6 notable songs from Jimmy Cliff, the reggae star who has died at 81

Portions of this article Courtesy of Barrie360.com and Source The Associated Press
By Hillel Italie, November 20, 2025

The story of Jimmy Cliff, who has died at age 81, is in part the story of reggae itself.

Like so many Jamaican teens of his time, he moved to Kingston in the early 1960s and joined a rising musical movement that would help give voice to the country’s independence from Great Britain. A decade later, he helped reggae ascend to the international stage with his starring role in the cult favorite “The Harder They Come” and his featured place on the film’s classic soundtrack. In the years following, his songs were covered by everyone from Bruce Springsteen to UB40 and confirmed the music’s power to inspire or just get you dancing.

Here are a few songs that trace the arc of his career, and of reggae:

1962: “Miss Jamaica”

1968: “Vietnam”

1969: “Wonderful World, Beautiful People”

1969: “Many Rivers to Cross”

1972: “The Harder They Come”