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
Rail album image
Rail
Single - Released October 14, 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
Freddie McGregor
Glen
Glen Ricks
Gregory Isaacs
Hollie Cook
Horace Andy
Hugo Lobo
Israel Vibration
Jackie Mittoo
Jah Thomas
Jamaican Reggae Cuts
Jimmy Cliff
Joe Yorke
John Holt
June Powell
King Mar
King Tubby
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Leroy Smart
Les Testarudes
Linval Thompson
Lobster
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
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
Toots & The Maytals
Tosh
Triston Palma
U-Roy
Wayne Smith
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
Gregory Isaacs
YG Marley
David Marley
Toots & The Maytals
Sister Nancy
The Specials
Don Carlos
Dawn Penn
Dennis Brown
Eek-A-Mouse
The Upsetters
Israel Vibration
Culture
Freddie McGregor
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
The Wailers
Bob Marley
Max Romeo
John Holt
Hollie Cook
The Jets
U-Roy
Marcia Griffiths
Bunny Wailer
Desmond Dekker & The Aces
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Black Uhuru
Dezarie
The Frightnrs
Alton Ellis
The Skatalites
King Tubby
The Congos
Sugar Minott
Prince Buster
Linval Thompson
The Beat
Clinton Fearon
Bob Andy
Monkey Boots
Ken Boothe
Augustus Pablo
Leroy Sibbles
Jamaican Reggae Cuts
Eric Donaldson
Sejedewe
Giuliano Palma
Frankie Paul
Prince Fatty
Ernest Ranglin
Dandy Livingstone
Desmond Dekker
Jackie Mittoo
Derrick Harriott
The Heptones
Junior Byles
Tommy McCook
Joe Yorke
Rasta Lloyd
Tim Armstrong
The Skints
Pablo Moses
The Taxi Gang
The Aggrovators
The Ethiopians
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Triston Palma
Hugh Mundell
Juantxo Skalari & La Rude Band
The Twinkle Brothers
The Dualers
The Slackers
Tapper Zukie
Cornell Campbell
Millie Small
Roots Radics
Delroy Wilson
The Maytals
Tenor Saw
Courtney John
Symarip
Prince Far I
The Expanders
Rico Rodriguez
Big Youth
Byron Lee & The Dragonaires
Denny Frust
Joe Gibbs & The Professionals
Derrick Morgan
Wayne Smith
Laurel Aitken
Don Drummond
The Supersonics