ska
what it is
Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. It is characterized by a walking bass line, accented guitar or piano rhythms on the offbeat. In the early 1960s, ska was the dominant musical genre of Jamaica.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make ska a playlist
turn these 35 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is ska?
Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. It is characterized by a walking bass line, accented guitar or piano rhythms on the offbeat. In the early 1960s, ska was the dominant musical genre of Jamaica.
What are good ska albums to start with?
Try Turn the Radio Off by Reel Big Fish, Hello Rockview by Less Than Jake, One Step Beyond... by Madness, and Somewhere in the Between by Streetlight Manifesto.
Who are some women making ska?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/ska/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making ska, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20