Despite a wave of new reggae and dancehall albums released in 2025, none have debuted on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart so far this year.
The chart dated June 14, 2025, remains dominated by legacy acts, many of whose albums were released decades ago. Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Legend continues its reign at No. 1, extending its remarkable run to 283 weeks. Shaggy’s Best of Shaggy: The Boombastic Collection holds steady at No. 2, while Sean Paul’s 2005 album The Trinity makes a surprise return at No. 3. His Grammy-winning Dutty Rock also reenters the chart at No. 6.
Stick Figure maintains a strong presence with three recurring albums: World on Fire at No. 4, Wisdom at No. 7, and Set in Stone at No. 8. UB40’s Greatest Hits sits at No. 5, Exodus by Bob Marley & The Wailers claims No. 9, and Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock rounds out the top 10.
The Billboard Reggae Albums chart ranks the top-selling reggae albums in the U.S. each week, based on a combination of traditional album sales, track-equivalent albums (TEA), and streaming-equivalent albums (SEA), compiled by Luminate.
Of the few 2025 entries that have reached the chart, most are reissues or resurging catalog titles. In April, Sister Nancy’s 1984 classic “One Two” debuted at No. 3 following a VP Record Store Day Vinyl release, while Peter Tosh’s 1987 Greatest Hits entered at No. 8 due to 1000 Vinyl sales that week.
The only newly released project to chart this year is Vybz Kartel’s Viking (Vybz Is King): 10th Anniversary Edition, which debuted at No. 10 on the February 15 tally. Released January 31 via Adidjahiem Records/TJ Records, the deluxe reissue sold under 2,000 units in its opening week in the U.S. The original Viking, released during Kartel’s incarceration in March 2015, peaked at No. 3 and included standout tracks like “Unstoppable” and “Gon Get Better,” the latter later sampled by Fifth Harmony.
Meanwhile, new projects by current dancehall stars have failed to make an impact on the chart. These include From Ding Dong to World Ding by Ding Dong (oneRPM), Prove Them Wrong by Valiant (via Epic Records), I-Octane’s God and I (independently released through Music Xchange), and 450’s Pieces of Me (via Tru Ambassador Entertainment).
By contrast, by mid-2024, the year saw saw stronger showings from newer releases. Shenseea’s Never Gets Late Here debuted at No. 4—the year’s highest-charting entry—while Spice’s Mirror 25 and UB40’s UB45 both entered at No. 7. The Bob Marley: One Love soundtrack, inspired by the biopic, debuted at No. 8, alongside Vybz Kartel’s First Day Out, which also opened at No. 8.
