Roots is primarily the music of sufferers and the lyrics cover subjects such as poverty, Rastafari and oppression. The music saw it's pinnacle in the 70's but lost much of it's following when dancehall, often with less conscious lyrics, started ruling the Island.
Roots reggae gained international popularity in the 1970's with, in particular, the rising popularity of Bob Marley in markets previously devoid of reggae. Roots still remains the style of reggae most associated with the music on an international level, although reggae has shifted through numerous other trends and sub-genres since the mid-70's heyday of roots reggae.
List of artists and groups mainly doing roots music;