THE 1970s: The Genres
The countdown of the decade's 200 Most Essential Songs continues this weekend.

THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL SONGS OF THE 1970s It was the decade of glam, disco, funk, Philly Soul, heavy metal, the singer/songwriter, punk and new wave. Here are the 200 songs that mattered most during the Seventies, in terms of influence, impact and success. To be eligible, the song needed to be released- as a single or on an album- during the years 1970-1979.
	THE SINGER/ SONGWRITER ERA
	PROG ROCK
	PUNK ROCK / NEW WAVE
	POWER BALLADS
	GLAM ROCK
	REGGAE Reggae had of course existed before the 1970s. Its roots trace back to Jamaica's ska recordings made during the 1960s. Inspiration for ska came from American R&B of the previous decade. In such a hot climate, the music was slowed down and reggae emerged. After some inroads in the Sixties, the genre reached a wider mainstream audience in the following decade.  The musical style's main exponent was Bob Marley. With his group The Wailers, he created some of reggae's best known tracks. Other key influences include Lee "Scratch" Perry , Sly & Robbie, Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh.  Eric Clapton reached #1 in America with his cover of Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff". Johnny Nash also scored a reggae hit with "I Can See Clearly Now".  Reggae went on to shape the sound of new wave. Its beat is a feature of songs by bands such as The Clash and The Police. UB40 helped to popularize the genre in the 1980s.  EXPLORE FURTHER: Exodus BOB MARLEY I Can See Clearly Now JOHNNY NASH I Shot The Sheriff ERIC CLAPTON No Woman, No Cry BOB MARLEY THE HARDER THEY COME Jimmy Cliff Is This Love BOB MARLEY (Keep On Walking) Don't Look Back PETER TOSH & MICK JAGGER