The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History: Song #500…I Shot the Sheriff by Bob Marley and the Wailers (KEXP)

This list of songs is inspired by lists published by radio station KEXP-FM from Seattle in 2010, as well as the latest poll taken in 2021 by Rolling Stone Magazine. For the most part I will faithfully countdown from their lists, starting at Song #500 and going until I reach Song #1. When you see the song title listed as something like: Song #XXX (KEXP)….it means that I am working off of the official KEXP list. Song XXX (RS) means the song is coming from the Rolling Stone list. If I post the song title as being: Song #xxx (KTOM), it means I have gone rogue and am inserting a song choice from my own personal list of tunes I really like. In any case, you are going to get to hear a great song and learn the story behind it. Finally, just so everyone is aware, I am not a music critic nor a musician. I am a music fan and an armchair storyteller. Here is the story behind today’s song. Enjoy.

KEXP: Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History.

Song #500: I Shot The Sheriff by Bob Marley and the Wailers.

You know that this is going to be a good list when it starts out with a legendary performer like Bob Marley. Whenever the topic of Reggae music comes up, Bob Marley is usually the first person most people think of. His influence stretched far from his Jamaican roots. He became world-wide phenomenon and was responsible, along with compatriots like Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff and Bunny Wailer, with helping Reggae to become one of the most recognizable and popular musical genres of all time.

My first introduction to Bob Marley’s music came in the form of his album, Legend. Legend was essentially a greatest hits album that included such classics as “One Love”, “Get up, Stand up!”, “Buffalo Soldier” and the gorgeous live version of “No Woman, No Cry”. “I Shot the Sheriff” was on that album, too. Legend is the #1 selling Reggae album of all time.

The song, “I Shot the Sheriff” is widely regarded as being about marijuana and the importance of that crop in the Rastafarian culture that permeates so much of Jamaican/Reggae culture. But, there has, also, been talk that this song is about birth control and that the “sheriff” in question is actually meant to represent doctors who terminate pregnancies. Regardless, “I Shot the Sheriff” is one of the most popular rock music songs of all time and a worthy recipient of being placed on this great list.

The video I am including shows Marley at his most charismatic. What a stage presence he had! What a storied career. What a legend! ***The lyrics video can be found here.

Thanks to KEXP for the inspiration to do this blog series. The link to KEXP is here.

Thanks to Bob Marley for making some of the best and most important music of all-time. The link to his website can be found here.

***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2021 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com

*Header photo was taken by Patrick Harbron. His website can be reached by clicking here.