Hello hello silver bloggers, music lovers and Hello hivers!
How are you doing? I am loving these longer days now! They have me in a good upbeat mood, which was topped up by listening to one of my all time favourite bands since I got up at 5 this morning.
We are going back to my Silver Chronicles post of a few weeks ago My Soundtrack for the 80s my favourite decade
Quite a self-explanatory title and it is my inspiration for the next few posts on ttt!
I never saw these guys live in any of their lineups.
If you know me I love my horn section and of course sax so they would have been awesome to see!
It is Tuesday and that of course means that it's #ttt or #threetunetuesday and so it's time to share some tunes with you!
@ablaze started #ttt 250 weeks ago! Go check out what it is all about on his latest post Radiohead's "Kid A" for Three Tune Tuesday - Week 249 - win some HBI
Do go support @ablaze as without him we would not have this mental fun musical activity that you can win HSBI from! I am happy to be one of the SIX sponsors and it is kinda fun checking out music from all over this global village of ours!
Long live #ttt 😁🎼 and #threetunetuesday
The Band - The Specials
The Specials were the undisputed fluffing leaders of the 2-Tone movement. Quite possibly my most favourite genre of music that fused the upbeat rhythm of 1960s Jamaican ska with the raw energy and political "bite" of British punk.
Based in Coventry the home of 2-tone, they were more than just a band, they were a multiracial statement of unity during a very divided time in the UK.
All three of these tunes were released in 1980.
Tune 1 - The Specials - Too Much Too Young
Released in January 1980 as the lead track of The Special A.K.A. Live! EP, this song rocketed to number one.
It’s a fast-paced, cautionary tale about teen pregnancy and getting married too early. The live energy on this recording is legendary, and at two minutes and four seconds it remains one of the shortest songs ever to top the UK charts.
Tune 2 - The Specials - Rat Race
Released in May 1980 this track perfectly captures the band’s social commentary.
It’s a scathing look at the "posers" and the middle-class university students of the time who the band felt were playing at being rebellious before joining the corporate world. Funny they still do it today those posers, I could of course call them something else 🤣
It’s got a great, driving brass section that really gets you moving.
Tune 3 - The Specials - Stereotype
Last up we move to September 1980 and the first single from their second album "More Specials".
You will notice a shift in their sound, moving into a "darker," almost lounge-music territory.
The lyrics describe a "typical" night out gone wrong and the empty cycles of modern life. It’s a bit more experimental but still carries that unmistakable Specials edge.
I saw this comment on YouTube which sums up Stereotype perfectly ...
Tuneful, tragic and hilarious. A total classic!
So there you have it 3 songs released in 1980 from The Specials this week with my 80s Soundtrack post as the inspiration!
Which was your favourite tune? Or have you never heard of them?
Note: The 3 YouTube videos that I have shared are not owned by me, I am simply spreading great music on Hive.
I wish that you all have a brilliant happy fun and terrific Tuesday until we meet again enjoy your tunes 🎶🎵🎶
Thanks for visiting!
The images were were created by AI and Rafiki in InLeo from my prompts as @mmonline and ramblings are also from me with some assistance from gemini, the mad Scotsman TengoLoTodo unless otherwise stated.
@tengolotodo March 10th 2026
