2 Tone (or
Two Tone) was a late-1970s
ska revival in the United Kingdom led by
Jerry Dammers and
The Specials. It fused traditional ska music with
punk rock attitude, energy and musical elements. Its name came from the record label that Dammers founded,
2 Tone Records as well as a desire to transcend and defuse racial tensions in Thatcher-era Britain. Although 2 Tone's mainstream commercial appeal was largely limited to the UK, it influenced the North American
ska punk movement (also known as
third wave ska) in the 1980s and 1990s.