Judge Dread

Recorded in Kingston in 1966 in a rocksteady style with Lee "Scratch" Perry sharing the vocal setup, and issued on Prince Buster’s Blue Beat single in 1967. The track was built around Prince Buster’s rude-boy courtroom character, Judge Dread. The song turned Prince Buster’s anti-rude-boy satire into one of his most memorable late-1960s records and a favorite on the Jamaican scene. It also helped set off an answer-record exchange, with rival sides reacting to its courtroom theme. The song’s title later inspired the British reggae singer Judge Dread, and its musical ideas were borrowed in later ska revival material, including The Specials’ "Stupid Marriage." It remains one of Prince Buster’s best-known signatures.