#174 Jimmy Cliff and Various Artists, 'The Harder They Come: Original Soundtrack' (1972)

Previously #122

‘The Harder They Come’ was a film that has been hailed as "possibly the most influential of Jamaican films and one of the most important films from the Caribbean". A crime film starring Jimmy Cliff, its soundtrack was even more influential than the film itself. It’s a compilation of Reggae tracks released between 1967 and 1972, with only the title track having been specifically recorded for the album. So what makes this album so great? Well, this is the record that introduced Reggae to the world. Having previously only been popular in its native Jamaica, this film and its soundtrack brought Reggae to the States and beyond introducing Jimmy Cliff, Toots & The Maytals, Desmond Dekker and The Melodians to music fans beyond Jamaica.

Remember, this was before Bob Marley & The Wailers, Toots & The Maytals etc. had broken onto the international scene. As we know, Reggae would go on to heavily influence genres such as Punk and Ska, as well as Rock. Artists like The Clash, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, Three Dog Night and Johnny Nash are amongst some of the artists that hopped on-board the Reggae train in the early to mid-‘70s. In fact, Paul Simon’s hit, ‘Mother and Child Reunion’ featured Jimmy Cliff’s backing band. This year, the album was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

#rs500albums