In honor of the Ska Against Racism Tour, which will be making a stop in Ames this Sunday, I have been challenged to compile a list of the top 10 ska albums of all time.

I have to admit, I had a hard time choosing only 10 albums. I tried to pick albums that are representative of all styles of ska. While my list does contain some of the best ska music out there, I could not include everything. I tried to create the most diverse list possible, including artists from all periods of the genre.

Ska has experienced three critical periods or “waves” since its onset in the early 1960s. The first wave took place during the 1960s, with bands playing a slower, more jazzy style of ska.

The second wave was marked by racially integrated bands playing a faster style of ska.

Third-wave ska is happening right now, and it is characterized by the fusion of ska with many different other types of music, most notably punk.

So, without further ado, the top ten ska albums of all time:

10) “Tomorrow the World”

Greenhouse

Greenhouse is an eight-piece band from my hometown of Chicago, Ill. I have probably seen this band more than a dozen times, and every time I had a blast.

The band has one of the most energetic stage presences I have ever seen for a ska band, as well as a diverse sound. Ranging from the quick paced third-wave sound of “Palabras” to the traditional jazzy sound of “Fire Escape,” swing on “Super Trendy Retro World” and even a cover of a Korean techno song.

You can’t go wrong with this album.

9) “Selected Selecter Selections”

The Selecter

Before Gwen Stefani and her “tragic” ska-influenced (emphasis on ska-influenced) kingdom, The Selecter’s Pauline Black was the was the queen of ska. This greatest hits collection comes from the late ’70s two-tone era of ska.

Classic songs like “On My Radio” and “Too Much Pressure” are essential to any ska fan’s collection.

8) “Kiss Your Ass Goodbye”

Blue Meanies

They’re far from the traditional old school style ska, but Chicago’s Blue Meanies have been a staple in the punk-ska movement for years. Embracing an in-your-face aggressive sound often described as “carnival punk,” the Meanies are the best at creating order out of chaos, alternating periods of destructive noise and smooth jazz, all in one song.

“Acceleration 5000,” “It Doesn’t Matter” and “Polka in the Eye” are some of my favorites from this album.

7) “40 oz. to Freedom”

Sublime

Don’t be fooled by any “new” material that record companies are releasing from Sublime. They’re just trying to cash in on lead singer Brad Nowell’s tragic death by re-releasing old material. The only album you need is this one.

Sublime fused ska with elements of hip-hop, punk, reggae and who knows what else to create a sound all its own.

“40 oz. to Freedom” contains all the essential Sublime songs, and although it isn’t technically called a “greatest hits album,” I think it should be.

6) “Music to Bowl By”

Let’s Go Bowling

Iowa State has been lucky enough to host two M-Shop shows this year by California traditional ska heroes Let’s Go Bowling.

One of the few old-school style bands from California, Let’s Go Bowling boasts one of the most incredible horn sections of ska bands today.

Check out the upbeat song “Dance Some More,” the jazzy “Pin Striped Suit” and Spanish vocals on “Esta Noche.”

5) “Question the Answers”

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

This was the first ska album I ever bought. Seeing them at Lollapalooza ’95 was a wake-up call, opening up my eyes to the fabulous world of ska.

The opening track “Kinder Words” will always be a favorite, and “Jump Through the Hoops” is another gem.

4) “Operation Ivy”

Operation Ivy

If you had to choose one band that brought punk into the realm of ska, it would be Operation Ivy. Advocating racial unity and the punk ideology of individuality, the Berkeley, Calif., band wrote anthems for a whole underground movement.

Breaking up in 1989, half of its members would go on to form the punk band Rancid. “Sound System,” “Unity” and “Yelling in My Ear” are all essential songs.

Without Operation Ivy, there would be no third wave of ska.

3) “The Specials”

The Specials

After all these years, London’s the Specials are still together. Releasing its self-titled debut album in 1977, they were the best of all the two-tone bands.

“A Message to You Rudy,” the first track off of the group’s debut album is one of the most well-known and covered ska songs in the history of the genre. The album also includes a cover of the classic Skatalites tune “You’re Wondering Now.”

2) “Skaboom”

The Toasters

I said it about Operation Ivy, and I’m going to say it about this band. Without the Toasters, there would be no third wave of ska.

Frontman Rob “Bucket” Hingley, a veteran of the British two-tone period, brought ska to New York City in 1983, launching Moon Records, an all-ska independent label.

Moon Records was started as a medium for Hingley to release music from his band, the Toasters. For the past 15 years, the label has provided a foundation for ska bands and turned New York City into the ska capital of the world.

“Skaboom” is a compilation of a lot of the Toasters’ early material, with highlights including “Talk is Cheap,” “Pool Shark” and “East Side Beat.”

1) “Hi Bop Ska”

The Skatalites

The band that started it all. Forming in 1964, the Skatalites created the ska sound and have influenced every great ska band since.

This album is the band’s 30th anniversary recording and includes many of the classic songs of the legendary band.

“Guns of Navarone” has some of the most complex and incredible jazz horn solos, and “Ska Ska Ska” features guest vocals by ground-breaking, first-wave ska engineer Prince Buster.