College Countdown, The First CMJ Album Chart, 25

25. Jimmy Cliff, Give Thankx By the late nineteen-seventies, Jimmy Cliff was essentially persona non grata in his homeland. Born James Chambers in Jamaica, Cliff was one of the first artists to bring reggae music to a global audience, but the personal journey he took as he achieved fame alienated him from his countrymen, particularly when he converted to Islam in the early part of the decade. Rejecting Rastafarianism was seen by some as akin to rejected all of Jamaican culture, and he was often greeted with derision. To a degree, this may have freed Cliff up, as he followed … Continue reading College Countdown, The First CMJ Album Chart, 25