Ska is a form of Jamaican music which began as early as the 1930s.[citation needed] Combining elements of traditional mento and calypso with an American jazz and rhythm and blues sound, it was a precursor in Jamaica to rocksteady and later reggae. It is the predominant form of music listened to by Rudeboys. It is also popular with Mods and Skinheads, with artists such as Symarip, Laurel Aitken, Desmond Dekker and The Pioneers aiming songs at these groups as early as the 1960s.

Musical historians typically divide the history of ska into three waves. There was revival of note in England in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and another wave of popularity in the 1990s, mostly based in the United States.

Fronted by Buster Bloodvessel, the band was formed in 1976
while the members were at school together.
None of the members had any formal musical training,
not even the ability to play any instruments
.They were popular during the late 1970s and early 1980s,
a period when lots of similiar ska bands filled the charts. Some of their hits include
"My Girl Lollipop", "Lip Up Fatty", "Special Brew" and "Ne-Ne-Na-Na-Na-Na-Nu-Nu".
One of the main reasons for their notoriety was because of their outlandish,
shaven headed, front man. Buster's exploits got them banned
from the British TV chart show Top of the Pops (which included dressing as Henry VIII
for the song "Lorraine", plus dressing in a can-can dancer's
dress to promote their single "Can-Can"); and even from the nation of Italy for ten years.
Buster had decided after a particularly successful concert that he should moon the crowd,
later to find that the Pope was in the audience.
Despite having scored many hits and featuring prominently in the UK
charts of the early 1980s, Bad Manners is perhaps most renowned
for their song "Special Brew". The song is ambiguous in meaning,
but the most common interpretation of the song is that it is a love song to the famous
alcoholic drink after which it appears to be named.

As music changed in America, so did ska. For example, ska was influenced by jazz and rock 'n' roll. Groups like Clement Dodd's house band, The Skatalites, often did instrumental ska versions of popular American and British music, such as Beatles tunes, movie themes, or surf instrumentals.

The Beat, known in the United States as The English Beat in order to avoid confusion with Paul Collins' band of the same name, was a popular Two Tone ska and pop music group.

The band was formed in the English city of Birmingham in 1978, which was a period of high unemployment and social-political upheaval in the UK. The Beat's songs deal with themes of love, unity, or political protest, all over a dance beat that melded ska and pop with soul, reggae, and even some late-1970s punk influences. Their political activities included supporting the Committee for Nuclear Disarmament and participating in the recording of the song "Free Nelson Mandela."

The Beat were part of the revival of 1950s and 1960s Jamaican ska rhythms and melodies in the UK. This revival, which is often called the "Second Wave" of ska, blended elements of Jamaican ska with punk rock influences such as uncompromising lyrics, more aggressive guitar playing, and faster tempos. The "Second Wave" of ska is also referred to as the "Two Tone" era of ska, a reference to the 2-Tone record label and to the pro-racial integration beliefs held by ska bands of this era. Other contemporaries of The Beat included The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness.