Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town?

We danced and sang and the music played in the boom town!

In 1981, Britain was in a state of crisis: the government was as unpopular as any since the war, unemployment was rampant and riots were breaking out across the country. Into this turbulent mix, The Specials released their doom-laden, highly political single, Ghost Town. 

Britain's streets ignited. Between 3 and 11 July, serious rioting broke out across the country at Handsworth in Birmingham, Toxteth in Liverpool, Southall in London, and Moss Side in Manchester, while Bedford, Bristol, Edinburgh, Gloucester, Halifax, Leeds, Leicester, Southampton and Wolverhampton all witnessed unrest.

By the evening of 10 July, Ghost Town was a number one single.

With a mix of black and white members, The Specials, too, encapsulated Britain's burgeoning multiculturalism. The band's 2 Tone record label gave its name to a genre which fused ska, reggae and new wave and, in turn, inspired a crisply attired youth movement. Rude boys.

Now this landmark song is 30 years old this week, and although the current political landscape has changed the message is still the same. A True Classic, enjoy the full 12" version here.