The 27 Best Ska Bands of All Time

From the dancehalls of 1960s Kingston to the packed venues of the 2-Tone revival and the third-wave explosion, ska has proven itself one of music's most infectious and enduring genres. Whether you love the brass-heavy originals, the sharp-suited British revival, or the high-energy punk-ska fusion, there's no shortage of legendary acts to choose from. Which band made ska their own in a way no one else could match?

1. 1
   The Specials

   British 2-Tone ska revival band, known for "Ghost Town"
   1000pts
2. 2
   Toots and the Maytals

   Jamaican band who helped define early ska and reggae
   634pts
3. 3
   The Skatalites

   Jamaican ska pioneers who defined the original ska sound in the 1960s
   613pts
4. 4
   Operation Ivy

   Influential ska-punk band from the Bay Area
   546pts
5. 5
   Streetlight Manifesto

   New Jersey ska-punk band known for intricate arrangements
   546pts
6. 6
   The English Beat

   British ska band known for energetic live shows and pop-ska sound
   507pts
7. 7
   Madness

   British 2-Tone ska band known for "Our House" and "One Step Beyond"
   507pts
8. 8
   The Interrupters

   Los Angeles ska-punk band fronted by Aimee Interrupter, formed in 2011, whose 2018 single She's Kerosene carried ska back onto rock radio.
   507pts
9. 9
   Less Than Jake

   American ska-punk band from Gainesville, Florida
   464pts
10. 10
    Sublime

    Long Beach ska-punk band famous for "What I Got" and "Santeria"
    415pts
11. 11
    Reel Big Fish

    American third-wave ska band known for "Sell Out"
    415pts
12. 12
    Dance Hall Crashers

    Berkeley band started in 1989 by Operation Ivy's Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong, later famous for the twin female vocals of Elyse Rogers and Karina Denike.
    360pts
13. 13
    The Aquabats

    Costumed Huntington Beach ska-punk superheroes formed in 1994, later stars of their own children's television series, The Aquabats! Super Show!
    360pts
14. 14
    Fishbone

    American ska-punk band known for blending ska, punk, funk, and metal
    360pts
15. 15
    Mustard Plug

    Grand Rapids, Michigan, ska-punk band formed in 1991 whose high-energy 1997 album Evildoers Beware! became a third-wave staple.
    296pts
16. 16
    Bad Manners

    British ska band known for their humorous style and "Lip Up Fatty"
    296pts
17. 17
    Hepcat

    Los Angeles band formed in 1989 that revived traditional Jamaican ska and rocksteady on acclaimed Hellcat albums like Scientific and Right on Time.
    296pts
18. 18
    The Planet Smashers

    Montreal ska band formed in 1994 whose singer Matt Collyer also founded Stomp Records, the hub of the Canadian ska scene.
    296pts
19. 19
    Big D and the Kids Table

    Boston band formed in 1996, a mainstay of the Warped Tour circuit whose album Strictly Rude championed traditional rude-boy ska.
    296pts
20. 20
    Ska-P

    Politically charged ska-punk band from Madrid's Vallecas district, formed in 1994, whose anthems like Cannabis made them stars across Europe and Latin America.
    224pts
21. 21
    The Selecter

    British 2-Tone ska band fronted by Pauline Black
    223pts
22. 22
    Mighty Mighty Bosstones

    Boston ska-punk pioneers, known for "The Impression That I Get"
    223pts
23. 23
    The Toasters

    New York band formed by Robert Bucket Hingley in 1981 whose Moon Ska label helped launch the American third wave of ska.
    223pts
24. 24
    Voodoo Glow Skulls

    Riverside, California, ska-core band led by the Casillas brothers since 1988, known for blistering Epitaph records mixing hardcore punk and brass.
    223pts
25. 25
    Goldfinger

    Los Angeles ska-punk band led by John Feldmann since 1994, best known for the horn-driven hit Here in Your Bedroom.
    138pts
26. 26
    No Doubt

    Anaheim band that grew out of the Orange County ska scene and broke through with the 1995 smash Tragic Kingdom and Gwen Stefani's vocals.
    0pts
27. 27
    Desmond Dekker & The Aces

    Jamaican ska and reggae artist who achieved international success
    0pts

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