Reggae music developed from traditional Caribbean and African music merged with American rhythm and blues. During the late 1960s, the musical form grew from the styles of ska and rocksteady.
Reggae musicians play the style in 4/4 time, although sometimes they use a jazz-influenced shuffle time. Harmonically, reggae's usually simplistic, repetitive chord structures create an almost hypnotic effect. Basslines drive the majority of the music, accenting high-tuned snare hits. Guitars generally play only one or two rhythmic chords. Additional music supplied by backup singers, horns and keyboards balances the remainder of the music. Prime examples of this are "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Jammin'."
The true reggae sound developed over the course of 1960s. A number of musicians such as Bunny Lee, Clancy Eccles and Lee "Scratch" Perry released tracks that capitalized on the sound of reggae.
Perhaps the most famous reggae musicians, The Wailers, featured a number of different musicians, most notably Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer.
A number of different types of reggae devloped over time, including skinhead reggae, roots reggae, dub, lovers rock, rockers, dancehall, reggaeton and reggae fusion. Many of these styles use rap and hip hop features as well.
Strongly associated with the Rastafarian culture, reggae's lyrics feature many references to the religion. A number of late 1970s reggae artists converted to the Rastafarian movement, motivating many fans to do the same.