In no particular order:

1. Dennis Brown
Whip Them Jah Jah

I first saw/heard this song on the Heartland Reggae DVD. The footage is classic, everyone is grooving with the rhythm while Dennis does his thing. Suddenly, some old man dressed in a Dixie hat and tattered clothes hops up on stage and starts to mash it up big time. It isn’t completely clear whether it was planned or not, yet everybody loves him and it makes the performance even more killer. Dennis continues to “Chant them down to the foundation” in this battle of the Dread versus Babylon…

2. Jacob Miller
Backyard Movements (Disco Mix)

In this brilliant rockers anthem, the ever enigmatic Jacob Miller urges the youth to live in harmony, declaring “All you do in the morning is to fuss and fight in the back yard. What you do in the night will make front page in the day light, so what you do is to do right and think of another day”. The larger than life singer later concludes; “To fuss and fight, my brothers, don’t you know were all one struggle, to fuss and fight, my sisters, don’t you know were all Jah children” This mix also features a horns section and equally dread second part; ‘Fussing and Fight’ featuring DJ U Brown’s protégé Little U Brown. Interestingly, the track is actually a remake of a lesser known, but elegant, version by The Mighty Threes.

3. Bob Marley
Keep On Skanking

Recorded and produced in 1971 by none other than Lee “Scratch” Perry, this Bob Marley gem largely flew under the radar. It documents an early point in both Marley and Perry’s musical careers, providing glimpses of what would later come from both. The music contains traits of Perry’s emerging style (distorted guitar riffs, creeping organ bursts, dubby echoing, and eerie sound effects flowing throughout) that would greatly impact his later wildly popular work from the Black Ark Studio. As for the theme of the song, Bob’s lyrics are based on hope and inspiration - a signature trait that would later catapult him into super stardom.

4. Don Carlos
Rives Of Babylon

Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee produced this dread version of a reggae classic at King Tubby’s studio in the Waterhouse district of Kingston, JA, in 1983. On the track, Don Carlos pay’s homage to Jah in true Rastaman style. The balance between Carlos’ smooth voice and producer Bunny Lee’s flying symbol dub style are a combination that takes this remake to the next iration.

5. Cornell Campbell
My Confession

When trying to assess Cornell Campbell’s musical career it’s very difficult to nail down his best work, simply because he has so much great material. Although his work is not widely known outside of Jamaica, the smooth singer is a true hero of reggae. He will always be known best for his beautiful crooning lovers rock releases as well as his more spiritual Rastafarian work, with tracks such as ‘I shall not remove’ and ‘They can’t get me out’. My Confession falls into the lovers’ rock category and is a perfect example of his touching falsetto voice. “Here in my direction, I can see your reflection, across the street across the way it flows, just like a mirror it seems to show… Heaven I’m praying, because if it shows too long I might not know where I am going”.

6. Congos
Children Crying

To many, this is one of the most seminal reggae tracks of all time. Recorded at Lee “Scratch” Perry’s world famous Black Ark Studio, it captures the essence of the scene in Jamaica, circa the mid ‘70s. The combination of Perry’s signature drumbeats and ethereal mixing abilities alongside the sublime harmonization’s of The Congos’ Cedric Myton transcend the genre.

7. Johnny Clarke
Ride On Girl

Bunny “Striker” Lee does it again, this time with the Johnny Clarke side “Ride on Girl”, one of many unforgettable tracks created by the pair throughout the 1970s. “Ride on girl” is composed in Lee’s well known rockers and steppers style and grooves along an infectious rhythm all the while relating Clarke’s story of an unappreciative female friend who just can’t be satisfied no matter how hard he tries. With no other choice, he let’s her know its time to ride on. “I man needs peace, not war”.

8. Culture
Marcus Garvey (Down In Jamaica)

This exuberant and bouncy 12-inch release pays homage to Marcus Garvey, a true inspiration of the Rastafarian movement. Garvey was a visionary Jamaican man of African heritage who helped create, amongst many other things, the black star line - a ship line used to take Pan-Africans back to Africa to redeem the mother continent from its European colonizers. The Rastafarian’s regarded Marcus Garvey as a supernatural person. In the song, lead singer Joseph Hill retells: “Earths greatest prophet was born down in [-] St.Anne’s, JA”. Down in Jamaica was originally released on the ‘Cumbolo’ album produced by S. E. Pottinger, in 1979.

9. Desmond Dekker
007/Shanty Town

Desmond Dekker was an early ska and reggae star, who emerged in the mid to late ‘60s, alongside other artists such as; Toots and the Maytals, Prince Buster, and Jimmy Cliff. This alumni of greats were to reggae what Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, and Curtis Mayfield where to early R’n’B. In 1967, Dekker’s ‘rude boy’ anthem “007/Shanty Town” was released and went on to be a massive success. It burned up the charts in Jamaica and brought the genre to an international stage. Desmond’s rude boy image resonated deeply with the revolutionary minded Mods in the UK and the popularity of the song reached the top 15 on UK charts - a feat that had until then eluded all but a few Jamaican artists. It was later featured in the cult classic film The Harder They Come in 1973.

10. Sugar Minott
Oh Mr. DC

Rough and tough times are only made worse by Mr. DC (The District Constable) in this 1978 Ganja Anthem. Sugar Minott feel’s the pain as he pleads with the Constable, “The children dying fe hunger, and I man a suffer, so you’ve got to see its this collie that feed me. Fifty cents a stick and a dollar a quarter, that’s what keeps me alive, me and my two kids and wife… so just let me pass through and Jah will bless you”. The song was recorded over an earlier rhythm track from legendary producer Coxson Dodd at the famed Studio One. It went on to be a huge success in the early stages of Sugar’s career. He later became one of the most influential singers of dancehall in the 1980’s.

- Nigel Joseph