The Best Reggae Music of the 70’s
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The best reggae music of the 70’s was a golden era for the genre. Here are some of the best tracks of the decade.
The Roots of Reggae
Reggae music has its roots in Jamaica, and is a mix of African and Jamaican music. The first reggae song was recorded in 1968, and the genre quickly gained popularity in Jamaica. Reggae music is known for its slow, relaxed beats and its focus on social and political issues. The best reggae music of the 70’s was created during a time of political and social turmoil in Jamaica.
Ska
Ska is a precursor to reggae music that originated in Jamaica in the 1950s. Ska was developed from a combination of Caribbean mento, Calypso, R&B, and jazz. Ska is characterized by a staccato guitar chop on the off beat, played on the upstroke. Bass lines are often complex. Drumming usually features a walking bass line, snare drums played on the backbeat, and sometimes cowbell. The tempo is generally fast with accents on the 2nd and 4th beats in each bar.
The first wave of ska began in the late 1950s and reached its height of popularity in the early 1960s with bands such as The Skatalites and Prince Buster. The popularity of ska waned in the late 1960s but experienced a resurgence in the mid-1970s with the rise of 2 Tone ska, a subgenre that mixed Jamaican ska with punk rock and new wave. Notable 2 Tone bands include The Specials, Madness, and The Selecter.
Rocksteady
Rocksteady was a music genre that originated in Jamaica in 1966. The term “rocksteady” comes from a style of dancing called “the rocksteady”. This dancing style was named after the popular sound of the same name.
Rocksteady is a slower version of ska, with a slower tempo and a more accentuated beat. The bass lines are very important in rocksteady. The guitars often play on the off beat, which gives the music its characteristic sound. The horns play very few notes, usually just the root and the fifth of the chord.
The lyrics of rocksteady songs are usually about love, Rat Race (The Harder They Come) or social issues. Rocksteady was the dominant style of Jamaican popular music in the late 1960s, and was succeeded by reggae in the early 1970s.
The Golden Age of Reggae
The 1970s was a decade of great change and turmoil, both politically and socially. But it was also a decade that saw the birth of a new musical genre – reggae. Reggae music quickly gained popularity all over the world, thanks to its unique sound and the positive messages in the lyrics. If you’re a fan of reggae music, then you’ll definitely want to check out the best reggae songs of the 1970s.
The Wailers
The Wailers were a Jamaican reggae band created by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. The band’s line-up underwent several changes over the years; Marley and Tosh remained the band’s core members throughout its decade-long existence. The Wailers grew to become one of the most successful reggae groups of all time; they were the first Jamaican act to achieve international superstardom, with their 1976 album Rastaman Vibration becoming the first reggae album to enter the US Top 10.
Bob Marley
By the early 1970s, Marley’s music had started to catch on in Jamaica, especially after he released the album Catch a Fire with his backing band The Wailers in 1973. His international breakthrough came with 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. Exodus stayed on the British album charts for 56 consecutive weeks. It included four UK hit singles: “Exodus”, “Waiting in Vain”, “Jamming”, and “One Love”. In 1978 he released Kaya, which included the singles “Is This Love” and “Satisfy My Soul”. The greatest hits album Legend was released in 1984, three years after Marley’s death. It is the best-selling reggae album of all time, with over 15 million copies sold in the United States.
Dennis Brown
Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. He recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the most popular artist during the 1970s and 1980s, appearing on stage with groups such as The Wailers and The Aggrovators. Dennis Brown is considered one of the greatest singer/songwriters ever to come out of Jamaica. Hisraw, emotive voice, matched with astute songwriting skills which he employed to sing about both love and social issues, made him hugely popular throughout the world.
Gregory Isaacs
One of the most popular and well-known Jamaican singers of all time, Gregory Isaacs was affectionately known as the Cool Ruler. He first found fame in the 1970s with a string of hit singles, including “My Time,” “Love Is Overdue,” and “Maria.” He was equally successful in the 1980s and ’90s, scoring hits with songs like “Night Nurse” and “Rumours.” In addition to his work as a solo artist, Isaacs also collaborated with other reggae greats like Sly & Robbie, Augustus Pablo, and Mikey Dread. Sadly, Isaacs passed away in 2010, but his music continues to be enjoyed by reggae fans around the world.
The Legacy of Reggae
Reggae music has its roots in the ska and rocksteady genres of Jamaican music. The 70s was a pivotal decade for the genre, with many artists creating timeless classics that are still enjoyed today. Let’s take a look at some of the best reggae music of the 70s.
Reggae in the 80’s and 90’s
Although the 1980s saw a decline in the popularity of reggae in Jamaica, the genre continued to find succes elsewhere. In Britain, lovers rock and two-tone experienced something of a renaissance, while in America, Hip hop and rap music began to absorb Jamaican influences. Artists such as Eddy Grant,Yellowman, Ini Kamoze, and Shabba Ranks found international success during this period.
Reggae also began to make inroads in Africa during the 1980s, with a number of artists beginning to fuse the genre with traditional African sounds. This trend would continue into the 1990s with the rise of artists such as Lucky Dube and Alpha Blondy. The 1990s also saw a resurgence in roots reggae back in Jamaica, led by artists such as Buju Banton and Morgan Heritage.
Reggae Today
Reggae music has undergone a number of changes since its inception in the late 1960s. While the genre is still largely defined by its Jamaican roots, contemporary reggae has been influenced by a number of other genres, including Hip Hop, R&B, and even electronic dance music.
One of the most significant changes to reggae in recent years has been the increased use of digital production techniques. This has led to a new generation of producers who are able to create complex, multi-layered tracks that would have been impossible to create using only analog equipment.
Despite these changes, the essential elements of reggae remain the same: a focus on rhythm and melody, with lyrics that often deal with social and political issues. As reggae continues to evolve, it remains one of the most popular genres of music in the world.
