Punk rock would become popular in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s, and would be a huge influence on artists like  the Clash, while popular London DJ’s of the time would play reggae tracks and even hold dedicated genre-specific events at clubs like The Roxy, which once stood in Covent Garden. 

In addition to these bands, others from the UK, UB40 being the most famous, would start to develop their own distinct reggae sound and inspirations.

All of the early reggae pioneers were from Jamaica.  Bob Marley and the Wailers are probably recognized as the most influential reggae band, and already enjoyed widespread popularity as they’d been successful through the other movements and styles that were moving through the country at the time.

Chris Blackwell, a Briton, founded Island Records in 1959 while in Jamaica, which would become the label for all of the emerging stars at the time, and remains a stronghold of reggae and R&B musicians to this day.

Promusictutor.com