Jason Zinoman argues Randy Newman's satirical song about bombing the world captures the resentment of the powerful who still feels like the underdog — a distinctly American psychology.
The Frozen soundtrack was the best-selling album of 2014, selling 10 million copies including streaming equivalents — beating Taylor Swift's 1989.
Most music historians point to 1968 as the year reggae was definitively born, marked by songs like Desmond Dekker's 'The Israelites' and the first use of the word 'reggae' by Toots and the Maytals.
Mento, the earliest predecessor to reggae from the 1940s–50s, blended African work songs with European musical influences and featured instruments like banjo, guitar, and the rumba box.
Transistor radios allowed Jamaicans to tune into Miami R&B stations for the first time in the 1950s–60s, directly inspiring ska and setting the stage for reggae.
Rocksteady, the slower, vocal-heavy predecessor to reggae, was popular for just about two years but produced major hits including the original 'Tide Is High' and 'Ain't No Sunshine.'
Joe Higgs' 1960 debut hit 'Manny-O' with Higgs and Wilson was one of the first records ever pressed and sold in Jamaica, selling 50,000 copies — a remarkable figure for the era.
Two days after being shot in the chest and shoulder at his home in 1976, Bob Marley still performed the Smile Jamaica anti-violence concert, showing extraordinary commitment to peace.
Catch a Fire (1972) is considered the Wailers' first full-blown reggae album, despite the group having released approximately four albums prior that were more R&B in style.
DJ Kool Herc, widely credited as a founding father of hip-hop, was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and brought Jamaican toasting traditions with him when he moved to the Bronx at age 12.
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