Los 21 mejores artistas de reggae de todos los tiempos

Who are the best reggae artists of all time? It’s a subjective question, but we’ll try to answer it together in this article. Let’s get to the heart of the matter.

1. Ziggy Marley

Born David Nesta Marley, the eldest son of Bob and Rita Marley, calls himself “Ziggy” - his father’s nickname meaning “little spliff”. But the artist is also drawn to Bowie’s The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars album. Whatever his background, Ziggy has been making music since 1979, when he formed Ziggy Marley And The Melody Makers with his brother and two sisters. The eight-time Grammy Award winner has also enjoyed a remarkable solo career, even launching his own record label, Tuff Gong Worldwide. The video embedded here is for True To Myself, one of his biggest hits.

2. Stephen Marley

Rita and Bob Marley’s youngest son has embarked on the family business, enjoying notable success and accolades on his own and in collaboration with his siblings. His 2011 album Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2012. Listen to Made in Africa feat. Wale and Fela’s troupe! Over the years, reggae has incorporated other styles, illustrating its versatility and enduring appreciation.

3. Damian Marley

Damian is the only child of Bob Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, who was crowned Miss World in 1976. Following in his father’s footsteps in reggae music, he is also known as “Junior Gong”, a nod to his father’s nickname, “Tuff Gong”. However, Damian has made a name for himself in the industry of his own - winning four Grammys in the course of his career. Welcome to Jamrock is probably his best-known song, taken from the album of the same name.

4. Toots and The Maytals

Toots Hibbert is widely regarded as a reggae pioneer, who helped establish the form and wrote the first song to use the word reggae. Do the Reggay earned Toots and the Maytals an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary for coining the term. Their reputation is well established. The band rose to prominence in the late 1960s and reached its peak in the 1970s, with record releases that attempted to set Guinness World Records, as well as tours with the likes of The Who and The Eagles. Take a look at 54-46 Was My Number.

5. Peter Tosh

A few names are synonymous with the foundations of reggae music. Peter Tosh is one of them. As a founding member of the Wailers, he wrote many of the anthems that led the band to fame during the period it was formed, from 1963 to 1974. After leaving the Wailers, Tosh embarked on a solo career. Sadly, Peter Tosh was killed in a robbery in 1987, after winning the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Performance for his last album, No Nuclear War.

6. Bunny Wailer

This list would be incomplete without mentioning Bunny Wailer, born Neville O’Riley Livingston in Kingston. Although a percussionist with the Wailers, Bunny was involved in songwriting and took a more prominent vocal role when Marley moved to Delaware in the mid-1960s. Eventually, Wailer went solo and made a name for himself, winning three Grammy Awards in the 1990s. He was also a devotee of the Rastafarian faith. Watch him perform Soul Rebel as part of Playing for Change.

7. Protoje

Born Oje Ollivierre in Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica, to musician parents, Protoje has made a name for himself in reggae and dub circles. Certainly a more modern name in the reggae world than some of his predecessors, he was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2018 for Best Reggae Album. He worked with Ky-Mani Marley on a song entitled Rasta Love, released in 2011. Perhaps his most popular song is Who Knows, available in the video above via his YouTube channel.

8. Rebelution

Rebelution, hailing from Isla Vista, California, is another modern band that has set ears ringing. The members studied at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated while building a reputation on the local music scene, as well as promoting their debut EP. Despite the early loss of a founding member, the band forged ahead. Rebelution was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2017 for their album Falling Into Place. Watch them perform Roots Reggae Music live at Red Rocks in Colorado in the embedded video above.

9. The Melodians

The Melodians may not be a name that quickly springs to mind, but they hail from Kingston, Jamaica, and their career predates the reggae movement. Their early sound was considered rocksteady, but they evolved like other bands on the scene. Founding band members Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton are behind the enduring hit Rivers of Babylon, which uses Bible verses as an allegory for the living conditions of Rastafarians in Jamaica at the time. Listen to them in the video above.

10. The Abyssinians

Another reggae band you may not be familiar with is The Abyssinians. Known for their three-part harmonies, the group was originally formed by Bernard Collins and brothers Donald and Lynford Manning. Although they never reached the heights achieved by other artists on this list, the group did write the magnificent song Satta Massagana. This brief clip captures a rare live performance by the band. The band split up, but reformed in the 1990s for a time.

11. The Paragons

The Paragons took the reggae sounds that other Jamaican bands were producing and combined them with the lush vocal harmonies and production flair of lounge bands. In 1967, the band released The Tide is High, written by singer John Holt, with fiddle by “White Rum” Raymond. Their pop sensibility is expressed in shimmering tones throughout the song, with the singers sharing melodic duties with the violinist. Listen to the video above.

12. UB40

Not all reggae bands are linked to Bob Marley or originate from Jamaica. The genre has had a worldwide influence and has encouraged musicians to incorporate it wherever the music can be heard. UB40 hail from Birmingham, England. The band has had many members over the years, including Jamaicans, as it turns out. Although the band has not won a Grammy Award, it has been nominated four times during its career. You’ve probably heard their cover of Red Red Wine on the radio a thousand times, at least.

13. Ken Boothe

Ken Boothe has been on the circuit since 1963. He performed, recorded and released albums at a breakneck pace in the 1970s, capitalizing on the reggae boom of the time. One of his best-known songs from this period is Everything I Own. This well-produced song reached number one in the UK Official Singles Chart when it was released in 1974. Listen to Ken’s sultry vocals on this track in the video above.

14. Gregory Isaacs

Another prodigious name in reggae is Gregory Isaacs, who was at one point described as “reggae’s most exquisite vocalist” by Milo Miles of the New York Times. He made a name for himself in 1982 with the song Night Nurse, which never reached the top of the charts. More than 500 albums have been released under the Isaacs name over the years, and he has earned four Grammy Award nominations in the course of his career.

15. Junior Murvin

Cantante de origen jamaicano, Junior Murvin estuvo en activo desde 1965 hasta su muerte en 2013. Grabó con el famoso productor Lee «Scratch» Perry, que trabajó con Bob Marley, The Clash e incluso los Beastie Boys. Ellos fueron los responsables del éxito de ventas de Murvin, Police and Thieves. Su álbum de debut, que lleva el mismo nombre que el single, fue distribuido por Island Records. El álbum se considera parte de la santísima trinidad de discos que Perry produjo en su estudio de grabación Black Ark. Escuche el single en el vídeo de arriba.

16. 311

Quizá no incluya a 311 en su lista de los 21 mejores artistas de reggae de todos los tiempos. Eso es un poco miope, porque estos chicos mezclaron rock, reggae y hip-hop en una fórmula que dominó las listas de éxitos durante varios años. Hay algunos momentos en su obra que no son auténticos, pero hay una canción que es un éxito innegable, y esa es Amber. La canción sigue sonando en la radio y encabeza la lista cuando se busca al grupo en Spotify, lo que significa que la gente aprecia su trabajo en este tema.

17. Desmond Dekker

Desmond Dekker nació en Jamaica y pasó sus años de formación en Kingston. Tras una carrera en el ska, el rocksteady y el reggae como cantautor y músico, acabó estableciéndose definitivamente en el Reino Unido. Fue entre 1967 y principios de los 80 cuando su trabajo fue más apreciado. Alcanzó las listas de éxitos con algunas canciones, pero su tema más notable es sin duda Israelites.

18. Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff es otro cantante de origen jamaicano que lleva décadas actuando en escenarios y estudios. Desde 1962, Jimmy canta ska, rocksteady, reggae y soul, lo que le ha valido dos premios Grammy al mejor álbum de reggae. Probablemente te suene su interpretación de la canción de Johnny Nash I Can See Clearly Now, estrenada para la película Cool Runnings. Vea el vídeo oficial más arriba.

19. The Wailers

Dos de los miembros fundadores de los Wailers ya han aparecido en esta lista, pero es importante reconocer al grupo en su conjunto. Antes de que Bob Marley se convirtiera en el centro de atención y la formación original se separara, los Wailers eran el grupo musical insignia del reggae. Peter y Bunny, junto con Bob, fundaron el grupo y construyeron juntos el nombre, pero los medios de comunicación se centraron demasiado en Marley y los otros dos empezaron a sentirse marginados. Mírelos actuar juntos en directo en vídeo, ¡un artefacto muy raro!

20. No Doubt

Puede que sea una selección controvertida, pero No Doubt han intentado inspirarse en sonidos jamaicanos como el reggae, el dub y el dancehall para Rock Steady. Que creas que pertenecen a tu lista o a ésta es secundario respecto a las conversaciones que han iniciado sobre géneros que muchos aficionados a la música pop quizá no hayan escuchado antes. La banda se sumergió en la cultura jamaicana para absorber sus vibraciones con la esperanza de incorporarlas a una canción. ¿Cómo lo consiguieron?

21. Bob Marley

Por supuesto, esta lista no estaría completa sin la leyenda. Sería una colección triste si Marley no figurara, y por eso se ha dejado «G.O.A.T.» para el final. Era obvio que su nombre sería buscado y, aunque esta no es una lista clasificada, es fácil argumentar que el catálogo de Marley ayuda a iluminar a las otras bandas que aparecen aquí. Véalo interpretando No Woman, No Cry en directo con los Wailers en 1977.