Known as the dynamic female duo, Althea Rose Forrest and Donna Marie Reid are two Jamaican teenage singers from the 70’s who recorded an iconic reggae classic. Althea and Donna started out singing on sidewalks in Kingston. Their musical journey started when they were discovered by the late singer Jacob Miller, who took them in his Mercedes-Benz to Joe Gibbs Studio in Cross Roads to record “Uptown Top Ranking.” At the time, they were 17 and 18 years old, respectively. The ladies achieved international success in 1977 with their hit “Uptown Top Ranking,” which topped the charts in the United Kingdom in 1978. Produced by the legendary Joe Gibbs, “Uptown Top Ranking” was a response to Trinity’s 1977 hit “Three Piece Suit.” The song not only dominated the charts in Jamaica but also became a surprise number-one hit in the UK, marking a significant achievement for the duo. The song’s success led to Althea & Donna becoming the first Jamaican female duo to be signed to a major record label. Following the success of the single, they teamed with the Revolutionaries band and released an album of the same name in 1978 on the Virgin/ Front Line Label. The project featured tracks like “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.”

“Uptown Top Ranking” continued to have a lasting global impact, with the song being covered at least ten times by various artists around the world. The duo’s influence extended to other genres and regions, with covers and interpolations in songs by artists like Estelle, Joni Rewind, Black Box Recorder, Ali & Frazier, Scout Niblett, Junior Jazz, Ilona Staller, Tandem, K Queens, Alfred & Donald, and Abs Breen.

Despite the song’s enduring popularity, it’s not entirely clear whether Althea & Donna received royalties for the cover versions and sampling of their song. The ladies even went on tour with Donna’s father, who accompanied them as they were underage at the time. The duo’s rise to fame included appearances on the popular TV show “Top of the Pops” in the UK and serving as the opening act at the One Love Concert in Jamaica in April 1978. After their successful career in the late ’70s and early 80’s, Caroline Records reissued the full-length “Uptown Top Rankin” in 2001. The duo continued to perform at various events, their last major performance in Jamaica was at Rebel Salute in 2018. Nonetheless, the Rocksteady hit continued to gain momentum, in 2020 the song was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) after achieving sales of more than 200,000 digital copies in the UK.

Althea, now residing in New York, is originally from Hughenden in St. Andrew, while Donna, living in Florida, is originally from Hope Road. Both have ties to prestigious Jamaican schools, with Althea being a Queens School alumna and Donna being a St. Andrew High School for Girls past student. Their legacy lives on through their iconic hit “Uptown Top Ranking,” a timeless classic in the reggae genre.