From Sean Paul to Beenie Man, Vybz Kartel to T.O.K, dancehall has been around since the 1970s and the genre has released some of the best music that is loved all over the world. Whether you are a new artist or a veteran looking for some inspiration there are some albums that are timeless, with formulas worth revisiting as we look ahead.
Studying the technical parts of these 50 dancehall albums such as the flow and lyrical diversity will provide valuable insights into the history and evolution of the genre. As you go through each album consider the themes and messages that have resonated with audiences over the years and the production techniques used by these acts to make their projects.
With the impact of streaming and digital distribution new artists have an advantage over all the artists listed here to leverage DSP platforms to reach a wider audiences.
| No. | Artist | Album | Year | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barrington Levy | Prison Oval Rock | 1989 | Time 1 International |
| 2 | Mad Cobra | Hard To Wet, Easy To Dry | 1992 | VP Records |
| 3 | Super Cat | Don Dada | 1992 | Columbia |
| 4 | Bounty Killer | My Xperience | 1996 | VP Records |
| 5 | Shaggy | Boombastic | 1995 | Virgin |
| 6 | Beenie Man | Many Moods Of Moses | 1997 | VP Records |
| 7 | Spragga Benz | Fully Loaded | 1998 | VP Records |
| 8 | Baby Cham | Wow..The Story | 2000 | Atlantic |
| 9 | Shaggy | Hot Shot | 2000 | MCA Records |
| 10 | Beenie Man | Art & Life | 2000 | Virgin |
| 11 | Buju Banton | Mr. Mention | 1992 | Penthouse Records |
| 12 | Baby Cham | Ghetto Story | 2006 | Atlantic |
| 13 | Lady Saw | Passion | 2002 | VP Records |
| 14 | Elephant Man | Good 2 Go | 2003 | VP Records |
| 15 | Wayne Wonder | No Holding Back | 2003 | VP Records |
| 16 | Sizzla | Rise to the Occasion | 2003 | Greensleeves Records |
| 17 | Sean Paul | The Trinity | 2005 | VP Records |
| 18 | Buju Banton | Too Bad | 2006 | Atlantic |
| 19 | Mavado | Gangsta for Life: The Symphony of David Brooks | 2007 | VP Records |
| 20 | Mr. G | The Journey Continues | 2008 | Big Ship Music |
| 21 | Lady Saw | Extra Raw: The First Lady Of Dancehall | 2009 | VP Records |
| 22 | Assassin | Gully Sit’n | 2010 | VP Records |
| 23 | Tanya Stephens | Gangsta Blues | 2010 | VP Records |
| 24 | Aidonia | Pon Di Cocky | 2010 | Notnice Records |
| 25 | Vybz Kartel | Kingston Story | 2011 | Mixpak Records |
| 26 | Alaine | Journey | 2011 | 21st Hapilos |
| 27 | Busy Signal | Reggae Music Again | 2012 | VP Records |
| 28 | Konshens | Mental Maintenance | 2012 | Subkonshus Music |
| 29 | Munga Honorable | Gangsta for Life | 2013 | Hilltop Records |
| 30 | Patra | Queen Of The Pack | 1993 | Sony Music |
| 31 | Sean Paul | Imperial Blaze | 2009 | VP Records |
| 32 | Mr. Vegas | Sweet Jamaica | 2012 | MV Music |
| 33 | RDX | Jump | 2012 | Apt. 19 Music |
| 34 | Popcaan | Where We Come From | 2014 | Mixpak Records |
| 35 | Charly Black | Party Animal | 2015 | Universal Music |
| 36 | Alkaline | New Level Unlocked | 2016 | DJ Frass Records |
| 37 | Shabba Ranks | As Raw as Ever | 1991 | Epic |
| 38 | Spice | So Mi Like It | 2014 | VP Records |
| 39 | Vybz Kartel | Pon di Gaza 2.0 | 2011 | Adidjaheim Records |
| 40 | Mavado | Gangsta for Life | 2009 | VP Records |
| 41 | Sean Paul | Dutty Rock | 2002 | Atlantic |
| 42 | Capleton | Still Blazin | 2002 | VP Records |
| 43 | Masicka | 438 | 2021 | Genahsyde Records |
| 44 | Vybz Kartel | King Of The Dancehall | 2016 | Adidjaheim/ TJ Records |
| 45 | I-Octane | Crying to the Nation | 2012 | VP Records |
| 46 | Dexta Daps | Vent | 2020 | Dexta Dap Music Group |
| 47 | Sizzla | Da Real Thing | 2002 | VP Records |
| 48 | Shabba | X-Tra Naked | 1992 | Epic |
| 49 | Vybz Kartel | Up 2 Di Time | 2007 | Greensleeves Records |
| 50 | T.O.K | My Crew, My Dawgs | 2001 | VP Records |
Note: The chart includes the record label for each dancehall project based on the available information.
