There were two bands named The Beat, both active at the same time in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Both bands mutually decided to use different names while operating different parts of the world: 1) The English two-tone ska band The Beat known as The English Beat in North America and The British Beat in Australia. 2) The American power-pop band became known as Paul Collins' Beat in Europe. 1. The Beat are a band founded in Birmingham, England, in 1978. Their music fuses ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock.