Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Ska punk1988

Second genre

Oi! / street punk1977

Head to headSka punk vs Oi! / street punk
Ska punk: heaviness 3, melody 9, speed 7. Oi! / street punk: heaviness 4, melody 7, speed 7.Heaviness3 / 4Melody9 / 7Speed7 / 7
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Both come from a tradition of working-class singalong, and 2 Tone's anti-racist politics are a direct answer to the far-right presence in the Oi scene.

Oi! / street punk is shouted where ska punk is sung cleanly, at much the same pace, around 150 to 200 bpm. To hear the difference, play Operation Ivy next to Cock Sparrer. Both grew out of punk rock, Oi! / street punk first and ska punk eleven years after. United Kingdom appears in the origins of both.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Ska punk3
Oi! / street punk4
+1
Speed
Ska punk7
Oi! / street punk7
level
Melody
Ska punk9
Oi! / street punk7
−2

Ska punk

1988 · California / United Kingdom

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Ska punk

In short

Ska offbeats and a horn section at punk tempo. The third wave of ska, thoroughly American.

How it sounds

  • Upstroke guitar on the offbeat in verses, distortion in choruses.
  • A horn section: trumpet, trombone, saxophone.
  • Fast tempos, melodic bass and frequently comic lyrics.

Key acts

  • Operation Ivy
  • Rancid
  • Less Than Jake
  • Reel Big Fish

Start here

The pickOperation Ivy - Energy. Twenty-seven minutes, one band, wildly outsized influence.

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Oi! / street punk

1977 · United Kingdom

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Oi! / street punk

In short

Working-class punk with terrace choruses and lyrics about the pub, the factory and football.

How it sounds

  • Simple choruses built to be shouted by a full room.
  • Thick guitar tone but rock and roll riffs rather than hardcore ones.
  • Mid tempos, plain drumming and lyrics about everyday life.

Key acts

  • Cock Sparrer
  • Sham 69
  • The Business

Start here

The pickCock Sparrer - Shock Troops. Slade-level choruses with punk guitars.

Full page →