two tone
what it is
2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a music genre created in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s by fusing elements of ska, punk rock, rocksteady, reggae and New Wave. It was called 2 Tone because most of the bands were signed to 2 Tone Records at some point. Other labels associated with the 2 Tone sound were Stiff Records and Go Feet Records.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make two tone a playlist
turn these 13 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is two tone?
2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a music genre created in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s by fusing elements of ska, punk rock, rocksteady, reggae and New Wave. It was called 2 Tone because most of the bands were signed to 2 Tone Records at some point. Other labels associated with the 2 Tone sound were Stiff Records and Go Feet Records.
What are good two tone albums to start with?
Try The Liberty of Norton Folgate by Madness, BBC Sessions by The Specials, Bounce by The Beat feat. Ranking Roger, and Search For Gold by Ratatouille.
Who are some women making two tone?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/two-tone/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making two tone, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20