The Specials discography
| The Specials discography | |
|---|---|
 The Specials performing live at the Vic Theatre in Chicago, IL in 2013 | |
| Studio albums | 9 |
| EPs | 5 |
| Live albums | 6 |
| Compilation albums | 10 |
| Singles | 25 |
| Video albums | 5 |
| Collaboration album | 1 |
English ska revival band the Specials have released a diverse discography since their debut in 1979, including: nine studio albums, one collaboration album, five live albums, eleven compilation albums, four extended plays, twenty-three singles, and filmed five videos.
Their debut album "The Specials" (1979) and "More Specials" (1980) both achieved Gold status, while their 2019 album "Encore" hit number 1 on the UK chart. The band collaborated with Desmond Dekker on the album "King of Kings" (1993). Their work spans various formats and has seen chart success in multiple countries.
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [1][2] |
AUS [3] |
CAN [4] |
GER [5] |
NZ [6] |
SWE [7] |
SWI [8] |
US [9] | |||
| The Specials | 4 | 20 | 21 | — | 5 | 34 | — | 84 | ||
| More Specials |
|
5 | 86 | 49 | — | 28 | 30 | — | 98 |
|
| In the Studio (as the Special AKA) |
|
34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Today's Specials |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Guilty 'til Proved Innocent! |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Skinhead Girl |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Conquering Ruler |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Encore |
|
1 | — | — | 20 | — | — | — | — |
|
| Protest Songs 1924–2012 |
|
2 | — | — | 47 | — | — | 85 | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
Collaboration albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| King of Kings (with Desmond Dekker) |
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK [12] | ||
| BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert |
|
— |
| Live – Too Much Too Young |
|
— |
| Live at the Moonlight Club |
|
— |
| Blue Plate Specials Live |
|
— |
| Ghost Town Live |
|
— |
| More... Or Less: The Specials Live |
|
109 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [1] | |||
| Singles / The Singles Collection |
|
10 |
|
| Dawning of a New Era (as the Coventry Automatics aka the Specials) |
|
— | |
| Too Much Too Young: The Gold Collection |
|
— |
|
| Best of the Specials |
|
— | |
| Concrete Jungle (as the Specials and Friends) |
|
— | |
| BBC Sessions |
|
— | |
| A Special Collection |
|
— | |
| Stereo-Typical: A's, B's and Rarities |
|
— |
|
| Archive |
|
— | |
| The Best of the Specials |
|
24 |
|
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||
EPs
| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [13] |
UK Indie [14] |
BEL (FLA) [15] |
IRE [16] |
NL [17] |
NZ [18] | |||
| Too Much Too Young – The Special A.K.A. Live! [A] |
|
1 | — | 11 | 3 | 15 | 47 |
|
| The Peel Sessions |
|
— | 17 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2 Tone EP [B] |
|
30 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Too Much Too Young – The Specials E.P. Live! |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Dub Mixes Exclusive |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [1][19] |
AUS [3] |
AUT [20] |
BEL (FLA) [15] |
IRE [16] |
NL [17] |
NOR [21] |
NZ [18] |
US Alt [22] |
US Dance [23] | ||||
| "Gangsters" [C] | 1979 | 6 | — | — | 6 | 27 | 11 | — | 20 | — | — |
|
Non-album single |
| "A Message to You Rudy" / "Nite Klub" [D] | 10 | 29 | 7 | 24 | 19 | 35 | — | 29 | — | — |
|
The Specials | |
| "Rat Race" / "Rude Buoys Outa Jail" | 1980 | 5 | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | 89 | Non-album single | |
| "Stereotype" / "International Jet Set" | 6 | — | — | — | 12 | 41 | — | — | — | — | More Specials | ||
| "Do Nothing" / "Maggie's Farm" [E] | 4 | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
More Specials
Non-album track | |
| "Sock It to Them J.B." [F] | 1981 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | More Specials | |
| "Concrete Jungle" (live) [G] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Dance Craze (soundtrack) | ||
| "Ghost Town" | 1 | 68 | — | 15 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 20 | — | — |
|
Non-album singles | |
| "The Boiler" [H] | 1982 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Jungle Music" [I] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "War Crimes" [C] | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | In the Studio | ||
| "Racist Friend" / "Bright Lights" [C] | 1983 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Free Nelson Mandela" / "Break Down the Door" [C] | 1984 | 9 | 66 | — | 8 | 6 | 9 | — | 1 | — | 34 | ||
| "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend" [C] | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Free Nelson Mandela" (re-recording) [J] | 1988 | 93 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Jamaica Ska" [K] | 1993 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | King of Kings | |
| "Coz I Luv You" [L] | 1994 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Hypocrite" [M] | 1995 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Today's Specials | |
| "Pressure Drop" [M] | 1996 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" [N] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "It's You" | 1998 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | — | Guilty 'til Proved Innocent! | |
| "Bonediggin'" [O] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Sock It to Them J.B." (dub) / "Rat Race" (dub) [P] | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Vote for Me" | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Encore | |
| "10 Commandments" / "You're Wondering Now" (live) [Q][P] | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Encore
Non-album track | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Compilation contributions
| Title | Release date |
Label |
|---|---|---|
| The Specials vs. The Untouchables: Ska's Greatest Stars | 2002 | Big Eye Music |
| 80's New Wave Hits – Rearrangement of The Go-Go's' "Our Lips Are Sealed", with Jane Wiedlin, originally on The Specials vs The Untouchables: Ska's Greatest Stars |
2006 | Big Eye Music |
Videography
- "Dance Craze – The Best of British Ska... Live!" (VHS)
- "The Special AKA on Film" (1981 VHS & Laserdisc)
- "The Specials: Too Much, Too Young" (2008 DVD)
- "The Best of the Specials" (CD/DVD 2008)
- "The Specials – 30th Anniversary Tour" (2009 DVD)
Films
- Sixteen Candles (1984) – song – "Little Bitch"
- Natural Born Killers (1994) – song – "Ghost Town" (not included on the soundtrack album)
- Multiplicity (1996) – song – "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You"
- Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) – songs – "Pressure Drop", "A Message to You, Rudy" and "You're Wondering Now"
- SLC Punk! (1998) – songs – "Too Hot" and "Gangsters"
- 200 Cigarettes (1999) – song – "A Message to You, Rudy"
- Mystery Men (1999) – song – "Gangsters" (covered by Citizen King)
- A Room for Romeo Brass (1999) – song – "A Message to You, Rudy"
- An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000) – song – "Pressure Drop"
- Snatch (2000) – song – "Ghost Town"
- Garage Days (2002) – song – "Ghost Town"
- Shaun of the Dead (2004) – song – "Ghost Town"
- This Is England (2006) – songs – "Do the Dog", "Pressure Drop"
- We Own The Night (2007) – song – "A Message to You, Rudy"
- Vivarium (2019) – song – "A Message to You, Rudy"
Television
- Father Ted – Episode – Think Fast, Father Ted – song – "Ghost Town"
- Six Feet Under – song – "Monkey Man"
- Misfits (TV series) – song – "A Message to You Rudy"
Commercials
- The song "A Message to You, Rudy" was featured in a SFR television commercial directed by Bruno Aveillan, with world champion football player, Marcel Desailly in 2001
- The song "Blank Expression" was featured in a Ford Fiesta television commercial in 2003
Video games
- Dance Dance Revolution – song – "Little Bitch" (remix)
- MLB 2K7 – Song – "A Message To You, Rudy"
- Skate 2 – Song – "Ghost Town"
Notes
- ^ This EP is credited as the Special AKA featuring Rico. In some countries, such as France and Germany, the EP was instead released as a 7-inch single consisting of "Too Much Too Young" as the A-side and "Guns of Navarone" as the B-side.
- ^ The 2 Tone EP is a various artists EP that features "Gangsters" as the first track.
- ^ a b c d e Credited as the Special AKA.
- ^ Both sides credited as the Specials featuring Rico.
- ^ "Do Nothing" is credited as the Specials featuring Rico with the Ice Rink String Sounds.
- ^ "Sock It to Them J.B." was only released as a single in France.
- ^ "Concrete Jungle" was only released as a single in the Netherlands.
- ^ Credited as Rhoda with the Special AKA.
- ^ Credited as Rico and the Special AKA.
- ^ Credited as the Special AKA featuring Ndonda Khuze and Jonas Gwangwa.
- ^ Credited as Desmond Dekker and the Specials.
- ^ Credited as the X Specials.
- ^ a b Credited as the Specials featuring Kendell Smith and Sheena Staple.
- ^ "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" was only released as a single in the US.
- ^ "Bonediggin'" was only released as a promotional single in the US.
- ^ a b Record Store Day release.
- ^ "10 Commandments" features Saffiyah Khan, whilst "You're Wondering Now" is a live version from 2009 and features Amy Winehouse.
References
- ^ a b c "Specials | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 519. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 286. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Search – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
- ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade - hitparade.ch". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ "The Specials – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "British certifications – Specials". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 November 2024. Type Specials in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "King of Kings" (PDF). Music Week. 30 October 1993. p. 7. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
- ^ "Chart Log UK – 2012 + Weekly Updates + Sales 2012". www.zobbel.de. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com - Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980–1989. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.
- ^ a b "Discografie The Specials - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ a b "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ a b Steffen Hung. "Dutch charts portal". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ a b Steffen Hung. "New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: DJ S - The System Of Life". www.zobbel.de. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Austria Top 40 - Hitparade Österreich". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Norwegian charts portal". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ "The Specials – Alternative Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ "The Specials – Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 13 November 2022.