One of the first appearances of the term ska-core was in the title of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones 1993 album Ska-Core, the Devil, and More. Operation Ivy formed in 1987 in the East Bay area of San Francisco and is widely considered a pioneer of the genre. The fusion of the two genres became most prevalent in the 1980s, during the third wave of ska, and this is what most people associate with ska punk. Ska and punk rock were first combined during the 2 Tone movement of the late 1970s, by bands such as The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat, and Madness. The common instrumentation includes electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, brass instruments (such as trombones or trumpets), saxophones, and sometimes an organ.

The more ska-influenced style of ska punk features a more developed instrumentation and a cleaner vocal and musical sound.

The more punk-influenced style often features faster tempos, guitar distortion, onbeat punk rock-style interludes (usually the chorus), and punk-style vocals. The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting genres. Ska-core (sometimes spelled skacore) is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock.

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