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Althea & Donna were a Jamaican reggae singing duo, best known for their 1977 single "Uptown Top Ranking" which was a number one hit in the United Kingdom in 1978.
The young Jamaican singers Althea Forrest (17), and Donna Reid (18), caused a surprise with their one-off reggae hit single, "Uptown Top Ranking". It was produced by Joe Gibbs using a re-recording of the riddim of the 1967 Alton Ellis' song "I'm Still In Love", which had already been re-popularised in the 1970s by Marcia Aitken's cover "I'm Still In Love With You Boy" and the deejay track "Three Piece Suit" by Trinity, to which "Uptown" was an 'answer record'. The single's UK release was on the Lightning record label.
"Uptown Top Ranking" reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in February 1978, after early championing by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, but had only one week at the chart summit. The lyrics were written by the duo and Errol Thompson. Althea & Donna thus became the youngest female duo to reach the pinnacle of the UK chart.
They released the album of the same name in 1978, on which they are backed by The Revolutionaries, on the Virgin Records subsidiary Front Line, and several more singles, but never met with any more tangible success thereafter.
"Uptown Top Ranking" has been covered by Ali & Frazier, who released it as a single in 1993, Black Box Recorder, who included a version on their 1998 album England Made Me, the German record producer Joni Rewind, who produced a version in 2002, featuring the vocals of Estelle. Also in 2002, saxophonist Lol Coxhill recorded a version for his Spectral Soprano album. Zoë released a version featuring Prezident Brown in 2003 on her Zoeciety EP, and Scout Niblett released her version as a single in 2004. The song was sampled for Abs Breen's 2002 UK Top 10 hit single, "What You Got".
In 2003 then 14 year old Eline Van Coillie, using the stagename Junior Jazz, covered the song which was a minor hit in Flanders.
Althea & Donna's original version has appeared on dozens of compilation albums.
"Uptown Top Ranking" was featured in 'The Dream Team', episode 47 of the American HBO, Emmy Award winning television program, Entourage. In addition, the song also featured in series 2 episode 8, of the British BAFTA Award winning comedic teen drama, Skins. Additionally, it was featured in 'Good Vintage', episode 6 of HBO's How to Make it in America.
A sample of the "No Pop, No Style" refrain from the record was used and formed part of the lyrics to Pop Will Eat Itself's 1991 single, "X, Y & Zee". The song was also sampled in the song "International Affair" by Sean Paul (featuring Debbie Nova)
The song was also covered by the third wave ska band Big D and the Kids Table. The name of the song was changed to "Strictly Rude," appearing on the album of the same name. While the music was largely left unchanged, the lyrics were almost entirely reworked.
The song was also featured on the Skate 2 video game by Electronic Arts.
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