Ska music originated in Britain in the 60's and found its way across the pond in the 80's, where it sort of languished after planting a bit of a seed. That seed has since germinated in the state of California, and has in turn spread into many other states where fertile soil could be found. It has evolved away from the whiny vocal style its English forefathers insisted on, and replaces synthesized horns with live horn sections. It has melded a bit with the punk scene (another idea stolen from Britain and refined in America), and so a ska-punk variant has also developed.

The root of ska music is a reggae-type beat, which the Brits originally stole from Jamaica. The reggae chords are played on a guitar, which sounds rather good, even though it sounds silly. A punk type drum line and base line are added to give the tune some energy. Most ska vocalists are really good singers, but this is not always the case. In the ska-punk variant, however, this isn't very important. The melodic and often complex horn arrangements are what give the style its happy feel, and also its legitimacy as a musical form (unlike pure punk, with its 3-chord limitation). The best thing about ska music is its often witty lyrics, although they're often rather foul or lewd, and are therefore unprintable here.