Bob Marley’s Influence on Modern Music

If you’ve ever listened to reggae, chances are that you’ve listened to or heard of Bob Marley. He was the quintessential reggae musician and made a name for himself not only in reggae, but across a great range of musical styles as well. His songs have been covered by such artists as Eric Clapton to Joe Strummer. In addition to his musical influence, he has also been responsible for bringing the Rastafarian movement to the global audience.

Marley had a style all his own. Keeping with the Jamaican norm, he adopted a very mellow and laid back approach to both his lyrics and his singing. He’s certainly not hard on the ears, and his songwriting carries with it an open simplicity, in both the melodic and lyrical structure, that have a very calming effect on the listener. Regardless of whether reggae is your particular cup of tea, if you’re looking for music that creates an easy-going atmosphere you can’t go wrong with Marley. His songs deal with more down-to-earth issues, which keeps him in the company of great lyricists like Bob Dylan and John Lennon.

Though his musical work was prodigious, it may be that his legacy is the most important of his contributions to world music. His influence can be heard in many different styles. I don’t have any proof for this, but I suspect that Sting, the famous solo artist and bassist for The Police, was very influenced by reggae and probably by Marley. You can also hear Marley’s influence in artists like Jason Mraz, who have taken it upon themselves to bring reggae into the contemporary music scene.

Bob Marley was a great musician, without a doubt. He has left his mark upon the world in more ways that most musicians are able to do. His music is certainly work a careful listen, even if reggae isn’t your normal choice of music.

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