Third World
A Jamaican band that stretched reggae through funk, soul, pop and virtuoso musicianship without cutting the bassline loose. Third World made crossover sound like expansion rather than surrender.
GO DEEPER
Third World formed in Kingston in 1973 around guitarist and cellist Stephen “Cat” Coore and keyboardist Ibo Cooper. The band developed as a self-contained unit in a Jamaican industry often organized around producers and session players, giving them room to pull funk, soul and rock into reggae arrangements. “96° in the Shade” placed Jamaican history inside a dramatic roots anthem, while their 1978 cover of “Now That We Found Love” became a major international hit. Later collaborations with Stevie Wonder and a long run of albums reinforced their “reggae ambassadors” identity. Third World’s crossover never meant leaving reggae behind; it meant making a band flexible enough to carry it into different rooms.
Where the history is argued
- Release dates for “96° in the Shade” are sometimes listed as 1977 or 1978 by territory; 1977 is used for the album’s initial release period.
How they stand with the others
Mixed withThird World’s musicianship and crossover arrangements broadened reggae’s band format rather than turning the group into generic pop.
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Last checked 1 September 2026