July 17, 2025 | World Music Views
Reggae ranks No. 11 in U.S. on-demand audio subgenre growth for the first half of 2025, according to new Luminate’s Mid-year report comparing H1 2025 to H1 2024. While just missing the top 10 in total volume change, reggae continues to show steady listener engagement on streaming platforms—outpacing other genres such as Latin Pop, Afrobeats, and Rap, which all saw a decline in volume.
The survey comes after WMV reported that as of mid-2025, the Billboard Reggae Albums chart remains largely dominated by legacy acts like Bob Marley, Shaggy, Sean Paul, and Stick Figure, with no brand-new reggae or dancehall albums debuting on the chart this year. The only 2025 release to enter the chart is Vybz Kartel’s Viking (Vybz Is King): 10th Anniversary Edition, which peaked at No. 10. Other recent albums by current dancehall stars such as Ding Dong, Valiant, I-Octane, and 450 have failed to chart. In contrast, 2024 saw stronger performances from contemporary releases including albums by Shenseea and Spice. The other 2025 chart entries are reissues or vinyl-driven resurgences of “One Two” by Singer Nancy, Best Of Peter Tosh and Bob Marley’s “Uprising“.
Only one dancehall song has seen the light of day on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and thats Shake It To The Max (Fly) by Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng and Shenseea which peaked a No. 44 and moves down to No. 46 this week after 8 weeks on the chart.
The Luminate highlights Alternative Rock as the top-growing subgenre in the U.S. so far this year, with more than 7.5 billion additional streams compared to the same period in 2024. Close behind were Latin: Regional Mexican, R&B, Hard Rock, and Christian, all of which posted significant volume gains and percentage increases above the industry average.
Although reggae did not show a dramatic spike in percentage change, its catalog appeal and cultural consistency kept it firmly in the upper ranks of streaming growth. Notably, this comes despite no new reggae albums debuting on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart in 2025 so far—proving the strength of its back catalog and long-term fan base.
Meanwhile, genres like Latin Rhythm, Soundtrack, Broadway, and Gospel helped round out the top 10, signaling diverse listening habits across American audiences. In contrast, Latin Pop, Afrobeats, and Rap all experienced declines in total volume, indicating potential listener fatigue or shifts toward other genres and mood-driven content.
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📈 U.S. On-Demand Audio Subgenre Growth (H1 2025 vs. H1 2024)
Ranked by Volume Change
1.Alt Rock
2.Latin: Regional Mexican
3.R&B
4.Hard Rock
5.Christian
6.Latin Rhythm
7.Soundtrack
8.Broadway
9.Gospel
10.Americana/Folk
11.Reggae
12.Latin: Tropical
13.Traditional Classics
14.Classical
15.Contemporary Classical
16.Vocal
17.K-pop
18.Bluegrass
19.Contemporary Jazz
20.Traditional Jazz
21.Latin Pop
22.Afrobeats
23.Rap
