All Di Gold Certified Reggae And Dancehall Albums

Jamaican athletes  a nuh di only ones who’ve continuously scored Gold in dis era. In di storied history of Jamaican culture, many of its musical acts have also struck gold — RIAA Gold to be precise. From Reggae visionaries to Dancehall alchemists, Jamaican artists have proved adept at advancing di genre wid contagious sounds and memorable compilations. Despite Reggae/Dancehall’s single-digit market share, di genre speaks volumes globally and to almost every occasion: revelry, romance, and revolution.

In spite of Jamaica’s small size, di island has long been revered as a talent mill and artistic mecca. Di Reggae/Dancehall albums dat have been certified Gold over di years reflect di genre’s overall inventiveness, from its conscious ethos to di commanding flows. From Mr. Boombastic to di Marley bloodline, ere’s DancehallMag’s round-up of di albums dat have earned di coveted benchmark of success by selling at least 500,000 copies inna di United States.

Bob Marley’s Pre-1981 Albums

Di reigning King of Reggae Bob Marley has over ten albums dat are certified Gold or higher.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Burnin’ (1973): Before his trademark locks or legendary status, Marley was of ⅓ of di reggae band The Wailers, whose 6th album, Burnin’ was released to wide acclaim. Certified both Gold and Silver, Burnin’ successfully launched di trio to US audiences, but wud ultimately be dem last before embarking on solo careers.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Live! (1975): One of only two live albums in Marley’s catalog, di album’s seven songs were recorded during his 1975 Lyceum Theatre concert. Marley performed resonant renditions of Trenchtown Rock, No Woman, No Cry and others to a packed house, which translated to the “irresistible majesty of the album” according to critics.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Rastaman Vibration (1976): Rastaman Vibration was Bob Marley and The Wailers’ only album to crack di Billboard 200 and featured dem most successful American single Roots, Rock, Reggae, which peaked at number 51.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Exodus (1977): Exodus, did mek Marley a megastar, afta a failed assassination attempt and self-imposed British exile. Exodus includes di seminal title track plus Jamming, One Love and more.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Kaya (1978): Far less militant dan its predecessors, Kaya was Marley’s Gold-selling suite of reflective takes and rhythmic jaunts including Time Will Tell, Sun is Shining and Misty Morning.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Uprising (1980): Kaya’s somber sounds set di tone fi Uprising, Marley’s deeply religious 12th and final release before cancer claimed him life inna 1981. Forever Loving Jah and Redemption Song are among its anthems.

Bob Marley’s Posthumous Albums

Bob Marley’s music assumed even greater importance afta him passing, and posthumous releases from him vast recordings mek him a mainstay on global charts.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Confrontation (1983): Compiled by Chris Blackwell, di I-Threes and di Wailers from unreleased demos, Marley’s first posthumous project and 13th album Confrontation was released two years after him dead.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Legend (1984): Marley’s multi-platinum compilation, Legend, followed in 1984. It a di best-selling reggae album of all time, and has spent 13 of its 37 years (695 weeks) on di Billboard 200 and over 80 weeks at No. 1 on di Billboard Reggae Albums chart.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Songs Of Freedom (1992): Wid such a massive legacy, di Marley canon naturally includes memorabilia and coveted collector’s items. Songs Of Freedom is one of only four box sets ever released and includes live takes, studio remixes, track information and much more. Di four disc set spans 18 years, from Marley’s 1962 debut, Judge Not, through to his final performance of “Redemption Song” at him last concert in 1980.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Natural Mystic (1995): Natural Mystic, the Legend Lives On was offered up by Island Records as essentially Legend 2.0. While critics lament bout di lack of Wailers recordings and absence of many highlights from Marley’s heyday, di suite delivered a dub-heavy new track: Iron Lion Zion.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Chant Down Babylon (1999): Di Marley canon wudn’t be complete widout contributions from him capable offspring who’d come of age by di turn of di millenium. Wid Stephen Marley as producer, 1999’s Chant Down Babylon matched reggae’s reigning King wid hip-hop/rock fusions including di updated serenade Turn Your Lights Down Low featuring Lauryn Hill.

Damian Marley – Welcome To Jamrock (2005)

Led by its controversial title track, Welcome To Jamrock was released in September 2005 to both critical acclaim and protest. Di sophisticated suite was certified Gold six months lata and Gong’s youngest son went on fi win two Grammy Awards in 2006, Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance.

Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers – One Bright Day (1990)

Di group comprising four of Bob Marley’s children mek magic wid dem fourth studio album One Bright Day, repeating di previous year’s feat by winning di Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1990. Memorable cuts from dis sublime classic include Justice and di powerful Black My Story (Not History).

Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers – Conscious Party (1988)

Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers’ breakthrough come wid dem third album, di dubby yet digitized Conscious Party. Released inna 1988, di album weh include di hits Tumblin’ Down and Tomorrow People saw dem narrowing down dem eclectic sound, and winning di Grammy Award fi Best Reggae Album inna 1989.

Patra – Queen Of The Pack (1993)

Di lone female deejay inna di bunch is 90’s siren Patra, whose debut Queen Of The Pack, dropped in 1993. Di suite spawned a raunchy single of di same name, as well as popular cuts Worker Man and Romantic Call. Patra’s Shabba feature Family Affair is also certified RIAA Gold.

Inner Circle – Bad Boys (1993)

Inner Circle became known as Di Bad Boys of Reggae afta dem similarly titled hit cemented dem pop culture status. Di Bad Boys LP saw international success even before it spawned di theme song of American docu-series Cops and di band did win di 1993 Grammy Award fi Best Reggae Album.

Shaggy – Hot Shot (2000)

Shaggy’s millennium opus was released in August of 2000, featuring di ubiquitous hit, It Wasn’t Me. Di 6x Platinum album has since sold ten million copies worldwide. Hot Shot was di second-highest charting album of 2001 on di Billboard Year-End charts and also di best-selling album of 2001 in Canada.

Shaggy – Lucky Day (2002)

Following di commercial and critical success of Hot Shot, Shaggy dropped Lucky Day, him 6th studio album on October 29, 2002. Di album peaked at number 24 on di Billboard 200, and produced 3 singles: Get My Party On, Hey Sexy Lady, and di sparkling ode, Strength of a Woman.

Shaggy – Boombastic (1996)

Shaggy declared himself di ultimate lover inna him rumbling baritone on di album’s title track. Di nickname stuck, and thus began dancehall’s breakthrough to di American audience and charts. Di album went Gold in di UK, Platinum in di US and win di 1996 Grammy Award fi Best Reggae Album.

Sean Paul – Dutty Rock (2003)

Produced by di likes of Mark Ronson and The Neptunes, di stars aligned fi Sean Paul on Dutty Rock officially mek him a crossover sensation. Di Kingston native beamed mainstream dancehall riddims (Get Busy, Like Glue) to eager masses worldwide and win di 2003 Grammy Award fi Best Reggae Album.

Sean Paul – The Trinity (2005)

Sean Paul’s superb 3rd album, The Trinity was released in 2005 and referenced him trademark trio of influences: dancehall, hip hop and reggae. Viral tracks like Temperature helped propel di suite to platinum status, and it was later followed by a deluxe edition including features wid Rihanna and Carlos Santana.

Buju Banton – Til Shiloh (1995)

Released in 1995, Gargamel’s 4th studio album signified him transition from rude-bwoy to rootsman. Di LP features di diverse genre classics Champion, Untold Stories, Murderer and more. Di album was certified RIAA Gold in 2020, 25 years afta its release and one year afta Banton’s homecoming from US federal prison.

Shabba Ranks – X-Tra Naked (1992)

From its opener Ting-A-Ling to di final track Mr. Loverman and everyting in between, Shabba’s 1992 LP X-Tra Naked was a riotous affair at di time of its release. It debuted in dancehall’s heyday during its infamous season of ‘slackness’, and won di 1993 Grammy Award fi Best Reggae Album.

Shabba Ranks – As Raw As Ever (1991)

Wid tracks such as Housecall and Trailer Load, dis 1991 collage contained some of di genre’s best-loved classics and di keys to Shabba’s international success. Steely and Clevie, one of dancehall’s dynamic production duos, served as exclusive engineers and di album win di 1993 Grammy Award fi Best Reggae Album.

Peter Tosh – Equal Rights (1977)

Tosh’s second solo suite is one of di most fiery rallying cries ever recorded. 1977’s Equal Rights plays like a snapshot of world history, condemning apartheid, hegemony and other oppressive forces of di day. Di album marked Tosh as a militant musician, educator and revolutionary transcending him 3rd world origins.

Peter Tosh – Legalize It (1976)

Di former Wailer turned Stepping Razor used him landmark debut and its title track as a worldwide weed campaign. Di impassioned herbalist turned di body of work into a pointed protest, from di cover art to di nine songs spelling out him own plight, including jail time fi ganja possession.

OMI – Me 4 U (2015)

Omar Pasley, aka OMI is Jamaica’s most recent musical Midas. Him earworm Cheerleader ruled di charts in 2015, and di breakout hit get a global boost wid di horn-drenched Felix Jaehn remix. Di momentum greatly bolstered album sales for Me 4 U, weh also featured di dazzling single Hula Hoop.

UB-40 – Promises and Lies (1993)

Buoyed by dem uptempo remake of Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love, British reggae band UB40 landed on multi-platinum turf wid dem 10th studio album. Promises and Lies is di band’s best-selling album wid over 10 million copies sold and also features di tracks Reggae Music and Sorry.

UB-40 – Labour Of Love II (1989)

UB40 entered di 90’s wid di second installation of dem wildly successful covers compilations. Dem 1989 follow up contained two Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hits: Here I Am (Come and Take Me) which peaked at #7, and The Way You Do the Things You Do which peaked at #6.

UB-40 – Labour Of Love (1983)

Di first of UB40’s trio of cover albums, Labour of Love is di band’s 4th studio effort. Released in 1983, it includes di classics Red Red Wine, Many Rivers to Cross and Cherry Oh Baby. Rolling Stone ranked it at number 98 on The 100 Greatest Albums of di ’80s.

Maxi Priest – Bonafide (1990)

Bonafide is British reggae singer Maxi Priest’s 4th album. Released in 1990, it was produced by several elite reggae/dancehall engineers including Donovan Germain and Gussie Clarke. Bonafide featured di Gold selling hit Close To You, and columnist/podcaster Robert Tanzilo dubbed it “smooth, seductive, stylistic and very, very addictive.”

Diana King – Tougher Than Love (1995)

Tougher Than Love is Jamaican/American vocalist Diana King’s 1995 debut. Di album peaked at #1 on Billboard’s Top Reggae Albums chart and features di banger Shy Guy plus Love Triangle and di Chaka Khan cover, Ain’t Nobody. Favorable reviews called di suite an “ample showcase of King’s impressive talent”.

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Source: dancehallmag.com | Sasha Lee