ALBUM OF THE MONTH: PRINCE BUSTER - BLUE BEAT HITS

Before 2 Tone, before Mod, there was Prince Buster. Long before Madness and The Specials brought ska back into the charts, Prince Buster was cutting singles that would define an entire era of Jamaican music.

Blue Beat Hits collects those defining singles from his run on The Blue Beat Label, the imprint whose name became so synonymous with the sound that "blue beat" is still used as shorthand for ska today. Remastered and pressed for a new generation of turntables, it's a rare chance to hear the tracks that shaped everything that followed in one place.

The tracklisting reads like a ska hall of fame. It opens with "Madness" - the song that gave the band their name, and which they covered as the B-side to their first single, "The Prince." Also on the A-side is "Al Capone," its opening squeal of tyres later echoed by The Specials on their debut single "Gangsters."

Over on Side B, "One Step Beyond" - the "Al Capone" B-side that Madness turned into a defining song of the 2 Tone era and the title of their debut album - sits alongside "Rough Rider" (later covered by The Beat) and singalong favourite "Enjoy It (Enjoy Yourself)," plus deep cuts for anyone looking to dig further into the catalogue.

Presented in The Blue Beat Label's instantly recognisable packaging, this is essential crate-digging for ska and reggae collectors, and the perfect entry point if you're discovering Prince Buster for the first time.

Head to your local independent record shop when Blue Beat Hits lands on 7th August 2026. Drop the needle and hear where it all began.

Side A

A1 Madness

A2 Cincinati Kid 

A3 Sit and Wonder

A4 Wash All Your Troubles Away (Wash, Wash)

A5 Al Capone 

A6 Wine and Grine 

 Side B

B1 Dance, Cleopatra 

B2 Rough Rider

B3 One Step Beyond 

B4 Too Hot

B5 Enjoy It (Enjoy Yourself)