Chart Watch: Sting, Shaggy a number one combination

Sting and Shaggy are a number one combination for yet another week on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart as their ‘44/876’ has held on to the top spot for the listing valid up to Saturday, June 16. However, the remixes version of the album, which was number 10 last week, has dropped out of the chart after a single appearance.

It is a good week for Jamaican performers in terms of volume, if not all in terms of high placements, as Ziggy Marley, Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley, Kabaka Pyramid and Chronixx have all make the Billboard ranking. Ziggy’s ‘Rebellion Rises’ is consistent, retaining its fourth spot in its third week on the chart. The other Jamaican performers are in the lower half of the chart, as Damian Marley’s ‘Stony Hill’ is once again showing its staying power, climbing from last week’s ninth place to seventh. It is its 46th consecutive week on the chart. Kabaka’s ‘Kontraband’ has plummeted from last week’s number three spot to be ninth this week, a place about fellow Reggae Revivalist Chronixx’s ‘Chronolgy’, which is 10th.

Back in the top half of the chart, Iration’s self-titled set retains its second spot  making it a repeat of last week’s top pair. The third-ranked set, ‘Legacy’ (Katchafire) is one of only two brand new entries this week although there are a few — ‘Chronology’ included — which have gained a renewed foothold.

The number five ‘Box Full of Steel’ (The Dubplates) was nowhere in sight last week, as it now makes it 14 weeks on the chart. ‘The Giver’, by David Hillyard and the Rocksteady 7 featuring Sean Wheeler, is the other brand new set, debuting at number six.

Soca has its say though the various artistes compilation ‘Soca Gold 2018’ at number eight, down three places from its peak position (so far) last week.