We have this music box for our 1yo and there are a lot kid songs in different pop music styles and she loved “the one with the trumpets”. I never really was into ska so I’m asking the collective for the best ska songs they know so I can surprise her with a playlist.
edit: sorry its been hectic and I couldn’t get to this “project”, thank you all so much for your suggestions!
condolences
Mad Caddies - Quality Soft Core Goleta and Bell Tower are real good from what I remember
The Specials - The Specials - A Message to you Rudy is classic, my fave is Concrete Jungle
Toots & the Maytals - Pressure Drop 54-46 (That’s my Number) is my fave on this album
Too much too young is such a banger i have to dance every time it plays.
Hell yeah, first wave Ska is usually in heavy rotation for me all summer
Madness is one of the bands that popularized the genre in the western world back in the '70s and '80s. Their 1st album One Step Beyond is still one of the genre landmarks.
Around the early '90s Ska got picked up by Punk bands all around the world, breathing in the genre new life and appealing to new audiences, but in my opinion few of them managed to get it right as the Spanish band Ska-P. I’m particularly fond of their 4th and 5th albums: Planeta Eskoria and Que Corra la Voz
Edit: Links added
Ska is a pretty diverse genre, if you list some genres/bands she likes you may get some better examples. Also it’s like 3am so I’m posting so I can do this later.
Big edit time:
Ok so, if you want current stuff I would check out Bad Time Records: https://badtimerecords.bandcamp.com/artists
They’ve got a pretty good selection of stuff, and most of those bands are still playing shows regularly if that’s a thing you’re into.
Assuming you want fairly normal stuff I’d suggest JER, Catbite, and Kill Lincoln, but check out all the artists on that page for various different styles.
If you want older stuff, you’ve got original stuff (60’s) like the Skatalites, Boots & the Maytals, the Ethiopians, etc. a lot more reggae like.
You can get into two-tone (a lot of what’s been suggested already, 80’s stuff) with Selector, Madness, the Specials, Bad Manners, etc. a bit more chill than newer stuff, but definitely in what’s more defined as ska and less reggae than traditional stuff.
Or the Third Wave was a lot more poppy late 90’s stuff. Big popular bands like Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Goldfinger, No Doubt, etc. Plenty of other good bands like Blue Meanies, Fishbone, Operation Ivy, Catch 22, etc.
Plenty of Skacore bands, mix in a bit of heavier stuff like Folly, Flaming Tsunamis, Best of the Worst.
Punk ska bands like Against All Authority, the Fad, Omnigone, Stuck Lucky, etc.
Plenty of punk bands that flirt with Ska like the Flatliners, NoFX, etc.
Japanese Ska like Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Oreskaband, Potshot, Free Kick, S.M.N., etc.
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Utsukushiku Moeru Mori (“Beautiful Burning Forest”)
Them at Supernova last year. Good shit.
I never considered them ska, but they are one of my favorite bands in general.
If you’re looking for original Ska from the 50’s/60’s, this about the best album going. It includes a song from the then relatively unknown “Robert Marley” :) Also, lots of trumpets.
My wife
Ghost Town - The Specials
Nightboat to Cairo - Madness (anything by madness really)
Never Meant - American Football Ska Punk Cover
i just think it’s funny
Lmao, I had no idea this song was about a car.🤣
To hop on the Japanese Ska bandwagon: Yum!Yum!Orange are just pure happiness and light. Catchy AF https://youtu.be/LwV6JiXUON0
Selecter - On My Radio: https://youtu.be/074AfC9tw48
SOME-BODY ONCE TOLD ME THE WORLD WAS GONNA ROLL ME
