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In 2025, only 11 albums debuted on the US Billboard Reggae Albums Chart — a modest number that nevertheless paints a powerful picture of reggae’s cultural geography. Jamaican artists accounted for the majority of those debuts, contributing 55% (6 out of 11 albums) and reaffirming the island’s foundational role in the genre it gave to the world.
Those six projects came from a mix of legends, contemporary torchbearers, and rising voices:
Chronixx (Exile), Sister Nancy (One, Two), Peter Tosh (Greatest Hits), Bob Marley & The Wailers (Uprising – 1980), Vybz Kartel (Viking: Vybz Is King – 10th Anniversary Edition), and Armanii (The Impact).
Their presence reflects reggae’s deep continuity — where classic catalog releases, anniversary editions, new works, and reinterpretations all coexist on the charts.
The American Presence: 36% of Debuts
American artists made up 36% of the new chart entrants (4 out of 11) in 2025, underscoring the genre’s strong foothold in the United States. Those projects came from Stick Figure (Free Flow Sessions), Bumpin Uglies (Crawling Up the Wall), Movement (Visions), and Fiji (Collection: 50th State of Mind) — the latter being a US-based artist originally from the Pacific Islands.
These artists represent the growing American reggae movement, where surf-rock, jam-band culture, and roots-influenced songwriting blend into modern reggae fusion.
The UK Contribution: 9% but Culturally Significant
The final 9% (1 out of 11 albums) belonged to The English Beat with The Beat at the BBC. Though numerically small, the UK’s role in reggae’s global story is anything but. Britain has long been one of reggae’s strongest diasporic homes — from lovers rock to ska revival — and The English Beat’s showing in 2025 reflects that enduring legacy.
Conversely, no Jamaican made debut on the UK Official Albums Chart in 2025 but Chronixx’s sophomore album Exile has debuted at No. 15 on the U.K. Official Album Downloads Chart.
English (US) ·