Reggae rock

{{Short description|Music genre}}

{{Distinguish|Raga rock}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{more citations needed|date=October 2012}}

{{Infobox music genre

| name = Reggae rock

| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|Reggae|rock|reggae fusion|ska|rocksteady}}

| cultural_origins = 1970s, Jamaica, United Kingdom and United States

| instruments = {{hlist|Bass|drums|guitar|brass instrument|sampler|keyboard}}

| derivatives =

| subgenrelist =

| subgenres = Reggae punk

| fusiongenres =

| local_scenes =

| other_topics = {{hlist|List of reggae rock artists|2 tone|ska punk|third wave ska|lovers rock}}

}}

Reggae rock is a subgenre of reggae fusion and rock music that primarily uses the genres reggae, rock, and ska. Typical lyrics of reggae rock songs incorporate love, personal awareness, and life challenges while incorporating music and beat elements of rock, punk, and hip-hop.{{cite web|title= Reggae Rock Movement |website= Tribes |date= 27 March 2019 |access-date= 2 March 2022 |url= https://www.tribes.org/web/2019/3/27/reggae-rock-movement}} The term "reggae rock" has been used to categorize artists such as Eddy Grant, and bands like The Police, Men at Work, Sublime & Sublime with Rome, No Doubt, Pepper, Slightly Stoopid, the Expendables, Iration, Dirty Heads, Rebelution, 311, SOJA, Big Sugar, and, to some extent, heavier bands such as Bad Brains.

Among the earliest examples of the genre are the 1972 songs "D'yer Mak'er" and "C Moon" by the British rock bands Led Zeppelin and Paul McCartney and Wings, respectively.{{cite web|title= Led Zeppelin |publisher= Electric Lady Studios |url= http://electricladystudios.com/clients/led-zeppelin-2 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131231065127/http://electricladystudios.com/clients/led-zeppelin-2/ |archive-date= 31 December 2013}}{{Cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/reggae-rock-songs/|title=Top 10 Reggae Rock Songs|first=Bryan|last=Wawzenek|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=7 March 2014 }}

The term "reggae metal" has been used to describe bands that combine reggae rock with heavy metal, such as Dub War, Shinobi Ninja, Skindred, Twelve Foot Ninja, and Zeroscape.{{cite news|title= Unique band blends reggae with metal |newspaper= Temple Daily Telegram |date= 16 January 2005 |access-date= 2 March 2022 |url= https://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_5a79dc72-0fc6-5836-a81e-0f3828bc505d.html}} Reggae rock found its rise in popularity in the 1990s in Long Beach, California, with the band Sublime. The genre has lately found a boost in popularity with the 2010 song "Lay Me Down" by the Dirty Heads featuring Rome Ramirez from Sublime with Rome, which peaked at number 1 on both the US Billboard Alternative Songs and Rock Songs charts.{{cite magazine|title= Dirty Heads – Alternative Songs Chart History |magazine= Billboard |access-date= 17 February 2013 |url= http://www.billboard.com/artist/300985/dirty+heads/chart?f=377}}{{cite magazine|title= Dirty Heads – Rock Songs Chart History |url= http://www.billboard.com/artist/300985/dirty+heads/chart?f=902 |magazine= Billboard |access-date= 17 February 2013}}

With reggae rock rising in popularity, the genre was included in the inaugural California Roots Music & Arts Festival in 2010.{{cite web|first= Kristy |last= Rose |title= A brief Reggae Rock history |website= Top Shelf Music |date= 29 April 2020 |access-date= 20 March 2022 |url= https://topshelfmusicmag.com/news/a-brief-reggae-rock-history/}}