Reggae's characteristics, development, and scenes. Focuses on musical style and development; performer-centered biographies belong in Artists.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Which Bob Marley and the Wailers song did Eric Clapton cover for a 1974 No. 1 hit?
Clapton's hit introduced many American radio listeners to Marley before Marley toured the United States.
Which Bob Marley and the Wailers song promises that "every little thing gonna be all right"?
Marley frames the reassurance as a morning message sung by three birds at his doorstep.
Which Island Records founder signed Bob Marley and the Wailers in 1972?
Blackwell funded the Catch a Fire sessions and promoted the group to album audiences beyond Jamaica.
Which Bob Marley and the Wailers album did Time magazine name the best album of the century?
Time chose the 1977 album in 1999 for pairing protest songs with love songs of wide appeal.
Which short offbeat guitar chop is considered the defining reggae beat?
Reggae guitar typically plays short, damped staccato chords on the offbeats, a pattern called the skank.