The Specials are an English 2 Tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, Lynval Golding and Roddy Radiation on guitars, Horace Panter on bass, Jerry Dammers on keyboards, John Bradbury on drums, and Dick Cuthell and Rico Rodriguez on horns. Their music combines a danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude.

The Specials began at the same time as Rock Against Racism, which was first organized in 1978. According to Dammers, anti-racism was intrinsic to the formation of the Specials, in that the band was formed with the goal of integrating black and white people. Many years later Dammers stated that "Music gets political when there are new ideas in music. Punk was innovative, so was ska, and that was why bands such as the Specials and the Clash could be political."