A result of the slowing of the ska tempo, and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady saw the formation of many of Jamaica’s vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, Toots & the Maytals and The Paragons.

Rocksteady arose when young people flooded into ghettos like Riverton City, Greenwich Town and, most notoriously, Trenchtown. Though much of the country was optimistic about their future in the immediately post-independence climate, these poverty-stricken youths did not share in this sentiment. They eschewed the frenetic energy of ska, and the cultural mores of the time. Their dances were slow and menacing, and they became known as rude boys. Though Alton Ellis is generally said to be the father of rocksteady for his hit “Girl I’ve Got a Date”, other candidates for the first rocksteady single include “Tougher Than Tough” by Derrick Morgan and “Hold Them” by Joe Gibbs. The record producer Duke Reid worked on “Girl I’ve Got a Date”, as well as with The Techniques, The Silvertones, The Melodians, The Jamaicans and The Paragons; his work with these groups established the sound of rocksteady records.