Reggatta de Blanc (White Reggae) & the Commercial Rock Industry : Intersections of Race, Culture, and Appropriation in Bob Marley and The Police (1977-1983)

Abstract

The connection between reggae and mainstream rock was perhaps no more evident or lucrative than within the musical career trajectory of the wildly popular new wave group, the Police (1977-1983). While a variety of factors were in play during their rise, the inceptive role of the band's unique music sound--based in large part on a clear exploration of and debt to reggae style and rhythms. Centered around the music of Bob Marley and the Police, the purpose of this study was to measure the considerable influence of Jamaican reggae upon mainstream rock composition and its financial success, as well as the level to which this appropriation disregards the original cultural and political contexts that gave rise to reggae during the 1960s and early 1970s.