The Upsetters had many famous faces in their ranks over the years from Sly Dunbar to Glen Adams and Boris Gardiner. It hinged, however, on the work of reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, who created the group basically out of the session musicians in his studio. "The Upsetter" was the name of an earlier hit by Perry in the late 1960s as well as the name of his label. Perry was born in 1936 in Kendal, Jamaica. He started rising to musical prominence working for Clement Coxsone Dodd at Studio One. He started recording songs there before moving to Wirl Records after a conflict with Dodd.

He also conflicted with Joe Gibbs at Wirl, leading to him eventually creating the record label Upsetter in 1968. He and the Upsetters released the album Return of the Django in 1969, which became a massive hit for both Perry and the group. They released a few more records through the early 1970s, but gained more fame being a supporting act behind great groups like the Wailers. Throughout this time, Perry also remained an active producer along with releasing solo hits as well. He was not an easy person to get along with, but his innovation in production kept him in demand regardless of his personality.

In the early 1970s, Perry created his own recording studio in his back yard called the Black Ark in order to maintain more creative control. Some of his clients during that time included Bob Marley and Junior Byles. The late 1970s and early 1980s brought much change for Perry as the Black Ark was demolished in a fire and his career was in limbo. He soon found his way back to musical success again and has been producing and working on music ever since. Every so often, an album will appear as the Upsetters, like 1995's Upsetters a Go Go.