VMP Magazine

When I was a kid, my parents bought me a guitar and got me lessons from a local teacher. He asked me to list 10 songs I wanted to learn and, outside of a couple alt-rock songs that were popular on MTV at the moment, I leaned more heavily on acts I learned about from my parents: Hendrix, the Stones, Cream, Zeppelin, the Doors, etc. Rather than just lead me through those tracks and have me mimic along, he said, "A lot of what you like is based on the blues, so I'll teach you about that, and then you'll be able to figure out the rest (though, to be fair, we did start with "House of the Rising Sun" and "Sunshine of Your Love" as the gateway into learning chords). From there, we worked backwards, learning the scales, and a lot of the history, like who influenced, covered and/or ripped off who.

Thanks to that teacher, a public library with an expansive CD and book selection, a lot of friends to jam with and understanding parents who'd take me to the local Cajun restaurant to see some great cover bands and, later, the Stones at Madison Square Garden, I got to know the blues at a relatively early age. So, based on personal experience and some hindsight after further exploration, here are 10 albums for anyone looking to start a collection of essential blues albums, with many apologies to the dozens of pioneers I left out.

Island Records can rightfully be heralded as the label that brought Bob Marley and The Harder They Come to international fame, with the Chris Blackwell-led shop later signing such acts as U2, Amy Winehouse, the Killers and many more chart-toppers.

But it’s an easy argument to make that Trojan Records, founded in 1968 by Lee Gopthal and Blackwell, is the true trailblazer that brought Jamaican music to the rest of the world, spreading not only the unique upstroke rhythms but also a culture that appeals to potheads and punks alike. Without Trojan, you don’t get the Clash, dub, Oi! skinheads against racism, second-wave ska bands like the Specials and third-wavers in America.

Here, we break down the essential songs, artists and albums on the label, in order for you to build out your Trojan collection along with the Vinyl Me, Please Essentials pick this month, the Silvertones’ Silver Bullets.

Since we've already gone over 10 blues LPs for beginners, we're back with another 10 to get you even more into the genre, its history and how it connects to the present. This time around, we've got more legends and tragic tales, big-name influencers along with some guys who've never quite attained the same amount of fame as their peers. It's a mixed bag that also brings in elements of country, ragtime, folk, gospel, soul, rock and funk, with the common thread of some amazing singing and guitar.

Before the likes of the Clash, the Police, Rancid, the Specials, No Doubt, etc., there was Bob Marley. And before Bob Marley became an international sensation in the '70s, he was one of the Wailers, a vocal group that performed ska tunes. And while the word "ska" might conjure some bad memories from the '90s, the traditional sound of the genre is much more akin to classic soul and rhythm and blues. Inspired by the songs they heard coming from American radio stations, Jamaican artists started putting their own spin on the music, most notably emphasizing upbeats and scratchy guitar parts, the sound of which likely led to the naming of the genre.

In the late '60s, a portion of Jamaican music evolved into rocksteady, which was generally slower and had more emphasis on the bass. Rocksteady shortly thereafter into reggae, which blended elements of the prior genres, used more modern instruments and recording technology, took more influence from Jamaican songs and culture, such as Rastafarianism and marijuana, and took an added focus on social and political issues like the widespread poverty and crime throughout the island.

Reggae memorably spread to the wider world thanks in large part to Eric Clapton's 1974 cover of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff," and has inspired plenty of sub-genres and interpretations. Ska had its revivals with the '70s and '80s British 2 Tone movement, with bands like the Specials, the Selecter and the Beat, and later in the '90s with third-wave bands like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, No Doubt, Operation Ivy, the Slackers, Reel Big Fish, etc., who played it with varying degrees of traditional, pop and punk influences.

While those artists (mostly) get their fair shares of credit of recognition and praise, there are many who are overlooked by casual enjoyers of reggae. If you count yourself among that crowd, here are 10 LPs that will give you a better understanding of the reggae's history and evolution.