SPECIALS

The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are a ska revival group from Coventry, England. Formed in 1977, the first iteration of the band comprised Terry Hall and Neville Staple (vocals), Lynval Golding and Roddy Radiation (guitars), Horace Panter (bass), Jerry Dammers (keys), John Bradbury (drums) and Dick Cuthell and Rico Rodriguez (horns). The Specials achieved seven consecutive Official Top 10 singles between 1979 and 1981 - including Gangsters, A Message To You Rudy and Ghost Town - before Hall, Staple and Golding left to form the group Fun Boy Three. In 1993, The Specials reformed and have since performed and recorded with various line-ups (none of which involving former keyboardist Jerry Dammers.

SPECIALS Songs stats

UK No1s: 2
UK Top 10s: 8
UK Top 40s: 10
UK Top 75s: 13
Weeks at No1: 5
Weeks in the Top 10: 24
Weeks in the Top 40: 65
Weeks in the Top 75: 104

SPECIALS Albums stats

UK No1s: 1
UK Top 10s: 5
UK Top 40s: 8
UK Top 75s: 9
Weeks at No1: 1
Weeks in the Top 10: 14
Weeks in the Top 40: 55
Weeks in the Top 75: 103

SPECIALS Hits

Official Singles Chart

Jul

1979

GANGSTERS
THE SPECIAL AKA

Peak: 6,
Weeks: 12

Oct

1979

A MESSAGE TO YOU RUDY/NITE KLUB FT RICO+ cover art

A MESSAGE TO YOU RUDY/NITE KLUB FT RICO+
SPECIALS FEATURING RICO+

Peak: 10,
Weeks: 14

Jan

1980

TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG (THE SPECIAL AKA LIVE! EP) cover art

TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG (THE SPECIAL AKA LIVE! EP)
THE SPECIALS

Peak: 1,
Weeks: 10,
Weeks No. 1: 2

May

1980

RAT RACE/RUDE BOYS OUTA JAIL
THE SPECIALS

Peak: 5,
Weeks: 9

Sep

1980

STEREOTYPE/INTERNATIONAL JET SET cover art

STEREOTYPE/INTERNATIONAL JET SET
THE SPECIALS

Peak: 6,
Weeks: 8

Dec

1980

DO NOTHING/MAGGIE'S FARM FT RICO WITH THE ICE RINK STRING SOUNDS cover art

DO NOTHING/MAGGIE'S FARM FT RICO WITH THE ICE RINK STRING SOUNDS
SPECIALS FEATURING RICO WITH THE ICE RINK STRING SOUNDS

Peak: 4,
Weeks: 11

Jun

1981

GHOST TOWN
THE SPECIALS

Peak: 1,
Weeks: 14,
Weeks No. 1: 3

Jan

1982

THE BOILER
RHODA WITH THE SPECIAL A.K.A.

Peak: 35,
Weeks: 5

Jan

1983

WAR CRIMES (THE CRIME REMAINS THE SAME) cover art

WAR CRIMES (THE CRIME REMAINS THE SAME)
THE SPECIAL AKA

Peak: 84,
Weeks: 2

Sep

1983

RACIST FRIEND/BRIGHT LIGHTS
THE SPECIAL AKA

Peak: 60,
Weeks: 3

Mar

1984

NELSON MANDELA
THE SPECIAL AKA

Peak: 9,
Weeks: 10

Sep

1984

WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT YOU IS YOUR GIRLFRIEND cover art

WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT YOU IS YOUR GIRLFRIEND
THE SPECIAL AKA

Peak: 51,
Weeks: 5

Jul

1988

NELSON MANDELA {1988}
THE SPECIAL AKA

Peak: 93,
Weeks: 2

Oct

1993

THE 2 TONE (EP)
SPECIAL AKA/MADNESS/SELECTER/BEAT

Peak: 30,
Weeks: 3

Feb

1996

HYPOCRITE
SPECIALS

Peak: 66,
Weeks: 2

Apr

1996

PRESSURE DROP
SPECIALS FT S STAPLE & KENDELL

Peak: 100,
Weeks: 1

Dec

2013

NELSON MANDELA
SPECIAL AKA

Peak: 96,
Weeks: 1

Official Albums Chart

Nov

1979

SPECIALS
THE SPECIALS

Peak: 4,
Weeks: 45

Oct

1980

MORE SPECIALS
THE SPECIALS

Peak: 5,
Weeks: 20

Jun

1984

IN THE STUDIO
THE SPECIAL AKA

Peak: 34,
Weeks: 6

Sep

1991

THE SPECIALS SINGLES
THE SPECIALS

Peak: 10,
Weeks: 9

Jul

2001

SPECIALS
SPECIALS

Peak: 22,
Weeks: 5

Apr

2008

THE BEST OF
SPECIALS

Peak: 26,
Weeks: 11

Jul

2009

SINGLES - BEST OF
SPECIALS

Peak: 73,
Weeks: 2

Apr

2015

THE SPECIALS
SPECIALS

Peak: 94,
Weeks: 2

Feb

2019

ENCORE
SPECIALS

Peak: 1,
Weeks: 11,
Weeks No. 1: 1

Oct

2021

PROTEST SONGS 1924-2012
SPECIALS

Peak: 2,
Weeks: 2

Official Singles Chart Update

Jun

2021

GHOST TOWN
SPECIALS

Peak: 55,
Weeks: 1

Please note, the data displayed for this chart reflects the title's midweek position only, peak positions on this chart also relate to midweek chart positions. Official Singles Chart Update data available on officialcharts.com goes back to October 2014.

Official Singles Sales Chart

Apr

2019

10 COMMANDMENTS
SPECIALS

Peak: 79,
Weeks: 1

Nov

2020

GANGSTERS
SPECIALS

Peak: 12,
Weeks: 3

Jun

2021

GHOST TOWN
SPECIALS

Peak: 1,
Weeks: 6,
Weeks No. 1: 1

Dec

2022

FRIDAY NIGHT SATURDAY MORNING
SPECIALS

Peak: 20,
Weeks: 1

Dec

2022

TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG
SPECIALS

Peak: 36,
Weeks: 2

Dec

2022

A MESSAGE TO YOU RUDY
SPECIALS

Peak: 38,
Weeks: 2

Official Singles Downloads Chart

Dec

2013

NELSON MANDELA
SPECIAL AKA

Peak: 92,
Weeks: 1

Dec

2022

TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG
SPECIALS

Peak: 34,
Weeks: 2

Dec

2022

GANGSTERS
SPECIALS

Peak: 39,
Weeks: 2

Dec

2022

A MESSAGE TO YOU RUDY
SPECIALS

Peak: 35,
Weeks: 2

Dec

2022

GHOST TOWN
SPECIALS

Peak: 10,
Weeks: 2

Official Physical Singles Chart

Feb

1996

HYPOCRITE
SPECIALS

Peak: 66,
Weeks: 2

Apr

1996

PRESSURE DROP
SPECIALS FT S STAPLE & KENDELL

Peak: 100,
Weeks: 1

Apr

2012

THE SPECIALS EP LIVE
SPECIALS

Peak: 13,
Weeks: 9

Apr

2014

SOCK IT TO EM JB
SPECIALS

Peak: 13,
Weeks: 11

Apr

2019

10 COMMANDMENTS
SPECIALS

Peak: 13,
Weeks: 4

Nov

2020

GANGSTERS
SPECIALS

Peak: 1,
Weeks: 6,
Weeks No. 1: 1

Jun

2021

GHOST TOWN
SPECIALS

Peak: 1,
Weeks: 169,
Weeks No. 1: 1

Dec

2022

FRIDAY NIGHT SATURDAY MORNING
SPECIALS

Peak: 3,
Weeks: 1

Dec

2022

WORK IN PROGRESS VERSIONS
SPECIALS

Peak: 7,
Weeks: 22

Sep

2023

TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG
SPECIALS

Peak: 19,
Weeks: 1

Sep

2023

STEREOTYPE
SPECIALS

Peak: 33,
Weeks: 1

Sep

2023

A MESSAGE TO YOU RUDY
SPECIALS

Peak: 24,
Weeks: 1

Official Albums Chart Update

Apr

2015

THE SPECIALS
SPECIALS

Peak: 54,
Weeks: 3

Apr

2015

MORE SPECIALS
SPECIALS

Peak: 68,
Weeks: 1

Feb

2019

ENCORE
SPECIALS

Peak: 2,
Weeks: 15

Oct

2019

SPECIALS
SPECIALS

Peak: 88,
Weeks: 1

Oct

2021

PROTEST SONGS 1924-2012
SPECIALS

Peak: 2,
Weeks: 3

Oct

2024

SPECIALS
SPECIALS

Peak: 72,
Weeks: 1

Please note, the data displayed for this chart reflects the title's midweek position only, peak positions on this chart also relate to midweek chart positions. Official Albums Chart Update data available on officialcharts.com goes back to October 2014.