Marley was born in rural St. Ann's Parish in 1945 to a middle aged white father and a teenaged black mother, and left home for the tough Trench Town slum of Kingston at 14 in order to pursue a life in music. There he became friends, and formed a vocal trio, with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. They called themselves the Wailing Wailers, later shortened to the Wailers. They worked within the prevailing musical styles of the time, first the buoyant up-tempo ska, then the slower sinuous rock steady, which then gave way to reggae.
The Wailers recorde with legendary producers Coxone Dodd and Lee "Scratch" Perry in the '60s, recording great songs like "Simmer Down," the original version of "One Love," "Soul Rebel," "Small Axe" and "Duppy Conquerer," becoming greatly popular in Jamaica. But it was when the Wailers signed with Chris Blackwell's Island Records in 1972 that their reach became global.
The Wailer's first albums for Island, "Catch a Fire" and "Burnin'" (both '73), became instant classics and introduced "Stir it Up," "I Shot the Sheriff," and Tosh's "Get Up Stand Up" to the world. Tosh and Wailer then both left to pursue solo careers and the Wailers became Marley's vehicle of expression. Until his tragic death from cancer at the age of 36 in 1981, Marley generated anthem after anthem and brought hope and pride to the Third World, in addition to touching hearts and feet across North America and Europe.
His hits collection covering the Island years, "Legend," with sales of over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone, is the most popular and enduring reggae album of all time. Among its delights are "No Woman No Cry," "Three Little Birds," "One Love," "Buffalo Soldier," "Waiting In Vain" and "Jamming."
10. Sly and the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone made some of the most buoyant and thoughtful music of the late-'60s and early-'70s, uniting and transforming black and white music at a time of highest hope and deepest betrayal in America. Leader Sly Stone personified both extremes, as the truest of believers and a victim of his own disillusionment.
Stone was a musical child prodigy who recorded a gospel song at age four. In the mid-'60s he produced hit records for the Beau Brummels and Bobby Freeman before his dream blossomed into the colorful, freaky Sly and the Family Stone. Sly wrote the songs, created the arrangements and handled the production, but allowed each member to express his/her individual identity. The Family blended blacks and whites, men and women: Sly's brother Freddie Stewart on electric guitar, sister Rose on electric piano, Sly's high school friends Cynthia Robinson on trumpet and Jerry Martini on sax, Martini's cousin Gregg Errico on drums, and thumping, popping funk bass pioneer Larry Graham.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Matt Fanslow
How is Metallica not on the list, much less an honorable mention? They alone are responsible for making metal/speed metal mainstream. They are just as important as Nirvana.
2 - Barry Stoller
NOPE - due to corporate radio's overkill, almost all of these bands now qualify for nothing but most boring; the others, similarly falling victim to standard rock critic worship, qualify for the same. What we need is a postmodernist re-evaluation, a cultural archeological dig to finally break fresh strata. Allow then a real contender to kick off the new vision: BLOODROCK as number 1. Let's go (fresh)... from there.
3 - Craig Lyndall
There is no way Metallica is as influential as Nirvana. If you look at the span of their careers and the fact that Nirvana had 3 real albums, 1 b-sides album, and an unplugged album from the 1989 - 1994. They have achieved far more in that painfully short period of time than Metallica has to this point.
4 - Craig Lyndall
"7. Marvin Gaye - "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (1968)
Motown's greatest singer's greatest singing performance."
I would argue with this completely and totally. There are so many other songs by Marvin Gaye that I like so much more. Specifically, "What's Going On."
5 - Eric Olsen
Metallica could very easily be on the honorable mention list, but I think Black Sabbath is a more important metal band.
6 - WarrenP
Rock and Roll? Aretha Franklin? Outkast?
Are you for real?
Marvin Gaye? Dude - get a life you 'sell-out' kiss ass! People LIKE categorys for a reason. Bob Marley? Sly and the Family Stone? Rock? I mean - I listen to these entertainers, too - but, ROCK is ROCK! I wish the media would stop trying to 'gender cross' musics all over the f*&^'en map!
It's insulting.
7 - Craig Lyndall
Damn it and another thing. I hate the Rolling Stones. Really, I can't stand them at all. I do understand their contributions to rock and roll, but to say that one of their songs is number 1 is preposterous. Maybe top twenty, but how is this song ahead of Stairway and that song isn't even on the list. Stairway and Zeppelin put the effing Stones to shame.
8 - A Girl
Dude, you just took yourself out for a nice Italian Dinner... You dated yourself. Radiohead much?! The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A etc. (heck even the sketchy Pablo Honey). That retro era doesn't have a lock on thoughful innovation and raw emotion, you know.
9 - Ace
How come Queen wasn't even mentioned?
Thanks to them, stadiums all over the world have not one, but two himns repeatedly being played on every match... "We will rock you" is the thing you hear when everybody is slapping their seats rhytmically... And what song other than "We are the champions" come right in handy when your favorite team wins??
10 - Ace
(sorry for this second post)
PD: Of course, Queen is not great only because it's affinity to sports...
11 - Eric Olsen
Craig, you really need to check into the STones a little more. How much have you listened to them? You have too good taste to dismiss them so completely - give them another shot.
RE those complaining about the "rock" category: there will never be agreement on what should or should not fit. I interpreted "rock" fairly broadly. Perhaps the songs should have been called the "Rock Era." I have no problem thinking of Sly and Bob as rock bands.
12 - mwanji
Eric,
Why even write such an article? You know you'll only get abuse for it. I hope they paid you well, at least.
"I wish the media would stop trying to 'gender cross' musics"
What is gender-crossed music?
13 - h price
What!!! No Jimi Hendrix Expereience, Come on, PLEASE! Hendrix did more in 4 measly years than Ueffing2, Marley, Velvet Underground could possibly do in 40. The only thing Hendrix didn't do with an ax was invent it. This is crazy.
14 - Eric Olsen
Mwanji, I have no problem with the controversy - you sort of answered your own question as to why they would ask me to write it (smile). While there has been all kinds of disagreement, I have already had a ton of very complimentary notes even from those who disagree. All I'm really concerned about is whether or not I did a good job of supporting those I did pick.
15 - Mark Saleski
mighty fine drivel, mr. olsen.
;-)
16 - Southern Belle
Nope, nobody is perfect...Still, I can't get over the fact that one of the most innovative, artistic and talented bands ever, the Queen, was never mentioned. Shame on you for this oversight.
Otherwise it was an interesting article.
17 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Southern Belle, As much as I like some Queen, I don't think they overall rate the very top echelon. Thanks for your kind words otherwise!
Thanks Mark, you are coolest!
18 - Mark Saleski
hey, ya coulda thrown 'ole Al a bone and at least had them add Elvis Costello to the msnbc "who's missing" pole.
19 - Eric Olsen
I put him in the "solo+backup" category.
20 - Mark Saleski
You dated yourself. Radiohead much?! The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A etc.
Radiohead's "OK Computer" = Low Rent King Crimson.
21 - Bill
Hey Eric,
Ever hear of a little band called Aerosmith? Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? 30+ years of making music? 60 million + records sold? Pioneers of the rock/rap genre? Any of this ringing a bell?
22 - Eric Olsen
Bill, If Aerosmith had made more albums like Get Your Wings, Toys In the Attic and Rocks they would have received more consideration. As it is, I see them a second tier. But it's just opinion, okay?
23 - Craig Lyndall
Aerosmith is probably the greatest American rock band, but unfortunately for them, they cam after Zeppelin and the Stones. They should win an award for longevity, but there would be no Aerosmith without a Zeppelin, Stones, etc.
24 - MH
Where do you come up with Velvet and the Dead? I saw these bands live and they sucked..They sold no records and influenced very few others. Ask either of them to open for The Who and you have all the makings of a nice little riot. Your need to be hip and diverse clouds any real conviction and I find your list nothing but a political comprimise of misguided PC dribble. If Sly and Bob Marley are ROCK then so is Maria Carey and the Spice Girls.
25 - Don Geddis
What drugs were you on in the seventies!!!!! Most of your list isn't even what any moron would call rock & roll!!!!!!!! Bob Marley is reggae, aretha franklin is soul and nirvana was grunge.............Get A Clue!!!!