The Harder They Come is the iconic soundtrack to the film of the same name.… Read Full Bio ↴The Harder They Come is the iconic soundtrack to the film of the same name. Released in 1972, much of the soundtrack was compiled by the film's director and co-writer, Perry Henzell, from his favorite roots reggae classics. But the heart of the soundtrack—and the film—comes from reggae singer Jimmy Cliff, who starred in the film and contributed four original songs: "Sitting Here in Limbo", "Many Rivers to Cross", "You Can Get It if You Really Want", and "The Harder They Come". The album peaked on Billboard's North America Pop Albums chart at #140.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 119 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The album also appears on greatest albums lists from Time (magazine) and Blender (magazine) and was named the 97th best album of the 1970s by Pitchfork Media.
The soundtrack album played a major part in popularizing reggae in the United States, and the title song was a popular single. In 2004, "The Harder They Come" was ranked #341 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The song has been covered by many artists, including Jerry Garcia, Keith Richards, Johnny Thunders, and Wayne Kramer's short-lived band Gang War, Willie Nelson, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, the Waco Brothers, Madness, Rancid, Jaya The Cat, and Joe Jackson. The song is the entrance music for heavyweight boxer Samuel Peter.
Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" was later covered by John Lennon, Harry Nilsson and UB40 among others. The original version of the reggae classic "Johnny Too Bad" by the Slickers is also in the soundtrack. Toots & the Maytals contributed "Sweet and Dandy" and "Pressure Drop" (later covered by The Clash).
In 2003, the album was ranked number 119 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The album also appears on greatest albums lists from Time (magazine) and Blender (magazine) and was named the 97th best album of the 1970s by Pitchfork Media.
The soundtrack album played a major part in popularizing reggae in the United States, and the title song was a popular single. In 2004, "The Harder They Come" was ranked #341 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The song has been covered by many artists, including Jerry Garcia, Keith Richards, Johnny Thunders, and Wayne Kramer's short-lived band Gang War, Willie Nelson, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, the Waco Brothers, Madness, Rancid, Jaya The Cat, and Joe Jackson. The song is the entrance music for heavyweight boxer Samuel Peter.
Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" was later covered by John Lennon, Harry Nilsson and UB40 among others. The original version of the reggae classic "Johnny Too Bad" by the Slickers is also in the soundtrack. Toots & the Maytals contributed "Sweet and Dandy" and "Pressure Drop" (later covered by The Clash).
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The Harder They Come
Various Artists Lyrics
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