Rocksteady

Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around the mid-1960s, characterized by a slow tempo and a heavy bassline, acting as a bridge between the ska and reggae genres. The rhythm of rocksteady is smoother and more relaxed compared to the upbeat tempo of ska, with a focus on the off-beat or backbeat rhythm, usually played by the guitar or piano. The bass and drums take a more prominent role, carrying the melody and providing a solid groove. Rocksteady also incorporated more complex vocal harmonies, with lyrics often addressing love, social issues, and the Rastafarian movement. This genre laid the groundwork for the evolution of reggae, with artists and groups like The Heptones and The Skatalites at the forefront, infusing their music with the essence of the cultural and political landscape of Jamaica at the time.

Latest Rocksteady Release
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Money Move (2026 remaster)
Album - 8 Tracks - Released August 7, 2026

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Addis Ababa
Al Campbell
Alton Ellis
Barrington Levy
Bim Sherman
Bluekilla
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Bradamon Band
Carroll Thompson
Clinton Fearon
Culture
David Hillyard & The Rocksteady Seven
David Marley
Delroy Wilson
Dennis Bovell
Dennis Brown
Dennis Walks
Desmond Dekker
Desmond Dekker & The Aces
Dillinger
Don Carlos
Dr. Ring Ding
Dubmatix
Earl Sixteen
Eek-A-Mouse
Ernest Ranglin
Flying Vipers
Frankie Paul
Glen
Glen Ricks
Gregory Isaacs
Hollie Cook
Horace Andy
Horace Martin
Hugo Lobo
Israel Vibration
Jackie Mittoo
Jah Thomas
Jamaican Reggae Cuts
Jimmy Cliff
Joe Yorke
John Holt
June Powell
Ken Boothe
King Mar
King Tubby
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Leroy Smart
Les Testarudes
Linval Thompson
Lollypop Lorry
Lukie Fwd
Marcia Griffiths
Marcus I
Max Romeo
Melchizedek Freeman
Mr. Freak Ska
Open Season
Oso Fyah
Owen Gray
Pat Kelly
Peter Tosh
Prince Fatty
R.W.W.
Rasta Dno
Rootikal Foundation
Roots Radics
Royal Messenjah
Sister Nancy
Soop Dread
Soulcraft
Stranger Cole
THE SILVER SONICS
Tenor Saw
The Autocratics
The Bandulus
The Busters
The Congos
The Dualers
The Ethiopians
The Magnetics
The Revolutionaries
The Skatalites
The Slackers
The Specials
The Utopians
The Wailers
The Young Lions
Tinga Stewart
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
Toots & The Maytals
Tosh
Triston Palma
U-Roy
Westbound Train
Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra
YG Marley
Young Israelites
aDUBta
moskovskaya
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Horace Andy
Alpha Blondy
Johnny Nash
Jimmy Cliff
Peter Tosh
Barrington Levy
Sister Nancy
David Marley
Toots & The Maytals
YG Marley
Gregory Isaacs
The Specials
Don Carlos
Eek-A-Mouse
Dennis Brown
Dawn Penn
Israel Vibration
The Upsetters
Culture
The Wailers
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
Max Romeo
Bob Marley
John Holt
The Jets
Hollie Cook
Bunny Wailer
Marcia Griffiths
U-Roy
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Dezarie
Desmond Dekker & The Aces
The Frightnrs
Black Uhuru
King Tubby
The Skatalites
Alton Ellis
Sugar Minott
The Congos
Monkey Boots
Linval Thompson
Clinton Fearon
Prince Buster
Bob Andy
The Beat
Ken Boothe
Augustus Pablo
Sejedewe
Leroy Sibbles
Jamaican Reggae Cuts
Eric Donaldson
Dandy Livingstone
Prince Fatty
Frankie Paul
Ernest Ranglin
Giuliano Palma
The Heptones
Junior Byles
Derrick Harriott
Jackie Mittoo
Desmond Dekker
Tim Armstrong
Joe Yorke
Rasta Lloyd
Tommy McCook
Pablo Moses
The Skints
The Dualers
Triston Palma
The Twinkle Brothers
Hugh Mundell
Juantxo Skalari & La Rude Band
Linton Kwesi Johnson
The Aggrovators
The Ethiopians
The Taxi Gang
Tenor Saw
Roots Radics
The Slackers
Delroy Wilson
Tapper Zukie
The Maytals
Millie Small
Cornell Campbell
The Expanders
Rico Rodriguez
Prince Far I
Symarip
Courtney John
Big Youth
Joe Gibbs & The Professionals
Denny Frust
Derrick Morgan
Byron Lee & The Dragonaires
Laurel Aitken
Don Drummond
The Supersonics
Lollypop Lorry
Yabby You