THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

101-Althea & Donna-Uptown Top Ranking.

1978-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.25. Even the worlds most influential DJ John Peel (1939-2004) made the odd mistake. I have heard it said that he occasionally played a 45 rpm at 33 rpm and sometimes visa versa. It appears that he played this song on his BBC Radio 1 show by accident, resulting in numerous requests from the listeners to hear it again.

‘Uptown Top Ranking’ has a long history, so if you’re sitting comfortably we’ll begin. The songs ‘riddim’ (Jamaican for rhythm) was first written and recorded in 1967 by the Jamaican singer Alton Ellis, (1938-2008) and called ‘I’m Still in Love.’ In 1977 the song took on a new lease of life when it was covered by the Jamaican singer Marcia Aitken, who took her version called ‘I’m Still in Love With You Boy’ to Number 1 in Jamaica. Prior to her recording, in 1976 the Jamaican ‘toaster’ (rapper) Trinity (1954-2021) had done a version which he called ‘Three Piece Suite,’ where he toasted over the riddim, to which the Althea & Donna recording is an ‘answer record.’ Another example of an answer record would be Carole King’s 1959 song ‘Oh Neil,’ being recorded in response to Neil Sedaka’s ‘Oh Carol,’

On hearing Trinity’s recording, it was the Jamaican Reggae producer Joe Gibbs (1942-2008) (see also best songs 952) who got the idea for a response song. His engineer Errol Thompson (1948-2004) whom Gibbs worked in partnership with as the ‘Mighty Two’ at the famous ‘Studio One’ recording studio in Jamaica co-wrote the lyrics to ‘Uptown Top Ranking,’ along with the songs vocalists Althea & Donna. Like the 1969 UK Number 1 single ‘Israelites,’ by Desmond Dekker (1941-2006) (see also best songs 122) the British general public had trouble understanding the Jamaican patois (English based Creole language with West African influences.) This fascination with the songs seemingly strange sounding lyrics helped to propel it’s popularity even more.

‘Uptown Top Ranking’ is credited to Althea & Donna, and Errol Thompson, (lyrics) with the production credited to Joe Gibbs. At the time of recording the song Althea Forrest was 17 years old, and Donna Reid was 18, both of the girls were born in Jamaica. On the strength of the song being a surprise hit an Album also called ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ was hastily put together, and a further three singles released in 1978, none of which found any success, making Althea & Donna true ‘one hit wonders’ (see also best songs 990-698-496-467 and 116.)

The title ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ is a description of what a native of Jamaica might do when they go in to Kingston to show themselves off. Basically the girls are saying ‘Look how great we dress, when you see us coming you will stop and stare. Watch us dance to Reggae music, because we are way too cool for ordinary ‘Pop Music.’

‘See me in me heels and ting, dem check sey we hip and ting. True them no know and ting, we have them going and ting. Nah pop no style, a strictly roots.’