The best rock songs with a reggae motif: a selection of the best, artists, clips and facts

Over the decades, the measured and far-reaching Jamaican motifs fascinated and delighted not only the listeners but also many of the rock musicians. Some rock stars seem to have been heavily influenced, while others simply sought to experiment and hit trends (which often turned out to be a total collapse).

Over the years, many classic rockers have infused Jamaican flavours into their music. As the popularity Bob Marley and other icons of the genre, musicians ranging from hard rock titans to folk and punk superstars began to draw on the reggae as a big influence. The results have varied, but today we have tried to collect best of the best! It's a beautiful rock classic with a touch of reggae - a real honey for the ears.....

"(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais."

A great rock'n'roll track with reggae motif, which is great to lift your mood (you can even dance your heart out to it)! This is a unique creation of a punk band The Clash was born out of an initiative Joe Strummerwho had been to a Reggae Night show shortly before and was disappointed... In Strummer's opinion, everything was "too showy and pop.".

In addition to this experience of his own, in "(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais." Strummer touches on themes that were very relevant to the whole of Britain in those years, such as unemployment and the rich, the dislike of whites for blacks, violence on the streets and so on. And if you judge by the melody alone, you can't say that this song has such a deep lyricism....

"Why not call Robin Hood
And not ask him for a distribution of wealth?
Punk rockers in the UK!
But they won't notice anyway,
Because they're all too busy fighting
For a good place under the Sun..."

"Walking on the Moon"

A great classic The Policewhich demonstrates how the experimental group has always been ...

A song from the second studio album "Reggatta de Blanc" elegantly combined reggae with new wave, and won the hearts of many listeners. Each member of the band demonstrated their skills to the highest degree here: Andy Summersfor example, plays just cosmic chords floating in the air! And the drumming Stuart Copeland seem incredibly light... And, of course, the vocal prowess Sting. These three have created a tune that is hard to get out of your head.

"D'yer Mak'er"

This track Led Zeppelin was never really appreciated by the public, and for nothing. Despite the terrible criticism and misunderstanding of fans, "D'yer Mak'er" has a right to exist. Personally, we think that the song sounds amazingly beautiful... Although some of the band members were not very happy about it.

Whereas. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant saw the reggae joke as having great potential, their mates John Bonham and John Paul Jones hated the song almost immediately. Bonham didn't even want to play it, saying it was too boring! Nevertheless, he played it, and "D'yer Mak'er" was released as a single. Alas, the public never appreciated the humour of the Zeppelins, who tried to play on the phrase "D'yer Mak'er", which, when pronounced in a certain way, sounds like "Jamaica.".

"Watching the Detectives"

This is a great track in its sound! Already a classic, this composition Elvis Costello is built on The Clash influences, cynical lyrics and a great reggae rhythm... Great drumming and rock steady bass courtesy of Steve Goulding and Andrew Bodnar of The Rumour.

It turned out completely and uniquely.....

"I Shot the Sheriff"

Blues cover Eric Clapton to the anthem of reggae icon Bob Marley - what could sound more exciting? By the way: shortly after its release, the smooth rendition topped the Billboard Hot 100.

The story goes that a member of Eric's band brought him an album "Burnin'."and offered to record a cover of "I Shot the Sheriff". Clapton was hesitant at first: he wasn't sure it was worth it (let alone releasing a single). Perhaps he was afraid that fans would misunderstand him. Or maybe he was afraid of getting too close to the original. Nevertheless, the record was made and released, and became a big hit as a result!

"Hey Negrita."

Perhaps the most incendiary composition on our list! However, from rock'n'roll virtuosos such as The Rolling Stonesit was foolish to expect anything less colourful....

Mick Jagger and Keith Richardsprobably the biggest reggae fans in all of rock 'n' roll! However, it was Ronnie Wood created the riff for "Hey Negrita." This jam track showed how well the band can play with other genres - from reggae riffs to funky basslines, Latin American keyboards and percussion. And yet, in "Hey Negrita", the Stones still sound in their old, good and recognisable style. That's what we call mastery!