2-tone

The 2-Tone movement was a British music genre that emerged in the late 1970s, primarily in Coventry. It was a distinct take on ska, a music style brought to Britain by Jamaican immigrants. The name "2-Tone" was inspired by the Tonik suits favored by mods and also reflected the movement's self-consciously multiracial lineups and rhetoric.1

The music itself was characterized by a thin, sharp sound, featuring prominent vocals and rhythm guitar. Key groups associated with 2-Tone included The Specials, whose hit "Gangsters" helped launch their own record label, and Madness. The movement addressed social issues like racial tension, notably in The Specials' song "Ghost Town". While the 2-Tone label eventually folded, its influence was felt in later ska revivals and in the work of bands like UB40. The term "two-tone" itself simply means colored in two colors or two shades of one color.123