1979 soundtrack album by Various Artists
Rockers is the soundtrack to the 1978 film of the same name . It was released in 1979 by Mango Records and includes some of the songs heard in the film by Jamaican reggae musicians such as Junior Murvin , Bunny Wailer , Burning Spear , Peter Tosh and Jacob Miller .[ 1] [ 2]
Martin C. Strong called the album "one of the best samplers of 70s reggae on the market, with an iconoclastic, end-of-an era feel".[ 7] MusicHound Soundtracks opined that it is "a fine collection of artists and tunes," with "many of the giants of contemporary reggae," as well as "some lesser-known talents".[ 2] Robert Christgau wrote: "First side's a smart reggae compilation, [...] side two's just honorable soundtrack".[ 3] AllMusic claimed that "the soundtrack remains one of the most diverse yet coherent albums of the roots age".[ 1] In 2024, Rolling Stone magazine named Rockers the 52nd greatest soundtrack of all time.[ 8]
"We 'A' Rockers" (Ian Lewis, Bernard Harvey) – Inner Circle
"Money Worries" (Wilson ) – The Maytones
"Police and Thieves " (Junior Murvin , Lee Perry ) – Junior Murvin
"Book of Rules" (Barry Llewellyn, Harry Johnson ) – The Heptones
"Stepping Razor" (Joe Higgs ) – Peter Tosh
"Tenement Yard" (Jacob Miller , Roger Lewis) – Jacob Miller
"Fade Away" (Earl "Chinna" Smith ) – Junior Byles
"Rockers" (Neville Livingstone ) – Bunny Wailer
"Slave Master" (Gregory Isaacs ) – Gregory Isaacs
"Man in the Street" (Coxsone Dodd ) – Rockers All Stars
"Graduation in Zion" (Frank Dowding ) – Kiddus I
"Jah No Dead" (Winston Rodney ) – Burning Spear
"Satta Massagana" (L. Manning, D. Manning, B. Collins) – Third World
"Natty Take Over" (Justin Hinds , Michael Roper) – Justin Hinds & the Dominoes
Note: Some versions replace "Man in the Street" with "Dread Lion" by Lee Perry & the Upsetters .
Songs not included in the album [ edit ]
The following songs are heard in the film , but were not included in the released soundtrack album:
"Satta Amasagana" – The Abyssinians with Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus (Nyabinghi version)[ 9]
"Man in the Street" – Rockers All Stars
"Money Trouble" – The Maytones & I-Roy
"Satta Amasagana" – Rockers All Stars
"Stumbling Block" – Dillinger
"Midnight Rock Live Dubplate (Answer Riddim, Channel One)" – Big Joe & Jah Thomas
"Waiting for the Bus" – Rockers All Stars
"Sweet Sensation" – The Melodians
"Honeyball" – Rockers All Stars
"Rockers" – Rockers All Stars
"The Beating" – Rockers All Stars
"Water is Power" – Mount Salem African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
"Get On Up (Get On Down)" – Roundtree (Disco-Funk)
"Queen Majesty" – The Jays & Ranking Trevor
"Treasure Dub" – Joe Gibbs & The Professionals
"The Raid" – Rockers All Stars
^ a b c Greene, Jo-Ann. "Rockers [Original Soundtrack] Review" . AllMusic . Retrieved 11 November 2024 .
^ a b c Deutsch, Didier C., ed. (2000). MusicHound Soundtracks: The Essential Album Guide to Film, Television and Stage Music . Visible Ink Press . p. 499. ISBN 1-57859-101-5 .
^ a b Christgau, Robert (1990). "Consumer Guide Album – Rockers" . Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s . Pantheon Books . p. 350. ISBN 0-679-73015-X .
^ Larkin, Colin , ed. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music . Vol. 5 (4th ed.). Oxford University Press . p. 83. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4 .
^ Marsh, Dave ; Swenson, John, eds. (1983). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2nd ed.). Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 625. ISBN 0-394-72107-1 .
^ Edwards, Gavin (17 October 2002). "Rockers: Original Soundtrack". Rolling Stone . No. 907. p. 70. ProQuest 220178333 .
^ a b Strong, M. C.; Griffin, B. (2008). Lights, Camera, Soundtracks . Canongate . p. 306. ISBN 978-1-84767-003-8 .
^ "The 101 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time" . Rolling Stone . 24 September 2024.
^ Nishimoto, Dan (11 October 2005). "Rockers (1977)" . PopMatters . Retrieved 15 November 2024 .