10 Amazing Albums Turning 50 In 2022
5. Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come
Another film soundtrack, and equally influential, the Jimmy Cliff-led score to The Harder They Come provided a great taster pack for those unfamiliar with the current crop of reggae stars. Only the title track was recorded specifically for the film, but the entire collection is dynamite.
Cliff’s songs dominance - besides the title track there’s classics like “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and the beautiful, almost spiritual “Many Rivers To Cross”. Cliff stars in the film, and if his acting isn’t transcendent, his music absolutely is.
Aside from Cliff, there’s music from Desmond Dekker, The Maytals, and The Slickers, whose “Johnny Too Bad” is one of the less heralded tracks from the collection, but a real highlight. It’s lyrically harder edged, performed with an amazing level of cool.
While ska and reggae had permeated the UK before The Harder They Come, the film and indispensable soundtrack were major factors in its increasing popularity. It’s an accessible and high quality starter pack of ageless tracks.