1960s-1989 Riddims List

Riddim Stats for 1989

Total riddims: 1508
Dancehall riddims: 124
Reggae riddims: 289
Total unique labels / producers: 2581
Producer/label with most riddim releases: Coxsone Dodd (199 riddims)

From the 1960s to 1989, Jamaican riddims moved from live band recordings to early digital beats. In the late 1960s and 1970s, studios like Studio One and Channel One recorded roots reggae riddims such as “Real Rock,” “Stalag,” and “Heavenless,” which singers re-used many times. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, dancehall grew, with heavy bass and drum patterns led by producers and players like Sly & Robbie. By the mid-1980s, the digital “Sleng Teng” riddim helped start the computerised dancehall era, as producers like King Jammy and others used drum machines and keyboards instead of full bands. By 1989, riddims were clearly shifting from classic live reggae to the modern digital dancehall style heard in the 1990s.

A list of reggae and dancehall riddims from the late 1960s to 1989.

Riddim Stats for 1989

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