Reggae Rock

tagStarted 1992Peak 1996-2015Last big hit still active

Located in 3 routes

Rock → Global / Regional Rock Reggae / Caribbean → Reggae Fusion / Reggae Pop Reggae / Caribbean → Reggae Rock / Island Rock / Ska Rock

Sun-baked California fusion of reggae offbeat, rock and punk energy, dub bass and frequent hip-hop verses - 'Cali reggae.' Skank guitar on the upstroke, loping basslines and laid-back, weed-and-beach lyrics meet distorted rock choruses. Sublime's gritty Long Beach blend is the template; festival-circuit feel-good is the dominant mode.

History

Sublime crystallized it in early-1990s Long Beach, fusing ska, punk, dub and reggae. After Bradley Nowell's 1996 death, the sound spread across Southern California: Slightly Stoopid, Pepper, Rebelution, Dirty Heads and 311 built a touring-festival ecosystem (Cali Roots, Reggae Rise Up) that sustains the genre as a live-driven scene today.

Defining artists

SublimeSpotify YouTube
Slightly StoopidSpotify YouTube
RebelutionSpotify YouTube
Dirty HeadsSpotify YouTube
PepperSpotify YouTube
311Spotify YouTube

Essential listening

Santeria — SublimeSpotify YouTube
Collie Man — Slightly StoopidSpotify YouTube
Feeling Alright — RebelutionSpotify YouTube
Lay Me Down — Dirty HeadsSpotify YouTube
Give It Up — PepperSpotify YouTube
Amber — 311Spotify YouTube

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Sources

Wikipedia: Reggae rock
AllMusic Sublime / Cali reggae
Billboard Reggae chart coverage
Cali Roots Festival lineups