100 Must Have Reggae Songs

Classic Soul Radio 100 Must Have Reggae Recordings

Background: Reggae – Around 1960, in the slums of Kingston Jamaica, where the local bands were playing a musical mixture of American R&B, Caribbean, and pan-African sounds, drummers began to emphasize the afterbeat, the 2nd and 4th beats (4/4 time) in unison with the piano and guitar while the bass played walking quarter notes. The musicians called the sound “Upside-down R&B”. It soon became known as “Ska”. As time passed Ska slowed the beat, lost its brass sound and morphed into “Rocksteady”, performed with fewer musicians and using more harmony vocals. Around 1968 the influences of Rastafari and Africanism along with political and social unrest in Jamaica gave birth to “Reggae”, with a slower, stripped-down, less “Pop-like” sound often with accents added on the 3rd beat. Today the term “Reggae” applies broadly to all the Jamaican born music that contains the original afterbeat rhythm.

Criteria: This top 200 songs list contains the classic Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Dancehall and Dub songs from Jamaica along with newer songs from Reggae artists in the U.K., U.S. and Africa. Rankings are based on initial and lasting popularity as well as influence and impact in Reggae music.

(Note: These are Reggae songs by Reggae artists. Not the occasional reggae song recorded by non-reggae artists.)

100 Reggae Recordings You Should Have In Your Collection

Here is our compilation of the top 100 Reggae songs of all time. This list is in no particular order. Which ones do you have? Which have we missed or left out? Comment below. Hope you like and enjoy the selection! Click on the icon beside each song to listen to a preview of the song, or to purchase the song from the iTunes store. Remember, each time you make a purchase through our web site, you help support Classic Soul Radio, a registered not-for-profit organization. We thank you for your patronage and support!

1. No Woman, No Cry – Bob Marley & the Wailers
2. Israelites – Desmond Dekker & the Aces
3. Stir It Up – Bob Marley & the Wailers
4. Pressure Drop – Toots & the Maytals
5. The Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff
6. One Love – Bob Marley & the Wailers
7. 54-46 That’s My Number – Toots & the Maytals
8. Satta Massagana – The Abyssinians
9. Funky Kingston – Toots & the Maytals
10. Montego Bay – Freddie Notes & The Rudies
11. Many Rivers To Cross – Jimmy Cliff
12. Marcus Garvey – Burning Spear
13. Legalize It – Peter Tosh
14. Redemption Song – Bob Marley & the Wailers
15. Here I Come – Dennis Brown
16. Get Up, Stand Up – Bob Marley & the Wailers
17. Rudy Got Soul – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
18. The Tide Is High – The Paragons
19. Three Little Birds – Bob Marley & the Wailers
20. Everything I Own – Ken Boothe
21. Night Nurse – Gregory Isaacs
22. You Don’t Care – The Techniques
23. Vietnam – Jimmy Cliff
24. Rivers Of Babylon – The Melodians
25. Police & Thieves – Junior Murvin
26. Buffalo Soldier – Bob Marley & the Wailers
27. Red Red Wine – UB40
28. Cherry Oh Baby – Eric Donaldson
29. (I Am) The Upsetter – Lee “Scratch” Perry
30. Sitting & Watching – Dennis Brown
31. Jammin’ – Bob Marley & the Wailers
32. Wear You To The Ball – U-Roy & The Paragons
33. Two Sevens Clash – Culture
34. I Shot The Sheriff – Bob Marley & the Wailers
35. Any day Now- Willie Williams
36. 007 Shanty Town – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
37. A Love I Can Feel – John Holt
38. Revolution – Dennis Brown
39. Queen Majesty – The Techniques
40. Natty Rebel – U-Roy
41. Loving Pauper – Dobby Dobson
42. Natural Mystic – Bob Marley
43. Equal Rights – Peter Tosh
44. Rocksteady – Alton Ellis & The Flames
45. Do The Reggay – Toots & the Maytals
46. Don’t Stay Away – Phyllis Dillon
47. Baby Why – The Cables
48. One Blood – Junior Reid
49. Iron Lion Zion – Bob Marley & the Wailers
50. Book Of The Rules – The Heptones
51. Telephone Love – JC Lodge
52. Blackheart Man – Bunny Wailer
53. Nanny Goat – Larry & Alvin Marshall
54. Waste – Bob Andy
55. Tenement Yard – Jacob Miller
56. Ba Ba Boom – The Jamaicans
57. I’m Still In Love With You – Alton Ellis
58. Pass The Kutchie – The Mighty Diamonds
59. Wonderful World, Beautiful People – Jimmy Cliff
60. Mama Africa – Peter Tosh
61. Fade Away – Jr. Byles
62. How Could I Leave – Dennis Brown
63. Soon Forward – Gregory Isaacs
64. Trenchtown Rock – Bob Marley & the Wailers
65. Westbound Train – Dennis Brown
66. Cool Rasta – The Heptones
67. My Conversation – Slim Smith & The Uniques
68. You Can Get It If You Really Want – Jimmy Cliff
69. Now That We Found Love – Third World
70. Talk About Love – Pat Kelly
71. I Need A Roof – The Mighty Diamonds
72. 1865 (96 Degrees In The Shade) – Third World
73. Declaration of Rights – The Abyssinians
74. War Inna Babylon – Max Romeo
75. Big Ship – Freddie McGregor
76. Waiting In Vain – Bob Marley & the Wailers
77. Guess Who’s Comming To Dinner – Black Uhuru
78. I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash
79. What One Dance Can Do – Beres Hammond
80. Crying Over You – Ken Boothe
81. Someone Loves You – JC Lodge
82. Sonny’s Lettah – Linton Kwesi Johnson
83. What Kind Of World – The Cables
84. Rain From The Sky – Delroy Wilson
85. Everything Crash – The Ethiopians
86. Love Me Forever – Carlton & The Shoes
87. Johnny Too Bad – The Slickers
88. Love Is My Religion – Ziggy Marley
89. Monkey Man – Toots & the Maytals
90. War – Bob Marley & the Wailers
91. Can I Change My Mind – Alton Ellis
92. Duppy Gunman – Ernie Smith
93. Zungguzungguguzungguzeng – Yellowman
94. Black Cinderella – Errol Dunkley
95. Have Mercy – The Mighty Diamonds
96. Tumblin Down – Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers
97. My Boy Lollipop – Millie Small
98. Hold Me Tight – Johnny Nash
99. Angel – Shaggy & Rayvon
100. Dreadlocks In Moonlight – Lee “Scratch” Perry