The Best Of The Specials (2026 Repress)
Availability: In stock and shipping now.
Availability: Hurry, only one copy in stock!
Availability: Not in stock or no longer available
Availability: Not in stock but we can order it in. We aim to ship in 3-5 days.
Availability: In stock and shipping now.
Originally formed in 1977, as The Coventry Automatics, The Specials combined Jamaican ska and rocksteady, mixed with the energy of punk they launched a whole ska revival. They also helped fellow likeminded bands such as Madness, The Beat, The Selecter to release their first singles.
The Best of The Specials covers music that the band recorded between 1979 and 1984. Along with the group's debut single "Gangsters," the album also includes both of The Specials' UK number ones: "Too Much Too Young" (1980) and an extended version of "Ghost Town" (1981).
Also featured are several songs that cracked the UK Top 10, including "A Message To You, Rudy," "Rat Race," "Do Nothing," a medley of "Stereotype" and "Stereotypes (Part 2)," as well as the Special AKA 1984 protest song "Nelson Mandela."
Released: April 2026
Cat: CRTTVX1143
Label: Chrysalis
Listen
Tracklist
Side A:
1. Gangsters
2. A Message To You Rudy
3. Nite Klub (Album Version)
4. Concrete Jungle
5. Too Much Too Young (live)
Side B:
1. Blank Expression
2. Doesn't Make It Alright
3. Rude Buoys Outa Jail
4. Rat Race
5. Man At C&A
Side C:
1. Do Nothing (Single Version)
2. Stereotypes
3. International Jet Set (Album Version)
4. Friday Night, Saturday Morning
5. Why?
Side D:
1. Ghost Town (Full Version)
2. What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend (Album Version)
3. Racist Friend (Single Version)
4. War Crimes (Single Version)
5. Nelson Mandela (Album Version)