremkau

Just for the sake of making another playlist for myself, I’d thought I’d gather what I could on Spotify and curate a playlist called Beginner’s Guide To Ska playlist. I tried my best to map out bands and artists from the start of the craze in the first wave to the current phase of things (whatever the hell it’s being called).

I know I’m missing some bands, or including some bands that shouldn’t be on this list – all I can say is you’re welcome to create your own playlist haha. I tried my best to focus on the evolution of the genre and sub-genres.

It’s quite interesting to see how the styles come and go, come back, etc. If you’re just getting into ska, ska punk, ska reggae, etc., then this playlist might be a good place to start to discover some other bands to listen to.

Listen to the first 100 songs below or find it on Spotify since there’s more than 100 songs.

Playlist:
1. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires – Jamaica Ska
2. The Skatalites – Street Corner
3. The Wailers – Simmer Down
4. Toots & The Maytals – John And James
5. Don Drummond – Man in the Street
6. Desmond Dekker, The Cherry Pies – King of Ska
7. Millie Small – My Boy Lollipop
8. Jimmy Cliff- Miss Jamaica
9. Roland Alphonso – Sucu Sucu
10. Marcia Griffiths – Feel Like Jumping
11. Baba Brooks – Guns Fever
12. Justin Hinds – Rub Up, Push Up
13. The Paragons – The Tide Is High – Stereo Version
14. The Valentines – Blam Blam Fever
15. Eric Morris – Strongman Sampson
16. The Pioneers – Long Shot Kick De Bucket
17. Prince Buster – Madness
18. Derrick Morgan – Blazing Fire
19. Laurel Aitken – Sally Brown
20. Harry J Allstars – Liquidator
21. Symarip – Skinhead Girl
22. The Specials – Gangsters
23. Madness – Night Boat to Cairo
24. The Selecter – On my Radio
25. The English Beat – Mirror In the Bathroom
26. Bad Manners – Lip Up Fatty
27. The Bodysnatchers – Easy Life
28. The Toasters – Thrill Me Up
29. The Scofflaws – Rudy’s Back
30. The Uptones – Get Out Of My Way
31. Fishbone – Party at Ground Zero
32. Hotknives – Skin Up Harry
33. The Untouchables – Wild Child
34. Mark Foggo’s Skasters – Hello
35. The Loafers – The Undertaker
36. The Burial – Sheila
37. Bim Skala Bim – Pete Needs a Friend
38. Arthur Kay, Originals – Play My Record
39. Judge Dread – Big Six – Aha-aha-ayaya
40. N.Y. Citizens – Boxer Shorts
41. No Sports- King Kong
42. The Frits – Work
43. Mr. Review – The Street Where I’m Living
44. Heavy Manners – Taking The Queen To Tea
45. The Exceptions – Box Full of Stuff
46. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Howwhywuz, Howwhyam
47. Operation Ivy – Unity
48. Mephiskapheles – Doomsday
49. Bluekilla – Hey Joe
50. The Busters – Under Cover
51. Agent 99 – Get A Grip
52. Skankin’ Pickle – David Duke Is Running For President
53. Let’s Go Bowling – Dance Some More
54. Bigger Thomas – Ska In My Pocket
55. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs – Matador
56. Mustard Plug – Mr. Smiley
57. The Pietasters – Girl Take It Easy
58. The Porkers – Alcohol
59. King Apparatus – Michael & Anne
60. The Slackers – Sooner Or Later
61. MU330 – Hoosier Love
62. Dance Hall Crashers – Othello
63. Desorden Público – Allá Cayó
64. Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra – MONSTER ROCK
65. Hepcat – Hooligans
66. Ruder Than You – Take This
67. Skinnerbox – Does He Love You?
68. Slapstick – Good Times Gone
69. Blue Meanies – Acceleration 5000
70. Less Than Jake – My Very Own Flag
71. Spring Heeled Jack – Running Man
72. Buck-O-Nine – Water In My Head
73. Voodoo Glow Skulls – Insubordination
74. The Insteps – Rudy Don’t Fear
75. Victor Rice – Agenda
76. New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble – Don Tojo
77. The Bluebeats – Dance With Me
78. The Planet Smashers – Mission Aborted
79. Chris Murray – Rock Steady
80. Stubborn All-Stars – Friend
81. Rancid – Time Bomb
82. No Doubt – Sunday Morning
83. Bruce Lee Band – Superman
84. Reel Big Fish – Sell Out
85. Ska-P- El Vals del Obrero
86. Warsaw Poland Bros. – Tap Nasty
87. Skavoovie & The Epitones – Sonic Boom
88. Edna’s Goldfish – I’m Your Density
89. Pilfers – Generation
90. Jeffries Fan Club – Milk
91. Sublime – Wrong Way
92. Goldfinger – Superman
93. Cherry Poppin’ Daddies – Irish Whiskey
94. The Impossibles – Plan B
95. The Suicide Machines – Hey
96. The Eclectics – Siddhartha
97. Sgt. Scag – Sideshow
98. Link 80 – Verbal Kint
99. KEMURI – New Generation
100. Dr. Ring Ding, The Senior Allstars – My Sound
101. Save Ferris – The World Is New
102. The Aquabats! – Super Rad!
103. Mad Caddies – Distress
104. The Hippos – Please
105. Catch 22 – Keasbey Nights
106. Big D and the Kids Table – Not Fuckin’ Around
107. The O.C. Supertones – Supertones Strike Back
108. Five Iron Frenzy – A Flowery Song
109. Slow Gherkin – Trapped Like Rats in Myers Flats
110. [spunge] – Kicking Pigeons
111. The Gadjits – Bullet In The Mattress
112. Streetlight Manifesto – We Will Fall Together
113. Suburban Legends – Bright Spring Morning
114. The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches – So Let’s Go Nowhere
115. Hub City Stompers – Mass Appeal
116. The Kingpins – L’Aventurier
117. Pressure Cooker – Carry Me
118. ORESKABAND – Oh! My Honey
119. I Voted For Kodos – On The Phone
120. Survay Says! – I Aim to Misbehave
121. The Aggrolites – Countryman Fiddle
122. Common Rider – Small Pebble
123. Capdown – Ska Wars
124. Deal’s Gone Bad – Messin’ Around
125. Monkey – Lost At Sea
126. Westbound Train – Please Forgive Me
127. Sonic Boom Six – No Man, No Right
128. Tim Armstrong – Hold On
129. Tip the Van – The Chase
130. Half Past Two – 1000 Miles Away
131. Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra – Babylon Focus
132. The Skints, Parly B – Rise Up
133. The Dualers – Don’t Go
134. The Frightnrs – Nothing More to Say
135. The Prizefighters – Hypocrite
136. Soul Radics – No Fool
137. Matamoska! – Que Pex!
138. Sammy Kay and the East Los 3 – I Can Change
139. The Steady 45’s – Mama Said
140. The Interrupters – She’s Kerosene
141. Rude Boy George – Things Can Only Get Better
142. Death Of Guitar Pop, Neville Staple – Suburban Ska Club
143. Popes Of Chillitown – Wisdom Teeth
144. Buster Shuffle – Doesn’t Matter
145. Be Like Max – Home Away from Home
146. The Holophonics – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
147. Bite Me Bambi – Carried Away
148. Call Me Malcolm – I Bet They’re Asleep In New York
149. The Bar Stool Preachers – Bar Stool Preacher
150. Kill Lincoln – Good Riddance to Good Advice
151. Catbite – Come on Baby
152. Joystick! – Parallelograms
153. Something To Do – Richard Spencer Punched in the Head
154. Skatune Network – Cold Raviolis
155. Left Alone – Mile High
156. The Inevitables – Barely Kids
157. Omnigone – Horizontal Aggression
158. Flying Raccoon Suit – Rebirth
159. BAD OPERATION – Perilous
160. We Are The Union – Morbid Obsessions

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