Ska is a music genre born in Jamaica that led to the evolution of reggae. Punk rock emerged in the mid-1970s and was loud, fast, and anti-establishment. Fuse the two styles, and you have ska punk.
Throughout the ’80s, many punk bands experimented with ska music, but it wasn’t until the end of the decade and throughout the ’90s that ska-punk hit the mainstream. Several ska-punk releases even managed to rank on the music charts.
Here, we have 13 of the most famous ska punk bands worth checking out. Let’s get started.
1. Reel Big Fish
Coming together in a California high school as a cover band, Reel Big Fish changed their style to ska in 1992 and enjoyed an underground cult following.
With the release of their second album, Turn the Radio Off, Reel Big Fish had commercial success leading to an extensive tour through the US. The album reached #57 on the Billboard 200 in 1996 at the height of the ska-punk third wave.
Reel Big Fish also made a cameo in a major motion picture. The band can be seen in comedy film BASEketball, and their song “Take on Me” is also on the soundtrack.
2. Less Than Jake
Ska punk has been represented in the state of Florida since the early ’90s by Less Than Jake.
The band released two studio albums in the late ’90s on Capitol Records, garnering some national exposure. And despite the genre losing mainstream appeal by then, they continued their ska punk style.
In 2003, they released Anthem, their most commercially successful album. It featured a couple of modest hits on the Airplay charts, including “She’s Gonna Break Soon” and “The Science of Selling Yourself Short.”
Less Than Jake continues to perform today, with most of the original members still intact.
3. Goldfinger
Next, we have one of the contributors to the third-wave ska movement, Goldfinger. The group was created by John Feldmann, Simon Williams, Darrin Pfeiffer, and Charlie Paulson in 1994.
Their first EP, Richter, was well-received, leading to the release of their self-titled debut album in 1996 and the band’s increased popularity, especially with the song “Here in Your Bedroom.”
Many of Goldfinger’s earlier songs were ska-punk influenced, but with the release of their third album, Open Your Eyes, in 1999, they began to focus more on the heavier sound of punk.
Though the group has gone through a few changes in member lineups, they are still active and have just released their latest album Never Look Back.
4. Sublime
Our next band, Sublime emerged on the music scene in the late ’80s out of Long Beach, California. Childhood friends Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson were playing punk rock when they joined up with Bradley Nowell, who introduced them to ska and reggae.
Sublime was active from 1988 to 1996 until frontman Nowell passed away from a heroin overdose. The band dissolved a short time after.
Just two months after Nowell’s death, Sublime released a self-titled album, their third and most successful. It featured the hit “What I Got,” which reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative Rock chart and gave the band international status.
5. No Doubt
Another band from California, No Doubt started jamming in a garage in the mid-1980s. After several lineup changes, Gwen Stefani took over as lead vocalist, and the band reached international stardom by the mid-1990s.
Their 1995 release Tragic Kingdom took the group to new heights, with the album receiving Diamond certification. “Just a Girl” was a big hit, as was “Don’t Speak,” which spent 16 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Airplay chart.
No Doubt helped with the re-emergence of ska punk, or third-wave ska, that took the genre into the new millennium. The band had a diverse sound, incorporating pop rock, alternative, and Jamaican dancehall music into their repertoire.
6. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Proving that ska-punk did not belong solely on the West Coast, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones hailed from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1983, the Bosstones are credited as being pioneers of the subgenre ska-core, a fusion of ska and hardcore punk.
The Bosstones toured throughout the ’90s, helping the third-wave ska scene to crossover into the mainstream. “The Impression I Get” was a hit single from the album Let’s Face It in 1997, peaking at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Like fellow ska punk artists the Reel Big Fish, Bosstones also gained notoriety as the frat house party band in the 1995 comedy movie Clueless.
7. NOFX
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, NOFX was formed in 1983. The group gained popularity from their diverse sound mix of ska, punk rock, and hardcore punk. Their songs often mocked social and cultural issues—though in a humorous way.
From inception, NOFX released a number of well-received albums; however, Punk in Drublic, their fifth album, became their ride to popularity. It reached #12 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and landed the band their first Gold certification.
NOFX went on to drop 13 more studio albums and several EPs. Notably, none of these were released through a major label. Still, the group became influential in the ska-punk scene and gained a large fanbase, selling more than eight million copies of their albums and songs worldwide.
8. Rancid
Berkeley, California-based Rancid had its start in 1991 with members Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom originally came from another famed ska-punk band, Operation Ivy, which we’ll speak of later.
Though their song “Salvation,” from the album Let’s Go, helped rocket the group to fame, Rancid is best known for “Time Bomb,” “Ruby Soho,” and “Roots Radicals,” all featured in their 1997 album …And Out Come the Wolves.
In 2004, Rancid went on an extended break, with members focusing on personal projects, but came back together again two years after. Since then, they’ve continued to tour and release albums, with rumors that a new one will drop soon.
9. The Suicide Machines
Originally consisting of Jason Navarro, Dan Lukacinsky, Jason Brake, and Stefan Rairigh, the Suicide Machines, came to be in Detroit, Michigan, in 1991. Their musical style is a mix of ska, hardcore punk, and punk rock that has captured the ears and hearts of fans.
The first few years of the group was slow, with several member changes, but this eventually changed with their debut album, Destruction by Definition, featuring “No Face.” The song was only a minor hit, but it was enough to gain them a national following.
The Suicide Machines disbanded in 2006, citing a need for a break, but they came together in 2009 and have since continued contributing to the music industry.
10. Fishbone
Fisher brothers John and Philip formed a band in South Central Los Angeles in 1979. They added players throughout the ’80s and played the club scene under the name Fishbone.
Fishbone was the epitome of an alternative rock band, experimenting with many musical styles that included ska punk, funk rock, and funk metal. They had some commercial success with their 1991 album, The Reality of My Surroundings, which reached #49 on the Billboard 200.
The album contained two of their best songs: “Sunless Saturday” and “Everyday Sunshine.” Both had quite a bit of airtime on MTV and on the radio.
Despite numerous lineup changes over the years, Fishbone is still performing. Many of the original members of the band have reconnected to play various festivals and tribute concerts.
11. Operation Ivy
We again have a West Coast band. Formed in 1987, Operation Ivy is largely considered pioneers of ska punk and had a potential start.
They released only one album, Energy, to wide acclaim. Despite selling out in events and being dubbed one of the successful rising bands at the time, the group broke up shortly after, in 1989.
In their short existence, Operation Ivy managed to record over 30 songs and performed 185 shows. They developed a huge underground following that holds up their legacy today.
12. Catch 22
Formed in 1996, Catch 22 was one of the bands creating traditional ska punk sounds during the third-wave ska movement. Their debut album, Keasbey Nights, was considered one of the best at that time.
Their singer and songwriter, Tomas Kalnoky, left the group in 1998 to form Streetlight Manifesto. After this, the sound from Catch 22 shifted to more punk rock, though still with a bit of ska punk roots.
With some member changes, Catch 22 continued touring and released three more albums. Since 2012, however, the group has been largely inactive, but not disbanded.
13. Save Ferris
Last but not the least, we have Save Ferris. The group got their start in 1995 performing in underground venues.
The group had a pretty good following by 1997. But the release of their first album, It Means Everything, that year propelled them to even greater heights. The album featured their cover for “Come on Eileen,” and the song is considered their best to date.
Save Ferris continued gaining popularity as they toured with other popular ska punk bands of the time, like Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger. However, they shifted from ska punk in 1999 to focus on pop punk. This is evident in their album Modified.
The group broke up in 2002 but has had a revival in 2013 and, to this day, continues to provide fans with content for their playlists.
Summing Up Our List Of Famous Ska Punk Bands
As a genre, ska punk has had its peaks and valleys. Exploding onto the music scene in the late ’70s and early ’80s as an off-shoot of punk rock, it enjoyed a revival in the mid-1990s.
Despite the on-again, off-again love affair with the genre, fans worldwide keep it alive by supporting the ska-punk bands still touring.
With the danceability of ska, combined with the hard-hitting, high-energy of punk rock and accentuated by the unlikely sound of brass instruments, ska punk is a style that will always have a place in music lore.
