Top 10 Dancehall Reggae Singles - By Patricia Meschino

Golden Age (1984-1999)

“Under Mi Sleng Teng”

Wayne Smith, 1984
Its synthesized riddim ushered in dancehall’s digital age.

“Ring The Alarm”
Tenor Saw, 1985
A timeless, continually influential voice.

“Telephone Love”
JC Lodge, 1988
Among dancehall’s earliest crossover hits.

“Twice My Age”
Shabba Ranks Featuring Krystal, 1988
Irresistibly championing a May-December relationship.

“A Who Seh Me Dun”
Cutty Ranks 1992
Groundbreaking: two riddims on one spectacular track.

“Ghetto Red Hot”
Super Cat, 1992
Tough edged, politically charged.

“Bonafide Love”
Buju Banton and Wayne Wonder, 1992
Buju’s ferocious growl compliments
Wayne’s heartfelt timbre.

“Ganga Lee”
Louie Culture, 1994
A 1990s anthem!

“Nuff Gal”
Beenie Man, 1996
Jazzy accents support Beenie Man’s
deliciously boastful rhymes.

“Look”
Bounty Killer, 1999
Gritty, thought-provoking commentary
banned from radio play.

New Millennium (2000-2017)

“Get Busy”
Sean Paul, 2002
A U.S. no. 1 pop hit featuring a Kingston-made riddim.

“Pon De River”
Elephant Man, 2003
It put the dance in new millennium dancehall.

“Man Is The Least”
Lady Saw, 2004
An incomparable assertion of female confidence.

“Ghetto Story”
Cham, 2004
A gritty powerfully conveyed survival story.

“Ramping Shop”
Vybz Kartel and Spice, 2009
Controversial mega-hit promptly banned from Jamaica’s airwaves.

“Ravin”
Popcaan, 2011
Breakthrough solo single for Kartel’s former protégé.

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“My Story”
I-Octane, 2012.
A poignant tribute to the strugglers’ plight.

“WatchOut For This (Bumaye)”
Major Lazer and Busy Signal, 2013
An EDM meets dancehall gem.

“My Dream”
Nesbeth, 2015/2016
So popular Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness sang it at his 2016 inauguration!

“Likes”
Chronixx, 2017
2017’s biggest dancehall hit by a millennial roots reggae standard bearer.

By Patricia Meschino