The Profound Appeal of Dub: Recommended Masterpieces and a Popular Classic
If you know the music genre called dub, chances are you’re a serious music lover who frequents record shops.
While it’s a genre derived from reggae, it’s also a production method, and its world is incredibly deep and profound.
This article focuses on classic, essential albums recommended for beginners, while also highlighting releases that trace the roots from authentic Jamaican roots dub to UK dub, as well as works in post-punk and new wave that bear dub’s influence.
Even those who usually listen mainly to rock will find plenty to enjoy—so be sure to check it out!
The profound allure of DUB: Recommended masterpieces and popular picks (1–10)
Dread LionThe Upsetters
A landmark work by The Upsetters, who began performing as Lee Perry’s house band in 1968.
Released in 1976, its tracks—crafted with an audacious use of echo and reverb that overturned prevailing musical concepts—cemented the genre known as dub.
It showcased Jamaican reggae and its possibilities to listeners of rock, pop, techno, and dance music around the world.
As the work of the originators, it stands as a timeless dub masterpiece and a towering milestone that continues to be heard to this day.
Natty DubKing Tubby
Osbourne Ruddock, better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer, mixing innovator, and composer who established and popularized dub music from the 1960s through the 1970s.
With its massive bass and laid-back, offbeat-driven rhythms, his music set audiences dancing around the world.
His studio work was so innovative that it continues to inspire countless followers in today’s music scene, and its powerful influence can be seen far beyond reggae—in rock, pop, techno, and many other fields.
The Roots of Dub, released by King Tubby in 1974, is, as its title suggests, an indispensable album and one of the classic masterpieces of dub.
Peach (Dub)LINTON KWESI JOHNSON
Linton Kwesi Johnson, also known as LKJ, is a poet, activist, and musician from Chapelton, Jamaica.
He is recognized as the originator of Jamaican dub poetry, performing poems in Jamaican patois over reggae riddims.
His 1980 album LKJ in Dub is an instrumental collection with no vocals, mixed by his close collaborator Dennis Bovell.
The album is highly regarded as one of the defining masterpieces of UK dub, and its connections to later works by new wave and post-punk artists such as The Pop Group and The Slits—also produced by Dennis Bovell—should not be overlooked.
King Tubby Meets Rockers UptownAgustus Pablo
Horace Swaby, known as Augustus Pablo, was a roots reggae and dub producer and keyboardist who rose to prominence in the 1970s, achieving worldwide recognition and influence.
He pioneered a uniquely melodic style of dub music using the melodica (known as the Pianica in Japan), an instrument generally regarded as educational, and his works remain hugely popular on the record market today.
Many musicians wear his T-shirts, attesting to his enduring and unshakable popularity.
Released in 1976, King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown is, as the title suggests, a landmark dub album created in collaboration between Pablo and King Tubby.
It’s a beloved classic with massive support from club-going generations and is highly recommended as a first step into dub music.
The Magnificent SevenThe Clash
The Clash are both the emblem and the standard-bearers of ’70s UK punk, a legendary band with followers all over the world.
Even if you don’t know the band’s name, you’ve probably seen the iconic album cover of their 1979 masterpiece London Calling, featuring bassist Paul Simonon smashing his bass.
The Clash, a punk band that pushed well beyond punk’s boundaries, presented a broad musical palette and posed a bold challenge to the world with their fourth album, Sandinista!, released in 1980 as an ambitious three-LP set.
Building on the direction they’d already taken on London Calling—moving away from straight punk rock and toward reggae—their musical leanings became even more pronounced here, with a stronger reggae/dub presence.
It’s an innovative work that anyone interested in dub music should hear.
Of course, it’s not a purely British reggae album, but many rock fans have discovered a love for dub and reggae through this record.
Keeping that in mind, the album offers a renewed appreciation for the depth of reggae and dub—genres that continue to influence others in countless ways.
Pick A DubKeith Hudson
Keith Hudson began his career as a reggae producer from Jamaica.
With the rise of dub, he transitioned into a singer-songwriter, performer, and player, and until his death at 42, he released numerous outstanding reggae and dub works.
His sound—anchored by thick bass and generously layered with spacey, trippy synths—expanded Jamaican dub music and etched its concept into the broader music scene.
His 1974 release Pick a Dub is an indispensable, classic masterpiece in any discussion of dub.
A remastered edition with vocal versions and previously unreleased tracks was reissued in 2016, so be sure to check it out.
Animal SpaceNew Age Steppers
Dub has had a tremendous influence on the scene known as new wave to post-punk and can be said to be closely intertwined with it, and the New Age Steppers—formed by Adrian Sherwood, a leading figure in UK dub—are a truly emblematic example.
Featuring many prominent members of Britain’s post-punk ranks, such as Ari Up of The Slits and Mark Stewart of The Pop Group, they’re indispensable when discussing the history of UK dub and new wave.
Released in 1980 as a self-titled album, this work is a cutting-edge, maverick record that effortlessly vaults over genre boundaries.
Essential listening not only for those interested in dub, but also for anyone looking to delve deeper into British new wave and post-punk.