Between 1979 and 1981, The Specials, Madness, The Beat and others revived Caribbean ska to enjoy a string of hit records against a backdrop of a Britain beset by unemployment, racial tension and rioting. Coming on the back of punk, 2Tone was remarkably successful, with The Specials notching up classic number-one singles “Too Much Too Young” and “Ghost Town,” the latter sounding eerily prophetic amidst the riots then flaring in Brixton and Toxteth.

