# African and Afro-Caribbean influences in Western popular music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2014, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112 "2014-05-10T04:29:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MusicAddict95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@MusicAddict95](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicAddict95)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/21 "2014-05-10T23:31:56Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > People say the “West” when really they mean “White people like me.” I’m not white, by the way; I’m half Native American and half Black. “West” was probably not the word that I should have used. What I mean is American artists or British artists who appear on the Billboard and other music charts. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/22 "2014-05-10T23:41:16Z")
> [@MusicAddict95](#): > > What I mean is American artists or British artists who appear on the Billboard and other music charts. Now you’re gonna upset the Canadians… 😃 A few more suggestions: Bobby Bloom: **Montego Bay** Eddie Grant: **Electric Avenue** Billy Joel: **River of Dreams** ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/23 "2014-05-11T00:41:57Z")
Talking Heads—_Remain in Light_ Byrne & Eno—_My Life in the Bush of Ghosts_ ---
**Author:** ![MusicAddict95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@MusicAddict95](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicAddict95)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/24 "2014-05-11T01:42:54Z")
> [@CheshireKat](#): > > Now you’re gonna upset the Canadians… 😃 > > A few more suggestions: > > Bobby Bloom: **Montego Bay** > Eddie Grant: **Electric Avenue** > Billy Joel: **River of Dreams** Canadian artists, too! I consider Canada as being part of America. ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/25 "2014-05-11T03:17:50Z")
> [@CheshireKat](#): > > Now you’re gonna upset the Canadians… 😃 > > A few more suggestions: > > Bobby Bloom: **Montego Bay** > Eddie Grant: **Electric Avenue** > Billy Joel: **River of Dreams** Eddie Grant is borderline. He’s already from the Caribbean but moved to England when he was young. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/26 "2014-05-11T03:29:12Z")
It’s all good - I have no problem with any of my suggestions being shot down. It’s not like I’m Canadian and just found out all my geography and history books were wrong. :D:D:D ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/27 "2014-05-11T03:36:02Z")
> [@MusicAddict95](#): > > Canadian artists, too! I consider Canada as being part of America. Please step away from the shovel now 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/28 "2014-05-11T04:52:12Z")
Peter Gabriel has several songs with African influences, such as “Signal to Noise,” “Solsbury Hill,” and “In Your Eyes,” and “Biko” ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/29 "2014-05-12T16:42:22Z")
Led Zeppelin’s [D’yer Mak’er](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWxdGJR_foY) has strong Afro-Caribbean influences (including, at least in part, the name of the song). ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/30 "2014-05-12T17:02:16Z")
> [@CheshireKat](#): > > I have one! \*\*Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa \*\*by Vampire Weekend. Even beyond that one song, Vampire Weekend’s whole sound is heavily influenced by West African pop music anyway. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/31 "2014-05-12T17:23:12Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > Even beyond that one song, Vampire Weekend’s whole sound is heavily influenced by West African pop music anyway. You’re right, but since posting I realized none of their music would fit fit the criteria of songs from the 50s through 90s since they were formed in 2006. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/32 "2014-05-12T21:56:35Z")
The Police, “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” Genesis, “It’s No Fun (Being an Illegal Alien)” UB40, “Red, Red Wine” (I know Neil Diamond wrote it and did it first, but…) Any Jimmy Buffett tune using steel drums The earliest UK punk rock incorporated ska rhythms and structures, as ska was a very conspicuous presence in London working-class neighborhoods. Early blues songs used an African instrument called the “Diddley bow,” notably Lonnie Pitchford and the Funk Brothers. It’s kind of a one-string zither that uses a bottle as a slide. Bo Diddley has no apparent connection. These are just the most over-the-top examples I can think of; few American songwriters since the Civil War don’t have some kind of conspicuous link to African music. ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/33 "2014-05-13T14:06:59Z")
Louie Louie Another Saturday Night ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/34 "2014-05-13T14:31:20Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > The Police, “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” I was going to mention the Police, as well. Most of their music has a strong Afro-Caribbean influence, especially via Stewart Copeland’s drumming, but the melody lines are also often quite Jamaican influenced, see “Roxanne,” for another example with a strong reggae influence. But it doesn’t seem to fit the parameters the OP laid out in post #15, otherwise, it’d be hard not to name a pop song without some African or Afro-Caribbean influence. Even if we want to stick with more obvious influences, take something like the “Bo Diddley beat.” That’s an Afro-Cuban _son clave_ rhythm shifted from the clave to a rhythm guitar, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112/35 "2014-05-13T14:49:33Z")
Another from Elton John: [Durban Deep](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jZKXR2dGIY), from his 1989 album _Sleeping With the Past_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-and-afro-caribbean-influences-in-western-popular-music/688112.md?page=1)