Lowell Fillmore “Sly” Dunbar, one half of the most influential rhythm section in reggae history, has died at the age of 73. Alongside bassist Robbie Shakespeare, Sly reshaped Jamaican music and global pop culture, becoming the rhythmic backbone of reggae, dub, rock, R&B, pop, and beyond. Brian Eno once said that if you bought a reggae record, there was a 90 percent chance Sly was on it. That wasn’t hyperbole – it was reality.
From Kingston studios to international sessions with Bob Dylan, Grace Jones, the Rolling Stones, and countless reggae giants, Sly Dunbar’s drumming was inventive, muscular, and unmistakably human. In his honor, here are 73 albums that carry his touch – a symbolic one-for-each-year salute to a life spent behind the kit.
73 Albums Featuring Sly Dunbar
- Dave and Ansell Collins – Double Barrel
- Peter Tosh – Equal Rights
- Peter Tosh – Bush Doctor
- Peter Tosh – Mystic Man
- Peter Tosh – Wanted Dread & Alive
- Peter Tosh – Mama Africa
- Black Uhuru – Anthem
- Black Uhuru – Brutal
- Sly & Robbie – Friends
- Sly & Robbie – Reggae Connection
- Sly & Robbie – Rhythm Doubles
- Sly & Robbie – Anniversary
- Sly & Robbie – Amazing
- Sly & Robbie – The Dub Revolutionaries
- Jimmy Cliff – Follow My Mind
- Jimmy Cliff – Give the People What They Want
- Jimmy Cliff – Special
- Jimmy Cliff – Cliff Hanger
- Jimmy Cliff – Humanitarian
- Grace Jones – Warm Leatherette
- Grace Jones – Nightclubbing
- Grace Jones – Living My Life
- Grace Jones – Hurricane
- Bob Dylan – Infidels
- Bob Dylan – Empire Burlesque
- Bob Dylan – Down in the Groove
- Joe Cocker – Sheffield Steel
- Mick Jagger – She’s the Boss
- The Rolling Stones – Undercover
- Yoko Ono – Starpeace
- Sinéad O’Connor – Throw Down Your Arms
- Carly Simon – Hello Big Man
- Joan Armatrading – Walk Under Ladders
- Ian Dury – Lord Upminster
- Gwen Guthrie – Gwen Guthrie
- Gwen Guthrie – Portrait
- Gwen Guthrie – Good to Go Lover
- Nona Hendryx – Nona
- Simply Red – Life
- Simply Red – Blue
- Garland Jeffreys – Don’t Call Me Buckwheat
- Garland Jeffreys – Wildlife Dictionary
- Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Hey World!
- Dennis Brown – Visions of Dennis Brown
- Dennis Brown – Words of Wisdom
- Dennis Brown – Joseph’s Coat
- Dennis Brown – Spellbound
- Dennis Brown – Foul Play
- Dennis Brown – More Dennis Brown
- Dennis Brown – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
- Dennis Brown – Love’s Got a Hold on Me
- Dennis Brown – Hold Tight
- Dennis Brown – Brown Sugar
- Dennis Brown – Good Vibrations
- Dennis Brown – Cosmic
- Dennis Brown – Limited Edition
- Dennis Brown – Give Praises
- Carlene Davis – At the Right Time
- Carlene Davis – Paradise
- Carlene Davis – Taking Control
- Carlene Davis – Yesterday Today Forever
- Carlene Davis – Christmas Reggae Rock
- Carlene Davis – Carlene Davis
- Jackson Browne – World in Motion
- Barry Reynolds – I Scare Myself
- Jenny Morris – Honeychild
- Bootsy Collins – Play with Bootsy
- Gary Barlow – Sing
- Serge Gainsbourg – Aux Armes Et Cætera
- Herbie Hancock – Future Shock
- Ini Kamoze – Ini Kamoze
- Chaka Demus and Pliers – Tease Me
- Larry McDonald – Drumquestra
Sly Dunbar didn’t just keep time. He changed time, bent it, doubled it, rim-clicked it into existence. His grooves powered protest songs, pop hits, dub experiments, and dance floors across generations and continents.
Seventy-three years. Seventy-three albums. One immortal pulse.