In addition to being credited as the first group to use the word "reggae" in a song title, for the Leslie Kong-produced hit "Do the Reggay," Toots & the Maytals have issued classic reggae jams like "Pressure Drop," "Broadway Jungle" and "54-46 That's My Number" and continue to make music today with a new lineup.

Comprised of Kingston, Jamaica natives Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, Nathanial "Jerry" Matthias and Raleigh Gordon, the Maytals and their leader Toots formed during the heyday of ska music in the 1960s. The Maytals teamed up with producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd on their debut gospel-meets-Jamaican soul album Hallelujah. After leaving Dodd to work with Prince Buster, the group gained a wider Jamaican audience which extended throughout the U.K. and then partnered with Byron Lee in 1996 to issue hits like "Dog War," "Broadway Jungle" and "Daddy." That year The Maytals won the prestigious Jamaican Festival Song Competition for "Bam Bam."

While experiencing a surge of popularity in late ‘66, Hibbert was arrested for marijuana smoking and possession and sent to jail for 18 months. The remaining duo waited for "Toots" and when he was released began working with legendary producer Leslie Kong, altering their sound to accommodate to the increasingly popular violent sound of the Rude Boys that was taking over reggae. "54-46 That's My Number" (a reference to Hibbert's prison number) was the group's first Kong single and the lyrics suggested that the lead singer was sent to prison merely because he was a Rastafarian, not because of legitimate charges. A string of hits followed for The Maytals, including "Pressure Drop," from the authoritative reggae film The Harder They Come, and by 1971 the group was an international sensation.

Leslie Kong passed away and the group moved on to Lee, who changed their name to Toots & the Maytals, although their hits slowed and they eventually disbanded in 1981. Hibbert continued to make music and was successful throughout the ‘80s; he created a new Maytals in the early ‘90s and in 2004 they issued True Love, which was followed by 2007's Light Your Light.