The Best Punky Reggae Music to Listen to Right Now
Looking for some new tunes to get your groove on? Check out our picks for the best punky reggae music to listen to right now. From classics to new hits, there’s something for everyone. So turn up the volume and get ready to move!
Introduction
Reggae is a musical genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term reggae is used to refer to a number of related styles, including ska, rocksteady, and dub. Reggae has been described as “the sound of Jamaica,” and its influence can be heard in many other genres, including punk rock.
Punky reggae is a subgenre of reggae that incorporates elements of punk rock. Punk and reggae have often been compared and contrasted, as they both emerged in the 1970s as reaction against established genres. Reggae is seen as being more optimistic and positive, while punk is associated with being more cynical and rebellious. However, there are many similarities between the two genres, including their DIY ethos and their focus on social issues.
Some of the best punky reggae music to listen to right now includes tracks from artists like Rancid, The Clash, Bad Religion, The Skints, and more. If you’re looking for some new music to add to your collection, check out this list of the best punky reggae tunes to listen to right now.
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, as well as one of the most influential groups of the genre. They are also credited with helping to shape the underground music scene in Washington, D.C., and spreading punk rock to different parts of the United States.
The band has released nine studio albums, four live albums, and numerous singles and compilations. They have been nominated for several awards, including the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, and have won two awards from the American Music Awards.
Bad Brains rose to prominence in 1981 with their self-titled debut album, which became one of the earliest successes in what would later be called hardcore punk or “crossover” thrash. The album was followed by three more studio albums: Rock for Light (1983), I Against I (1986), and Quickness (1989). Bad Brains is also notable for having one of the earliest lineups of an African-American rock band that achieved substantial mainstream success in the United States.
The band has been active sporadically since 1995, but has not released any new studio material since 2003’s God Of Love. In 2006, they were inducted into the Hardcore Hall of Fame at a ceremony held at Madison Square Garden.
The Clash
The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 as a key player in the original wave of British punk rock. They subsequently became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, with hit singles such as “Should I Stay or Should I Go”, “Rock the Casbah” and “London Calling”.
Although their initial career lasted just four years, they are widely considered one of the most influential groups of the era; their recordings and stagecraft significantly affected rock music. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk and rockabilly. For most of their recording career The Clash consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist and lead vocalist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon and drummer Terry Chimes. Simonon’s position was fluid, particularly before 1982, playing bass on some tracks but switching to drums on others; he stated that it was due to his inexperience as a bass player. Chimes played drums on every Clash track until he was fired from the band shortly after completing 1982’s Combat Rock album. The group initially had issues with payments fromRecordings; however they reached an agreement which allowed them to receive a percentage of record sales. In return for this higher royalty rate The Clash agreed not to receive any up-front money for their work (an arrangement which was later copied by other punk bands).
The band signed to CBS Records in 1977 and their debut album The Clash was released the following year to both commercial success and critical acclaim. It was declared the best album of the year by NME magazine. Their second album Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978) peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart but was less well received than its predecessor among critics despite enteringTop 10 on Billboard 200 in United States. London Calling (1979), released two years later, reached number nine on Billboard 200 but is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums ever made, helping to pioneer punk’s musical crossover into pop culture. It won Best British Album at 1980 Brit Awards. Combat Rock (1982) reached number two in both UK Albums Chart and Billboard 200 while reaching platinum certification by RIAA and producing hits such as “Rock the Casbah” and “Should I Stay or Should I Go”. Both albums achieved greater commercial success internationally than they did in UK while neither became available in US until 1997 due to licensing disagreements with CBS Records—London Calling only afterCBS lost litigation against former US distributor Epic Records—and have sold millions of copies there since then while being re-issued several times both separately and together along with non-album singles compilations. Both albums would be ranked among500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine: London Calling at #8 (the highest placement for a punk album)”[1] while Combat Rock would be ranked at #363 a few years later.. After disagreements within CBS Records over artistic differences between Jones and Strummer which resulted in Jones leaving The Clash in September 1983,[2] he would be replaced shortly thereafter by Nick Sheppard and Vince White before Simonon also decided to leave band due to creative disputes with remaining members five months later[3] during preparations for 1984’s(‘Cut’)
The Slits
The Slits were a British punk rock band formed in London in 1976. The group was founded by members of the fellow punk rock band The Clash, and they released their debut album, Cut, in 1979.
The Slits are considered to be one of the first all-female punk bands, and their music was influential to the development of both punk rock and reggae. The band’s unique blend of punk and reggae made them one of the most innovative and groundbreaking groups of their era.
The Slits’ music is as relevant today as it was when it was first released. If you’re looking for some great punky reggae music to listen to right now, look no further than The Slits.
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Founded in Woking, Surrey, they achieved success in the United Kingdom with 18 consecutive top 40 singles and seven number one albums. They initially broke up in December 1982 but reformed briefly in 2007 for a series of reunion concerts.
The band’s sound was derived from their love of British pop music of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly that of The Who and The Kinks, as well as Jamaican reggae and ska. They wrote songs about topics that matters to them such as street violence, teenage boredom, social displacement, and police harassment. In 2012, they were ranked number 35 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”.
The Ruts
The Ruts were a British punk rock band that formed in 1977. The band’s most notable lineup consisted of vocalist Malcolm Owen, guitarist Paul Fox, bassist Simon Price, and drummer Dave Ruffy. The Ruts released two studio albums before Owen’s death in 1980.
The Ruts are best known for their 1979 single “Babylon’s Burning”, which reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. The song has been described as “one of the greatest anthems of the UK punk movement”. The band’s album The Crack was also well-received, reaching number 8 on the UK Albums Chart.
The Specials
The Specials, also known as The Special A.K.A., are an English 2 Tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. The band continue to perform with three of their four original members, and released their ninth studio album Encore in February 2019.
The Specials incorporated elements of ska, punk rock, reggae and new wave music. They were one of the most successful bands of the 2 Tone era, with seven consecutive UK Top 10 singles between 1979 and 1981, including two number one hits: “Too Much Too Young” and “Ghost Town”.
The Beat
The Beat is a punk rock/reggae band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1978. The Beat, consisting of Dave Wakeling (vocals, guitar), Ranking Roger (vocals), Andy Cox (guitar), David Steele (bass), and Everett Morton (drums), were influenced by the ska music of Jamaica as well as the punk rock that was coming out of England at the time.
The band’s first album, I Just Can’t Stop It, was released in 1980 and was a huge hit in both England and America. The album contained the hits “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Too Nice to Talk To,” and “Can’t Get Used to Losing You.” The band’s second album, Wha’ppen?, was also a success, and contained the hit “All Out to Get You.”
The Beat’s third album, Special Beat Service, was released in 1982 and contained the hits “Save It for Later” and “I Confess.” The band broke up shortly after the release of the album, but have since reunited several times.
Conclusions
Punk and reggae have always had a close relationship. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, many punk bands incorporated reggae and ska into their music, and vice versa. The result was a new, hybrid genre that combined the energy of punk with the groove of reggae.
Today, there are many great punky reggae bands keeping the spirit of this hybrid genre alive. If you’re looking for some good music to listen to right now, check out the 10 bands listed below.
