The Top Reggae Songs of All Time

Here we countdown the top reggae songs of all time. From classics by Bob Marley to modern hits, these are the best reggae songs of all time.

Introduction

When it comes to Reggae, there are a lot of different sub-genres. There is Ska, Rocksteady, Dancehall, and Roots Reggae. Each sub-genre has its own unique sound. For the purpose of this article, we will be focusing on Roots Reggae.
Roots Reggae is a sub-genre of Reggae that developed in the late 1960s. It is characterized by slow and heavy drums and bass with minimal horns and Piano. The lyrics are often about love, social issues, or religion.

Some of the most popular Roots Reggae songs of all time include Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry”, Peter Tosh’s “Equal Rights”, and Burning Spear’s “Marcus Garvey”.

The Early Years

Reggae’s origins are in the ska – a fast, danceable music with horns and guitars that was popular in Jamaica in the 1960s. The term reggae comes from the word “rege-rege,” which is a slang for tattered clothing. Early reggae was heavily influenced by rocksteady, a slower style of ska. Reggae developed its own distinctive sound in the 1970s with a heavy bass beat and accents on the offbeat. Reggae singer Bob Marley became one of the best-known musicians in the world, and his band, the Wailers, helped bring reggae to a wider audience.

The 1970s

The 1970s was a great decade for reggae music. With the release of some very iconic tracks, the genre began to gain a lot of mainstream attention. Here are some of the top reggae songs from the 1970s:

1. “No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley and The Wailers
2. “Stir It Up” by Bob Marley and The Wailers
3. “Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley and The Wailers
4. “I Shot the Sheriff” by Eric Clapton
5. “Jamming” by Bob Marley and The Wailers
6. “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley
7. “One Love / People Get Ready” by Bob Marley and The Wailers
8. “Waiting in Vain” by Bob Marley and The Wailers
9. “Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley and The Wailers
10. “Satisfy My Soul” by Bob Marley and The Wailers

The 1980s

In the 1980s, reggae continued to evolve, with a greater focus on electronic instrumentation and production. Lovers rock, a style of romantic ballad reggae, also became popular in this decade. The decade also saw the rise of digitalinputs that lead to the development of computer-based musical arrangements and production (known as MIDI). These technologies would lay the groundwork for the Dancehall and Ragga genres that would come to dominate Jamaican popular music in the 1990s. The following songs are some of the most iconic and influential reggae tracks of the 1980s.

-One Love/People Get Ready – Bob Marley & The Wailers
-I Shot The Sheriff – Eric Clapton
-Red Red Wine – UB40
-No Woman, No Cry – Bob Marley & The Wailers
-Could You Be Loved – Bob Marley & The Wailers
-Stir It Up – Patti LaBelle
-Waiting In Vain – Annie Lennox
-Jamming – Bob Marley & The Wailers

The 1990s

In the 1990s, the rise of alternative rock and hip hop led to a decline in popularity of reggae music. However, several artists continued to achieve success with the genre.

In 1992, Bob Marley’s album “Legend” was released posthumously and became the best-selling reggae album of all time. Other successful albums in the 1990s included Buju Banton’s “Til Shiloh” (1995), Maxi Priest’s “Retrospective” (1998), and Beenie Man’s “Many Moods of Moses” (1999).

Several reggae songs also achieved mainstream success in the 1990s, including Ini Kamoze’s “Here Comes the Hotstepper” (1994), Inner Circle’s “Bad Boys” (1993), and Shaggy’s “Oh Carolina” (1993).

The 2000s

The 2000s was a decade of change for reggae music. As the genre continues to evolve, artists are experimenting with new sounds and styles. The following is a list of the top reggae songs of the 2000s.

-“No Woman, No Cry” by Vybz Kartel
-“Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley & The Wailers
-“One Love” by Bob Marley & The Wailers
-“I Shot the Sheriff” by Bob Marley & The Wailers
-“Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley & The Wailers
-“No More Trouble” by Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers
-“Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley & The Wailers
-“War/No More Trouble” by Bob Marley & The Wailers
– “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley

The 2010s

The 2010s saw a massive resurgence in popularity for reggae music, with both established artists and new artists finding success on the charts. This list of the top reggae songs of the 2010s includes some of the biggest hits of the past decade.

1. “One Love” by Bob Marley
2. “No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley
3. “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley
4. “Jamming” by Bob Marley
5. “Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley
6. “I Shot the Sheriff” by Bob Marley
7. “Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley
8. “Buffalo Soldier” by Bob Marley
9. “Stir It Up” by Bob Marley
10. “Exodus” by Bob Marley

Conclusion

After careful deliberation, we have come to the conclusion that the top reggae songs of all time are as follows:

1.Bob Marley – “Redemption Song”
2.Bob Marley – “No Woman, No Cry”
3.Bob Marley – “Jamming”
4.Peter Tosh – “Equal Rights”
5.Jimmy Cliff – “The Harder They Come”
6.UB40 – “Red, Red Wine”
7.Inner Circle – “Bad Boys”
8.Shaggy – “Oh Carolina”
9.Sean Paul – “Gimme the Light”
10.Beenie Man – “Who Am I?”