Rockin' steady

Groups like The Heptones, The Paragons and, of course, The Wailers took their lead from the American soul of The Impressions and The Drifters to produce a uniquely Jamaican approach to harmonizing. For many, Rocksteady is the pinnacle of Jamaican music – indeed, so many recent dance hall tunes are built of classic rock steady rhythms from the mid-1960s.
The Rocksteaeady era derived directly from Ska and contrasted it in several ways: it slowed the beat down; it was essentially a vocal style; and it was deliberately American sounding as opposed to Ska which had worked hard to establish a Jamaican identity.
Rocksteady was a much cooler, soulful, lovers rock type of music that began life as a means of giving the crowds a bit of a breather and, due to public demand, took over to dominate dance halls for several years.

Essential listening

Below please find some personal recommendations for anyone who is new to the subject and interested in Rocksteady music.
Feel free to leave a comment or make personal suggestios for albums you would regard as an esential introduction to the soulful world of Rocksteady.

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