Althea & Donna’s Classic “Uptown Top Ranking” Certified Gold in UK

The Jamaican duo’s 1977 crossover anthem surpasses 400,000 sales and streams, earning a new achievement nearly five decades later. Built on the iconic “I’m Still in Love With You” riddim by Joe Gibbs.

Althea & Donna earn BPI Gold Certification

Jamaican reggae vocal duo Althea & Donna’s timeless classic “Uptown Top Ranking” was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on Friday, equivalent to more than 400,000 sales and streaming units in the United Kingdom.

Released quietly in 1977 with no major marketing push, the track first gained traction as an underground favorite in Jamaica. Its true breakthrough, however, came after unexpected airplay on BBC Radio 1, which propelled it onto the UK Singles Chart by the end of the year. The sudden surge in popularity made Althea and Donna (Born Donn Reid) the youngest female duo ever to top the UK charts.

On February 4, 1978, “Uptown Top Ranking” officially reached #1, famously knocking the Bee Gees off the top spot during the peak of the Saturday Night Fever era.

Built on the timeless “I’m Still in Love With You” riddim, originally a 1967 Alton Ellis classic and later reimagined by legendary producer Joe Gibbs,the song flipped Trinity’s “Three Piece Suit” into a confident, fashion-forward female perspective. Its warm groove, effortless swagger, and playful attitude cemented it as a reggae staple.

Althea, given name Althea Forrest, later stepped away from music to pursue business ventures in New York.