Toots and the Maytals
Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert formed The Maytals in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1962 as a gospel-schooled vocal trio, and by the decade's end their rasping, soul-inflected voice and tightly harmonized backing had made them one of Jamaican music's most consistent hitmakers across the ska, rocksteady, and reggae eras. Their 1968 single 'Do the Reggay' is widely cited as the source of the genre's name, and hits like '54-46 Was My Number,' 'Monkey Man,' and 'Pressure Drop' carried a raw, churchy urgency that set them apart from more laid-back reggae contemporaries. Hibbert's music reached far beyond Jamaica — 'Pressure Drop' alone was later covered by acts from The Clash to The Specials — cementing his standing as a foundational figure often ranked alongside Bob Marley. Hibbert died in 2020; the band continues to tour in his honor.
we haven’t charted Toots and the Maytals yet
this stretch of the river isn’t mapped. we trace the watershed one artist at a time — and we’re always heading further upstream.