Ska Boom-Episode 020: Rock Stars Who Played Ska

On this episode I take a look at a number of key Gen X era musicians who dabbled in or experimented with playing ska and reggae music before they went on to have huge star making careers. While kids in the UK lived next door to Jamaican neighbors and were accustomed to hearing reggae music all the time, there was no corresponding culture or experience with the genre here in the U.S.  Occasionally a song like “My Boy Lollipop” or “The Israelites” or “Mother and Child Reunion” would end up on Top 40 radio in the 60s or 70s, but it was rare. But that began to change in the late 70s and early 80s when notable British musicians and bands like The Clash, The Police, Elvis Costello, and Joe Jackson -- began to incorporate the rhythms of ska and reggae into their songwriting and these songs began to find a receptive audience here in the U.S.  And as the sound of ska and reggae expanded, more American bands began to experiment. So let’s have some fun. I’ll play a ska or reggae song by three  of these future Gen X superstars and you see if you can guess who they are. Please note: The music clips included in this podcast fall under the “Fair Use Doctrine” as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The law allows for use of music clips for purposes of criticism, comment, and news reporting.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices