+1: UB40
UB40, the British band that made it OK to be a (mostly) white reggae group actually counted two members of Jamaican heritage, in Terrence “Astro” Wilson, and bassist Earl Falconer. In fact, UB40’s membership was quite multi-cultural, with Irish and Yemeni members as well. The reggae-pop powerhouse from Birmingham, England, found themselves top of the Billboard Hot 100 twice, with a pair of covers the reggae treatment. Their first was “Red Red Wine,” a Neil Diamond cut later covered inna rocksteady style by Tony Tribe. Nearly 15 years later, UB40 put their own reggae-fusion spin on Tribe’s version, and re-worked it again in 1988 featuring a new toast Astro had performed live a few months prior for Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert. The reworked single hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a single week in October, a spot the band would find again in 1993 for seven weeks with their cover of Elvis Presley ’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” —Saxon Baird