UB40

Listen for free or download any UB40 track for just 12 cents per song!

UB40 Band

The member of England's UB40 started out as friends from Birmingham before forming the band in 1978.  The name of band was taken from a British unemployment filing document called the UB40, which stood for Unemployment Benefit, Form 40. The band's first gig was in early 1979 at a pub called The Hare & Hounds Pub in Kings Heath, Birmingham.  The band's big break came when Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders) heard them play at a club, and invited them to join The Pretenders on tour.

UB40's first hit singles were the songs "King/Food for Thought" and "My Way of Thinking/I Think It's Going to Rain Today" in 1980 (later released on their debut album, Signing Off).  UB40 released a ton of hits in the UK throughout the 80's, but only two songs made the Billboard Top 40 in the USA:  "Red Red Wine" from 1983's Labour of Love, and "I Got You" (with Chrissie Hynde) from Baggariddim (1985).  Those of you in the UK will also remember hit songs like "One in Ten", "Please Don't Make Me Cry", "Many Rivers to Cross", "Cherry Oh Baby", "It It Happens Again", "Don't Break My Heart", "Sing Our Own Song", "Rat in Mi Kitchen", "Maybe Tomorrow", "Breakfast in Bed", "Homely Girl", and so many more.

UB40 continued producing well into the 1990's and beyond.  They had more Billboard hits in the US during the 90's than the 80's, and continued busting out hits in the UK.  The group was active well into the 2000's and 2010's.  The UB40 Discography is as follows:

Listen for free or download any UB40 track for just 12 cents per song!

  • 1980: Signing Off
  • 1981: Present Arms
  • 1981: Present Arms in Dub
  • 1982: UB44
  • 1982: The Singles Album
  • 1983: UB40 1980-83
  • 1983: More UB40 Music
  • 1983: Labour of Love
  • 1983: UB40 Live
  • 1984: Geffery Morgan
  • 1985: The UB40 File
  • 1985: Baggariddim
  • 1986: Rat in the Kitchen
  • 1987: The Best of UB40 - Volume One
  • 1987: UB40 CCCP: Live in Moscow
  • 1988: UB40
  • 1989: Labour of Love II
  • 1993: Promises and Lies
  • 1994: Labour of Love, Volumes I and II
  • 1995: The Best of UB40 – Volume Two
  • 1997: Guns in the Ghetto
  • 1998: Labour of Love III
  • 1998: UB40 Present the Dancehall Album
  • 1998: UB40 Present the Dancehall Album
  • 2000: The Very Best of UB40 1980–2000
  • 2001: Cover Up
  • 2002: UB40 presents the Fathers of Reggae
  • 2003: Labour of Love, Volumes I, II and III – The Platinum Collection
  • 2003: Homegrown
  • 2005: Who You Fighting For?
  • 2005: The Best of UB40, Volumes 1 & 2
  • 2007: Live at Montreux 2002
  • 2007: Dub Sessions
  • 2008: The Lost Tapes – Live at the Venue 1980
  • 2008: TwentyFourSeven
  • 2009: Love Songs
  • 2009: Best of Labour of Love
  • 2009: Live 2002 Arena
  • 2010: Labour of Love IV
  • 2012: All the Best
  • 2013: Getting Over the Storm