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.
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. |
Title | Album details |
---|---|
King of Kings (with Desmond Dekker) |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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 |