GLOBAL STYLE

Dancehall drum patterns.

Digital riddims with syncopated kicks and snares, which replaced live bands in Jamaica after 1985's Sleng Teng.

100 grooves
1981–2021
5 landmarks

The Dancehall timeline

20 of 20 grooves

1981
Wa-Do-Dem Open Wa-Do-Dem in a new tab
Eek-A-Mouse
Early sing-jay hit on slow, sparse drums and heavy bass; the stripped-back sound that followed roots reggae
1982
Landmark
Bam Bam Open Bam Bam in a new tab
Sister Nancy
Voiced on Ansell Collins' Stalag 17 riddim; one of the most sampled Jamaican records and a riddim-culture cornerstone
1983
Zungguzungguguzungguzeng Open Zungguzungguguzungguzeng in a new tab
Yellowman
Yellowman's signature deejay hit; its riddim and hook became a much-borrowed reference in hip hop
1984
Here I Come Open Here I Come in a new tab
Barrington Levy
Jah Screw production; the punchy pre-digital dancehall groove just before computer riddims took over
1985
Landmark
Under Mi Sleng Teng Open Under Mi Sleng Teng in a new tab
Wayne Smith
Built from a Casio MT-40 preset with King Jammy; one of the first all-digital riddims, it moved dancehall to programmed drums
1985
Ring the Alarm Open Ring the Alarm in a new tab
Tenor Saw
Sound-system anthem on the Stalag riddim; shows how one rhythm track carried many dancehall hits
1990
Landmark
Dem Bow Open Dem Bow in a new tab
Shabba Ranks
Bobby Digital production on Steely & Clevie's Poco Man Jam riddim; the boom-ch-boom-chick loop that named dembow
1992
Ghetto Red Hot Open Ghetto Red Hot in a new tab
Super Cat
Hard early-90s ragga from Don Dada, an early major-label dancehall album; heavy digital drums under rapid deejaying
1992
Landmark
Murder She Wrote Open Murder She Wrote in a new tab
Chaka Demus & Pliers
Sly Dunbar on drums for a re-cut of the Bam Bam rhythm; Sly & Robbie's digitized dancehall, re-used for decades
1992
Flex Open Flex in a new tab
Mad Cobra
Columbia Records single that reached No. 13 on the Hot 100; ragga crossing onto US radio
1994
Here Comes the Hotstepper Open Here Comes the Hotstepper in a new tab
Ini Kamoze
Salaam Remi's remix laid a Taana Gardner sample over a dancehall groove; a US No. 1 for ragga hip hop
1994
Champion Open Champion in a new tab
Buju Banton
Mid-90s dancehall anthem on a bouncing digital riddim; also remixed for the jungle scene the same year
1997
Who Am I Open Who Am I in a new tab
Beenie Man
Voiced on Jeremy Harding's Playground riddim; late-90s dancehall's lighter, syncopated programmed drums went international
2002
Landmark
No Letting Go Open No Letting Go in a new tab
Wayne Wonder
Biggest vocal hit on Lenky Marsden's Diwali riddim, whose handclap-led pattern crossed into US and UK pop
2003
Pon de River, Pon de Bank Open Pon de River, Pon de Bank in a new tab
Elephant Man
Dance-craze bashment: a hit built around a named dance, typical of early-2000s dancehall energy
2010
Clarks Open Clarks in a new tab
Vybz Kartel, Popcaan & Gaza Slim
Gaza-era hit on a minimal, bouncy riddim; it drove a Clarks shoe craze in Jamaica
2013
Everything Nice Open Everything Nice in a new tab
Popcaan
Dubbel Dutch production for Mixpak; airy, melodic 2010s dancehall with clean, spacious drums
2016
Work Open Work in a new tab
Rihanna feat. Drake
Cross-genre root: Boi-1da's dancehall-pop production took a Caribbean bounce into mainstream pop
2016
Bruk Off Yuh Back Open Bruk Off Yuh Back in a new tab
Konshens
Party-dancehall staple on a crisp programmed riddim; later remixed with Chris Brown
2021
Protocol Open Protocol in a new tab
Skeng & Tommy Lee Sparta
Dark, trap-inflected 2020s dancehall: sparse, heavy drums under hardcore deejaying