There were a lot of soloists that made some major contributions to ska music. In the third era of this music bands really became prominent and took this music to another level.
The 1970s
This was the era of the 2 Tone ska revival. There was a mix of soloists and bands that entertained the many fans of this time. A prime example was Ranking Roger who was recognised for his participation with The Beat.
Third Wave Ska Prominent Bands
The third wave enjoyed a surge of many ska bands, some of the many that were popular during that time were:
Animal Chin
This was a group that performed regularly from 1996 to 2000. They were recognised for their ska-punk as well as pop and skate punk. The members have been comprised of past and present, which includes:
- Jamie Woolford
- Andrew Gruhn
- B.J. Wuollet
- Jermy Tappero ( past member)
- Ronn Pifer ( past member)
The group took its name from The Search for Animal Chin, which was a 1987 skateboarding film. Their first release was All the Kids Agree.
The Bodysnatchers
Although male ska groups were popular, there were also some great all-female bands around during this era as well that were able to draw a large fan base. This band was comprised of seven female members, and they were more prominent in the 2 Tone Revival. Their active years were 1979 to 1989, and their members were included:
- Rhoda Dakar
- Jane Summers
- Sarah Jane Owen
- Miranda Joyce
- Stella Barker
- Penny Leyton
- Nicky Summers
It was Nicky Summers who formed the band. Some of their most popular releases were “Lets Do Rock Steady” and “Easy Life”.
The Porkers
This is a ska band that came from Australia. They became active in 1987 and are still going strong today. Originally they were called the Pork Hunts. Because of the offensive nature of the name, they were compelled to change it to The Porkers. Two members are Pete Porker and Bigfil.
Mealticket
It was 1991 that ushered in this ska band. They originated in the San Fernando Valley. They were recognised for their ska performances, but also they took on a unique sound that made them stand out from the rest of the ska bands. Their active years were 1991 to 1997. Some of the members were:
- Dennis Leipert
- Jim Cushnie
- David Ferreria
- Ricky Estrada
- Genai Canale
- Richard Ferreria
Along with a long list of past members.
Originally this band consisted of members from the Van Nuys High School marching band. Some of their excellent releases were “Misconceptions”, “Super Positive” and “13 Apologies”.
Citizen Fish
This ska band tends to focus more on music themes that deal with vegetarianism along with anti-consumerism. They have been active since 1990 and are still performing today. They are classed as an English punk rock bank, and they have a good-sized fan base. They have many members that include several vocalists as well as instrumentalists.
Dance Hall Crashers
The bands of this ska era were creative at coming up with some great names. This particular band was formed in Berkeley, California. Their two main genres are ska-punk as well as pop-punk. They were active from 1989 to 1990, then came back into the music scene from 1992 to 2004, and are currently taking a break. Their current members are:
- Elyse Rogers
- Gavin Hammon
- Karina Denike
- Mikey Weiss
- Jason Hammon
There is a relatively long list of past members.
This selection of bands was chosen to be examples of the many fine bands that brought so much recognition to the popularity of ska music. There are many others, some of which are no longer performing but are still highly recognised for their contributions to this music genre.