You Must Hear 7

afrobeat

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Description

Afrobeat is a dynamic genre that emerged from West Africa in the 1960s, fusing traditional African rhythms with jazz, funk, and highlife. The music features complex polyrhythmic percussion, extended instrumental sections, and bold horn arrangements that create hypnotic, danceable grooves. Often politically charged, afrobeat reflects social consciousness while celebrating African identity and culture.

100 chronological releases

Place Cover Date Artist Album Tags Other places
60 1968 Hugh Masekela The Promise of a Future
70 1971 Fela Kuti Open & Close
88 1972 Fela Kuti Shakara
90 1972 Fela Kuti Roforofo Fight
83 1973 Fela Kuti Afrodisiac
100 1975 Fela Kuti Expensive Shit
69 1975 Fela Kuti He Miss Road
22 Cover for The Original Sound Of 1970's Funky Africa 1980-08 Various Artists The Original Sound Of 1970's Funky Africa
31 Cover for Upside Down 1983 Fela Kuti Upside Down
98 Cover for Zombie 1983 Fela Kuti Zombie
37 Cover for Army Arrangement 1984 Fela Kuti Army Arrangement
62 1985 William Onyeabor Anything You Sow
49 1991 Osibisa The Best Of Osibisa
4 1992 Fela Kuti Black Man's Cry
10 Cover for Wakafrika 1994 Manu Dibango Wakafrika
20 Cover for Fela's London Scene 1994 Fela Kuti Fela's London Scene
28 Cover for London Scene 1994 Fela Kuti London Scene
51 Cover for Feelin' Funky 1994 Matata Feelin' Funky
73 Cover for The '69 Los Angeles Sessions 1994 Fela Kuti The '69 Los Angeles Sessions
86 Cover for Fela With Ginger Baker Live! 1994 Fela Kuti Fela With Ginger Baker Live!
38 Cover for Shaman! 1997 Idris Ackamoor Shaman!
79 Cover for Soul Explosion 1998-08-27 The Daktaris Soul Explosion
56 Cover for Sorrow Tears and Blood 1998-09-23 Fela Kuti Sorrow Tears and Blood
84 Cover for Shoki Shoki 1998-11-17 Femi Kuti Shoki Shoki
27 Cover for Beautifully 1999 Fave Beautifully
34 1999 Fela Kuti The Best Best of Fela Kuti
72 Cover for Baby Riddim 1999 Fave Baby Riddim
68 Cover for Black Voices 1999 Tony Allen Black Voices
82 Cover for Best Of/20th Century 1999 Hugh Masekela Best Of/20th Century
57 Cover for Riddim 5 2000 Fave Riddim 5
25 Cover for Open & Close / Afrodisiac 2000-05-16 Fela Kuti Open & Close / Afrodisiac
45 Cover for Confusion / Gentleman 2000-05-16 Fela Kuti Confusion / Gentleman
21 2000-06-13 Oliver Mtukudzi Paivepo
15 2001 Orgone Orgone
35 2001-01 BLO Phases 1972-1982
39 2002 Tony Allen Home Cooking
91 Cover for The Best of the Black President 2002 Fela Kuti The Best of the Black President
16 Cover for Koola Lobitos/The '69 L.A. Sessions 2002 Fela Kuti Koola Lobitos/The '69 L.A. Sessions
12 2003 The Ipanemas Afro Bossa
55 Cover for African Shrine 2004 Femi Kuti African Shrine
2 Cover for The Underground Spiritual Game 2004 Fela Kuti The Underground Spiritual Game
14 2004 Various Artists Afro-Beat Airways: Ghana & Togo 1974-1978 (Analog Africa No. 14)
47 2004-08-01 Femi Kuti Africa Shrine
53 2005 Daniela Mercury 20 Grandes Êxitos
24 Cover for Renegades of Funk 2005-06-07 Cymande Renegades of Funk
30 Cover for Chicago Afrobeat Project 2005-10-26 Chicago Afrobeat Project Chicago Afrobeat Project
7 2005-11-29 The Budos Band The Budos Band
11 2006-02-20 Tony Allen Lagos No Shaking
75 2006-05-29 Goldfish Caught in the loop
97 Cover for The Lion King: The Gift [Deluxe Edition] 2007 Beyoncé The Lion King: The Gift [Deluxe Edition]
76 2007-02-13 The Souljazz Orchestra Freedom No Go Die
93 Cover for The Budos Band II 2007-07-31 The Budos Band The Budos Band II
13 2007-10-08 Tony Allen Afro Disco Beat
54 2007-10-24 Orgone The Killion Floor
63 2008-10-01 Orgone Bacano
43 2008-11-30 The Souljazz Orchestra Manifesto
33 Cover for Nneka... To and Fro 2009 Nneka Nneka... To and Fro
5 Cover for Anthology 2 2009 Fela Kuti Anthology 2
44 2009 Jazzsteppa Jazzsteppa
78 Cover for Gentleman 2009 Fela Kuti Gentleman
99 Cover for The Lion King: The Gift 2009 Beyoncé The Lion King: The Gift
65 2009-06-08 Tony Allen Secret Agent
17 Cover for Rise Up 2009-10-13 MarchFourth Marching Band Rise Up
61 2010-01-19 Whitefield Brothers Earthology
23 Cover for Dunya 2010-01-25 Bibi Tanga & The Selenites Dunya
58 2010-02-16 The Souljazz Orchestra Rising Sun
19 2010-05-03 Konono Nº1 Assume Crash Position
42 Cover for Many Things 2011 Seun Kuti Many Things
64 2011 Bixiga 70 BIxiga 70
59 2011-04-08 Ebo Taylor Life Stories
46 2011-06-07 Ikebe Shakedown Ikebe Shakedown
18 Cover for Los Sebosos Postizos - Interpretam Jorge Ben Jor 2012 Los Sebosos Postizos Los Sebosos Postizos - Interpretam Jorge Ben Jor
50 2012-08-06 Antibalas Antibalas
81 2012-08-20 Goat World Music
40 Cover for More Life 2013 Drake More Life
71 2013-02-05 Dur-Dur Band Volume 5
80 Cover for Sober 2013-09-30 Lorde Sober
32 Cover for Food 2014-04-17 Kelis Food
3 2014-04-21 Jungle by Night The Hunt
94 Cover for Vilã 2014-06-20 Ludmilla Vilã
26 Cover for Commune 2014-09-22 Goat Commune
1 Cover for Piacó 2015-03-20 Iconili Piacó
36 Cover for Circular Movimento 2016 Marsa Circular Movimento
95 Cover for Socadona (feat. Mr. Vegas) 2018-02-02 Ludmilla Socadona (feat. Mr. Vegas)
41 Cover for Cough (Odo) 2018-12-14 Kizz Daniel Cough (Odo)
96 Cover for Made In Lagos 2020-10-29 Wizkid Made In Lagos
9 Cover for Live In Amsterdam 2020-12 Fela Kuti Live In Amsterdam
67 Cover for Cavs 2021-07-09 Cavs Cavs
85 Cover for Could We Be More 2022-08-05 Kokoroko Could We Be More
48 Cover for Aimez ces airs 2022-11-04 DjeuhDjoah Aimez ces airs
92 Cover for The Age of Pleasure 2023-06-09 Janelle Monáe The Age of Pleasure
29 Cover for Envious 2023-07-07 Aluna Envious
87 Cover for Tyla + 2024-03-22 Tyla Tyla +
6 2024-08-15 Various Artists Sweet As Broken Dates: Lost Somali Tapes from the Horn of Africa
52 Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra Who Is This America?
66 Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra Liberation Afro Beat Vol. 1
74 Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra Talkatif
77 Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra Security
89 Pi’erre Bourne GOOD MOVIE
8 Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra Liberation Afrobeat, Volume 1