Althea & Donna
OriginKingston, Jamaica
GenreReggae
Years active1977–present (sporadic)
LabelsVirgin, Lightning, Front Line, Caroline
Past membersAlthea Rose Forrest
Donna Marie Reid

Althea & Donna are a Jamaican reggae vocal duo, consisting of Althea Rose Forrest and Donna Marie Reid. They are best known for their 1977 single "Uptown Top Ranking", which was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom in 1978,[1] making them the first Jamaican female duo to top the UK Singles Chart.[2] Following the song's success, they became the first Jamaican female duo to be signed to a major record label.[3]

Early life

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Althea Forrest grew up in Hughenden, St. Andrew, and attended Queens School.[2] Donna Reid was raised in the Hope Road area of Kingston and attended St. Andrew High School for Girls.[2] The two were school friends who began singing together on the streets of Kingston.[4]

The duo was discovered by Jacob Miller, lead singer of Inner Circle, who encountered them singing on a Kingston sidewalk.[3] Miller drove them to Joe Gibbs' studio at Retirement Crescent in Cross Roads to audition.[2]

Career

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Breakthrough (1977–1978)

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The Jamaican teenage singers Althea Forrest and Donna Reid – then 17 and 18 years old respectively – caused a chart surprise when their reggae song "Uptown Top Ranking" became a no. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart in February 1978.[5][6]

Producer Joe Gibbs, working with engineer Errol Thompson as the production duo known as the Mighty Two, had been seeking a female answer song to Trinity's 1977 hit "Three Piece Suit".[4] The song's breakthrough came unexpectedly when BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel accidentally played it on air, having intended to play the B-side, "Calico Suit" by the Mighty Two.[7] The broadcast generated numerous listener requests, and Peel continued to champion the track.[7] Despite spending 11 weeks on the charts, it enjoyed only a single week at the summit.[7]

Following the song's success, Althea & Donna appeared on the BBC television programme Top of the Pops to promote the single.[3] They toured the UK accompanied by Donna's father, as both singers were still teenagers at the time.[2]

One Love Peace Concert

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On 22 April 1978, Althea & Donna performed at the historic One Love Peace Concert at the National Stadium in Kingston.[8] The concert, organized to promote peace between Jamaica's warring political factions, marked Bob Marley's return to Jamaica after 14 months in exile following an assassination attempt.[8] Althea & Donna were among the early performers on the bill, appearing after The Meditations and before Dillinger.[8][9]

Album and subsequent recordings

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They released the album Uptown Top Ranking in 1978, backed by The Revolutionaries, on the Virgin Records subsidiary Front Line. The album was produced by Karl Pitterson.[10] Tracks included "No More Fighting", "Jah Rastafari", "Make A Truce", "Oh Dread", "The West", "Jah Music", "If You Don't Love Jah", "Sorry", and "They Wanna Just".[3]

The duo recorded several more singles with little success.[11] In 2001, Caroline Records reissued the album, Uptown Top Ranking, with bonus tracks including "It Mek" (a previously unreleased outtake) and "Going to Negril" (a 1978 12-inch single).[12][13]

Later career

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After their initial period of activity in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Althea & Donna largely withdrew from the music industry.[3] Forrest moved to New York and became an event planner, while Reid moved to Florida, where she works for the state government.[2]

The duo has reunited for occasional performances. Their last major performance in Jamaica was at the Rebel Salute festival in January 2018, as part of the event's 25th anniversary celebration.[14]

Legacy

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In 2020, "Uptown Top Ranking" was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling more than 200,000 digital copies in the UK.[2]

Many artists have covered the song across various genres. Covers include versions by Black Box Recorder (1998), and Estelle with Joni Rewind.[15]

Discography

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Albums

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Singles

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 188. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Althea And Donna's 'Uptown Top Ranking' Digital Release Certified Silver By British Phonographic Industry". DancehallMag. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Althea & Donna – Reggae Top Rankin Female Duo". Reggae.University. 24 December 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Up Town Top Ranking (Althea & Donna)". Jon Kutner. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  5. ^ "Althia & Donna". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  6. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 21. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. ^ a b c "One Hit Wonders: Althea & Donna - Uptown Top Ranking". Classic Pop. 27 March 2025. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  8. ^ a b c "Remembering the One Love Concert for Peace". Caribbean Beat Magazine. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  9. ^ "The Music Diaries: 40th anniversary of '78 One Love concert". Jamaica Gleaner. 22 April 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  10. ^ a b Greene, Jo-Ann. Uptown Top Ranking at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  11. ^ Moskowitz, David V. (2006). Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall. Greenwood Press. pp. 10–11. ISBN 0-313-33158-8.
  12. ^ Prato, Greg. Althea & Donna Biography at AllMusic. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  13. ^ "Althea and Donna – Uptown Top Ranking". Soul Jazz Records. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  14. ^ "Impressions: Photos from Rebel Salute's 25th Anniversary". LargeUp. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  15. ^ "Uptown Top Ranking by Althea & Donna". WhoSampled. Retrieved 8 December 2025.

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