Old-Time Rock ‘n’ Roll:
How The 1980s Embraced 1950s and 1960s Oldies Music
The Oldies Go Reggae
Photo: "Red wine abstraction" by Shakespearesmonkey is licensed under CC PDM 1.0
Named after a United Kingdom unemployment form, the band UB40 gained fame by converting rock ‘n’ roll hits into reggae. The band’s version of Neil Diamond's Red, Red Wine
topped the charts in the UK in 1983. In America, it hit the top twenty in 1984. Amazingly, it reentered the American charts in 1988 and hit number 1 due to the band’s performance to benefit Nelson Mandela, a popular worldwide political icon at that time. People requested radio stations to play the song. The last person to have a hit re-enter the charts and chart higher was Chubby Checker. UB40 also hit it big with their Falling in Love with You
cover, a tune made popular by Elvis Presley. Although they had other original material, their oldies covers are their popular tunes.