2009 is done. Mavado and Vybz Kartel are pals, Buju Banton is in jail, and Sting—billed as the greatest stageshow on earth—was underwhelming as all get out. How did we get here? Last year ended with fretting about the fact that reggae music was less and less Jamaican—Matisyahu being on top of the charts and such. This year ended in pretty much the same way. However, despite worries about the state of music—the Jamaica Gleaner spent pages of its December 27 issue questioning dancehall’s parties, professors and punny printers, wondering in print about what the future holds for reggae—and the widely circulated report of an eight-copy sale figure for Vybz Kartel’s Pon Di Gaza in its first week, it was also a banner year for dancehall on the world stage.

If you want a nice comprehensive look back at 2009 in the world of reggae and dancehall, look no further than Soundclash’s two part, year in review.

2009 in Reggae and Dancehall (Part 1)

2009 in Reggae and Dancehall (Part 2)

The Heatwave comes in big with this 2009 bashment year in review featuring nearly 100 of the biggest dancehall tunes from the past twelve months. Fire!!

The Heatwave Bashment Review 2009 Tracklist

1. Busy Signal – Soon You Will Find Out
2. Fire Links – Street Team Riddim
3. Vybz Kartel – Sup’m A Go Happen (Street Team Riddim)
4. Baby Cham – Dem Fi Gweh (Street Team Riddim)
5. Mavado – Mockingbird (Street Team Riddim)
6. Beenie Man – Stack & Pile (Street Team Riddim)
7. Beenie Man – Look So Hot (Ole Geezer Riddim)
8. Timberlee – Backdoor Delivery (Ole Geezer Riddim)
9. Ward 21 – Respect (Ole Geezer Riddim)
10. Vybz Kartel – Hop Off (Ole Geezer Riddim)
11. Vybz Kartel – Yuh Love
12. Vybz Kartel – Gwaan Suh (Summer Bounce Riddim)
13. Lady Saw – Beg U (Summer Bounce Riddim)
14. Cecile – How It Feels (Hot Peppa Riddim)
15. Anthony B – Roll Mi Gyal (Hot Peppa Riddim)
16. Mr Vegas – Mi Believe (Hot Peppa Riddim)
17. Mavado – Fall Rain Fall (Survivor Riddim)
18. Mavado – Dem Alone (Clearance Riddim)
19. Patex & Suku – For The Money (Unstoppable Riddim)
20. Mr Vegas – Keep Your Friendship (Unstoppable Riddim)
21. Elephant Man – Badman Christmas
22. Russian – Go Go Club Riddim
23. Black Ryno – Bike Back (Go Go Club Riddim)
24. Gaza Kim & Lisa Hype – Bill (Go Go Club Riddim)
25. Merital – My Money (Ha Ha) (Go Go Club Riddim)
26. Nicky B – Every Gal (Go Go Club Riddim)
27. Konshens & Dario – Do Di Ting (Go Go Club Riddim)
28. Gappy Ranks – Ball Out (Go Go Club Riddim)
29. Aidonia & Tarrus Riley – Di Trees (Go Go Club Riddim)
30. Vybz Kartel – Go Go Club (Go Go Club Riddim)
31. Ballaz – Style & Swagga Riddim
32. Einstein – Stronger (Style & Swagga Riddim)
33. Mr Lexx – Mi Waah Know (Style & Swagga Riddim)
34. Focus Ryte – Name Brand Modelling (Style & Swagga Riddim)
35. Beenie Man – Good Inna (Style & Swagga Riddim)
36. RDX – Deliver Me (Style & Swagga Riddim)
37. Mavado – Money (Advocate Riddim)
38. Busy Signal – My Money
39. Mr Vegas – I Am Blessed (Good Life Riddim)
40. Vybz Kartel – Dollar Sign (Good Life Riddim)
41. Mavado – High Unda (Good Life Riddim)
42. G Whizz – Life (Mood Swing Riddim)
43. Busy Signal – One More Night
44. Keida – Jamaican Boy
45. Keida – Hot It Up (The Heatwave Special)
46. Keida – Can’t Get Enough (Mash Up Riddim)
47. Leftside – She Nuh Want (Mash Up Riddim)
48. Vybz Kartel – Nah Let Go (England Town Riddim)
49. Vybz Kartel & Shebba – Do Me Dat (England Town Riddim)
50. Gaza Kim – Amen (England Town Riddim)
51. Machel Montano & Busy Signal – Push Bumper (Remix)
52. Busy Signal – Picante
53. Busy Signal – Nah Guh Dung Deh
54. Busy Signal – Da Style Deh
55. Busy Signal – Praise & Worship (Mercury Overdose Riddim)
56. Busy Signal – Pum Pum Pum (Boom Boom Pow Riddim)
57. Busy Signal – Nuh Fraid Of Them (Forever Riddim)
58. Mr Lexx – Watch Me Transform Ya (Transformers Riddim)
59. Mitch, General B, Tony Curtis, Delly Ranx & New Kidz – Badmind A Get Bun Tonight (Run This Town Riddim)
60. Pamputae – Back Up and Ride (7-11 Riddim)
61. Vybz Kartel – Seductive and Sexy (7-11 Riddim)
62. Vybz Kartel & Spice – Romping Shop (Miss Independent Riddim)
63. Gappy Ranks – Gyal Mi Love (Miss Independent Riddim)
64. Serani – Too Much (Miss Independent Riddim)
65. Busy Signal – Tightest (Miss Independent Riddim)
66. Vybz Kartel – Mr Officer (Triple Bounce Riddim)
67. Bugle – Anything Goes (Triple Bounce Riddim)
68. Elephant Man – Represent (Triple Bounce Riddim)
69. Mr Vegas – Gallis (Triple Bounce Riddim)
70. Vybz Kartel – Bicycle (Triple Bounce Riddim)
71. Mavado – Hope & Pray (Triple Bounce Riddim)
72. Mavado – House Cleaning (Set Me Free Riddim)
73. Vybz Kartel – Love Dem (Set Me Free Riddim)
74. Suku – Walk & Live (Set Me Free Riddim)
75. Demarco – How You Hot So (Movie Star Riddim)
76. Black Ryno – Can I (Movie Star Riddim)
77. Mavado – Let Me Go (Movie Star Riddim)
78. Vybz Kartel – Like A Movie (Movie Star Riddim)
79. QQ & Ding Dong – Skip
80. ZJ Ice – Rubba Bounce (Instrumental)
81. Elephant Man – Rubba Bounce
82. Lil Joe – Wine (Cobba Cobba Riddim)
83. Spice – Badmind (Cobba Cobba Riddim)
84. Aidonia – Grab Her Nuh (Cobba Cobba Riddim)
85. Equiknoxx – Swagga Dagga Riddim
86. Lil Joe – Hey Yo (Swagga Dagga Riddim)
87. TOK – Upinayah (Swagga Dagga Riddim)
88. Aidonia – I Like Her (Swagga Dagga Riddim)
89. Mavado – Never Believe You
90. Demarco – She Can’t Wait aka Love A Come Down (Stress Free Riddim)
91. Vybz Kartel – Last Man Standing
92. Laden – Really Like You
93. Laden – Time To Shine