🇬🇧 United Kingdom · 1978–present

UB40

UB40 sounds like afternoons in the Balsall Heath neighborhood, where reggae blends with the melodies of Asha Bhosle and the warmth of Jamaican rhythms. It’s not a polished or academic sound: it’s that of a group of friends who came together in Birmingham in 1978, with borrowed guitars and the name of an unemployment form as their banner. The name "UB40" —short for *Unemployment Benefit, Form 40*— said it all: music made by those who had nothing to lose.

Their debut album, Signing Off (1980), was recorded in a borrowed studio with instruments bought using money from a pub brawl. They weren’t aiming for perfection; they wanted authenticity. By 1981, they had caught the attention of Chrissie Hynde, who booked them as an opening act for The Pretenders. That brush with the stage launched them into pubs and clubs, where audiences responded to the unfiltered groove of their dub and reggae covers.

Reggae Pop Dub reggae-pop roots reggae 1970s

3 Albums

35 Songs

1,5M Listeners/mo

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Essential songs

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Cherry Oh Baby

Labour of Love · 1983

3:18 02

Keep On Moving

Labour of Love · 1983

4:38 03

Please Don't Make Me Cry

Labour of Love · 1983

3:25 04

Sweet Sensation

Labour of Love · 1983

3:41 05

Johnny Too Bad

Labour of Love · 1983

5:00 06

Red Red Wine

Labour of Love · 1983

5:21 07

Guilty

Labour of Love · 1983

3:17 08

She Caught the Train

Labour of Love · 1983

3:17 09

Version Girl

Labour of Love · 1983

3:27 10

Many Rivers to Cross

Labour of Love · 1983

4:32

3 album|s · 1983 — 1998

Full discography

1998 ★ Essential

Labour of Love III

15 song|s · Reggae

1989 ★ Essential

Labour of Love II

10 song|s · Reggae

1983 ★ Essential

Labour of Love

10 song|s · Reggae

Details, awards, members and more

More about UB40

Biography

The turning point came in 1983 with Labour of Love, a covers album that topped the UK charts. Their version of Red Red Wine —originally by Neil Diamond— became a massive hit, but not by chance: UB40’s sound had been brewing for years on the streets of Birmingham, where the diversity of its members (English, Jamaican, Yemeni) translated into a unique blend of rhythms. Two decades later, in 1993, Promises and Lies repeated the phenomenon, cementing their status as one of the few bands to successfully cross reggae into the mainstream without losing its essence.

The original lineup stayed together for nearly 30 years, until 2008 when Ali Campbell —the band’s voice and face— left to form his own version. The legal battle over the name dragged them to court, but the legacy remained intact: over 100 million records sold, four Grammy nominations, and a shared record with Madness for the most weeks in the *UK Singles Chart* during the 80s. Today, with Duncan Campbell at the helm and later Matt Doyle taking the mic, the group continues to tour, proving that the sound born in a working-class neighborhood in England is still alive.