Rocksteady is a musical genre that began in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Rocksteady, like ska, was a short-lived style characterized by soulful singing and socially conscious lyrics. Its music was also known for prominent bass lines and floating, offbeat rhythms, with lyrics inspired by the advantages and disadvantages of Kingston’s “rude boy” subculture. There were many popular rocksteady groups, such as The Melodians and The Gaylads, who laid the groundwork for the later development of reggae music.
Ska was a Jamaican music genre that emerged in the late 1950s. It began after World War II ended in 1945, when American troops were stationed in Jamaica. Jamaicans listened to American music, such as rhythm and blues and American jazz, during this time. Ska was influenced by these styles, as well as Jamaican folk music known as mento and a Trinidad and Tobago-based style known as calypso.
Ska was originally defined by a hard-hitting offbeat and a walking bass line similar to jazz. The music was upbeat and quick, and it featured a reversal of the rhythm and blues shuffle rhythm. Ska was changing at the same time as American music was changing. Ska eventually evolved into rocksteady as American music became slower and smoother.
Rocksteady only lasted two years, from 1966 to 1968, despite its popularity. Jamaica was in a difficult situation at the time, with rising poverty and unemployment. Many of its youth moved to Kingston’s ghettos, where they became “rude boys,” or delinquents. The rude boy subculture was referenced in the lyrics of some songs that protested political and social injustices and either supported or condemned the rude boys’ criminal and violent behavior. However, not all of the songs were political, with many of them being love songs heavily influenced by American soul music.
Although rocksteady was influenced by ska, it developed a slower and mellower sound. The bass lines were louder, and the rhythms were different from the piano and guitar’s constant beat. Drumming patterns were also different from ska, and the “one drop” beat was given more prominence. The “afterbeat,” as it is known among Jamaican musicians, is achieved by playing the snare and bass drums together on the third beat.
The Melodians and The Gaylads were just two of the many popular bands at the time. The Melodians formed in 1965 and produced international hits such as Rivers of Babylon and Sweet Sensation. The Gaylads, who were formed in 1965, had hit songs such as Over the Rainbow’s End and Joy in the Morning.
By the late 1960s, rocksteady had evolved into the reggae music genre. This style evolved from the introduction of the organ shuffle and is much slower than both ska and rocksteady. Many popular artists have been influenced by Jamaican culture and subcultures, with Bob Marley being the most influential.