UB40

Named after a British unemployment benefit form, UB40 are a pop-reggae band who formed in a Birmingham welfare line in 1978. Their multiracial lineup reflected the working-class community their members came from and they consolidated their street credibility with political topics appealing to dissatisfied youth, getting an initial boost from fans of 2-Tone ska revival movement that was beginning to wane. Over the years UB40 became better known for their reggae renditions of popular cover songs and they found mainstream success on both side of the Atlantic. In the late-'80s th...