Freaky Reggae Music to Make You Move

Find new and exciting reggae music to get your groove on, with recommendations from our expert contributors.

Reggae Music Basics

Reggae music is a type of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The music is characterized by a strong bass line, drums, and guitars. The lyrics are often political or social in nature. Reggae music has been popularized by artists such as Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, and Sean Paul.

Define Reggae Music

Reggae music is a unique genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Though it has been influenced by other genres such as rock, ska, and even country music, it has maintained its own distinct sound. Reggae is characterized by a heavy bass line, offbeat drums, and an emphasis on percussion and rhythm. The lyrics are often political or religious in nature, and the music is often used as a form of protest. Reggae has been popularized by artists such as Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and Sean Paul.

Reggae Music History

Reggae music is a genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term reggae refers to the rhythm of the music, which is characterized by a shuffling feel. Reggae music is often infused with elements of other genres, such as rock, ska, and dub.

Reggae music evolved out of earlier genres such as ska and rocksteady. Reggae lyrics often deal with topics such as poverty, racism, violence, and love. Reggae music has been popularized by artists such as Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, and Sean Paul.

Reggae Music Styles

There are many different styles of reggae music, each with their own unique flair. Reggae music is often uptempo and lively, making it perfect for dancing. The lyrics of reggae songs often deal with positive messages, love, and social issues. Reggae music is a great way to get your body moving and your mind thinking.

Ska

Ska is a style of music that was created in Jamaica in the late 1950s. It is a blend of Jamaican mento, American Jazz, and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walking bassline, accents on the off beat, and a fast tempo. The first ska recordings were made in 1959 by Prince Buster and were influenced by American R&B.

Rocksteady

Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in 1966. It is a precursor to reggae and a subgenre of ska. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. It was the dominant music genre in Jamaica from 1966 to 1968, when it was supplanted by reggae.

The term rocksteady comes from a style of danceable Jamaican popular music that originated following on the success of ska and R&B. This new style featuredrhythm guitar strumming on the backbeat, while the upstroke was left open,often resulting in an off-beat popping sound. The drumming style emphasized Latin Inferno-style cross-rhythms on the hi-hat, while losing much of the shuffle feeling that was common to ska. To create their rhythm guitar sound guitarists used a special technique called “riding the rhythm” where instead of playing their guitars on the beat they strummed them between beats or on the “off-beat”. This approach can be heard throughout Jamaican repertoire, but it is most associated with rocksteady.

One of rocksteady’s most famous songs is Alton Ellis’s 1967 cover version of Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay”. Slower than ska but faster than reggae, rocksteady was used as an alternative to both styles. The international hits “Help Me Make It Through the Night” by John Holt, “Doing It Right” by Dobby Dobson and Juice’s Bottle’s Rockers’ International made it popular worldwide. By 1968 it had arrested ska’s initially unstoppable momentum allowing reggae to take over as Jamaica’s dominant music; rocksteady’s last gasp came with Honky Tonk Woman by The Paragons which returned briefly to up-tempo ska..

Reggae

Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, “Do the Reggay” was the first popular song to use the word “reggae,” effectively naming the genre and introducing it to a global audience. while sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of popular Jamaican danceable music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.

Reggae Music Artists

There are many great reggae music artists that can get you moving. Some of these artists include Bob Marley, Sean Paul, and Damian Marley. With their great beats and rhythm, you can’t help but to enjoy their music. Let’s take a look at some of these artists and their reggae music.

Bob Marley

Bob Marley, was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and musician. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. He was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band The Wailers (1963–1974). The Wailers had numerous hit songs such as “Simmer Down”, “Trenchtown Rock”, “Live Forever”, “I Shot the Sheriff”, and “No Woman, No Cry”. Following the departure of half of the band’s original members, Marley began a solo career which culminated in the release of the album Exodus in 1977 which established his worldwide reputation and produced his status as one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 75 million records. His Turner Broadcasting System-owned CNN named Marley the “Most Influential Black Man” in history in 2008. Rolling Stone placed him at number 8 on their list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and number 22 on their list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Lee “Scratch” Perry

Lee “Scratch” Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry, 20 March 1936) is a Jamaican music producer, DJ and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development of dub music with his early adoption of mixing console channels and equalization techniques. He has worked with and produced for a number of popular artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, the Congos, Max Romeo, Adrian Sherwood, the Beastie Boys and Ari Up. Perry has been credited as being one of the most important figures in the emergence of reggae and dub music internationally.

Burning Spear

Burnett Reforms Wailers

In 1967, Bob Marley, then going by the name of Donald Duck, took the stage with his band The Wailers at the Monarch Club in Kingston. The band was an instant hit with Kingston’s tastemakers, including Duke Reid and Clement Dodd. The Wailers soon cut their first single for Dodd’s Coxsone label, “Simmer Down,” which became a Number One hit in Jamaica. With Bunny Livingston on drums and Peter Tosh on lead guitar, the Wailers developed a distinctive sound that blended Marley’s nasal tenor and smooth harmonies with Livingston and Tosh’s stuttering guitar riffs and edgy vocals. The group recorded two more hits for Coxsone — “Thank You Lord” and “Love Fire” — before signing with Island Records in England in 1968; by that time Junior Braithwaite (who sang lead on “Simmer Down”) had been replaced by Flinty Badman McFarlane.

Reggae Music in Pop Culture

Reggae music has had a large influence on pop culture. It has been used in many films and television shows. Reggae music has a very distinctive sound that can be recognized immediately. It is a very catchy genre of music that is sure to get your feet moving.

The Wailers

Formed in 1963 by singers Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, The Wailers originally played a brand of rhythm and blues that was popular in Jamaica at the time. The group found international success after teaming up with record producer Lee “Scratch” Perry in the 1970s. The Wailers’ distinctive sound was a fusion of reggae, ska, and rocksteady that made them one of the most popular and influential reggae bands of all time. The Wailers’ best-known songs include “Get Up, Stand Up,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” and “No Woman, No Cry.”

Ziggy Marley

Ziggy Marley is a reggae legend and one of the most popular artists in the genre. He is the son of Bob Marley, and he has continued his father’s legacy by creating catchy, thoughtful reggae tunes that make you want to dance. Ziggy’s music often has a positive, feel-good message, and it is easy to see why he is so popular. If you are looking for some good reggae vibes, Ziggy Marley is a great artist to check out.

Matisyahu

Matisyahu is an American reggae artist who has blended traditional reggae with elements of hip hop, rock, and even Hasidic Jewish religious music. He’s best known for his 2004 hit “King Without a Crown,” which introduced many listeners to reggae for the first time. Matisyahu’s music has been featured in films and TV shows like “She’s the Man” and “NCIS: Los Angeles.”