1980 single by Stevie Wonder
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Billboard (favourable)[ 1]
"Master Blaster (Jammin') " is a 1980 song by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder , released as the lead single from his nineteenth studio album, Hotter than July (1980). It was a major hit, spending seven weeks at number one on the US Billboard R&B singles chart, reaching number five on Billboard's pop singles chart in the fall of 1980[ 2] and peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart ,[ 3] and number one in New Zealand.[citation needed ]
The song, built on a heavy reggae feel, is an ode to reggae legend Bob Marley ; Wonder had been performing live with Marley (billing him as an opening act) on his US tour in the fall of that year. Lyrics mention "children of Jah ", "Marley's Hot on the box" and the end of the civil war in Zimbabwe . The song has a similar feel to Marley's own song "Jamming ," from his 1977 album Exodus .[ 4]
Record World said that it combines "topical urban street themes with reggae-pop rhythms."[ 5]
Stevie Wonder – vocals, Fender Rhodes , clavinet Nathan Watts – bass Benjamin Bridges – guitar Dennis Davis – drums Earl DeRouen – percussion Isaiah Sanders – organ Hank Redd – saxophone Larry Gittens – trumpet Rick Zunigar – guitar Background vocals – Angela Winbush , Alexandra Brown Evans, Shirley Brewer, Marva Holcolm Chart (1980) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[ 24] 27 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[ 25] 9 Italy (FIMI)[ 26] 10 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[ 27] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[ 28] 18 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[ 29] 19 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[ 30] 13 UK Singles (OCC)[ 31] 25 US Cash Box Top 100[ 32] 38
Chart (1981) Position US Billboard Hot 100[ 33] 69 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard )[ 34] 2
DJ Luck & MC Neat version[ edit ] "Master Blaster (Jammin')" was covered by UK garage duo DJ Luck & MC Neat featuring singer JJ, initially titled as "On da Street" which was released on the Red Rose EP in 1999. The following year, on 15 May 2000, the song was released as a single and retitled as "Masterblaster 2000 ". This version was a top-five hit, peaking at number five on the UK Singles Chart . It samples the All-Star Remix of "No Diggity " by Blackstreet , which itself samples "As Long as I've Got You" by the Charmels.
In November 2016, UK duo Gorgon City compiled a list of their top UK garage songs for Billboard , with "Masterblaster 2000" at number 29.[ 40] In 2018, the House & Garage Orchestra together with MC Neat and Oggie recorded an orchestral version for the UK garage covers album Garage Classics .
^ "Review: Master Blaster – Stevie Wonder" (PDF) . Billboard . Vol. 85, no. 38. September 20, 1980. p. 71. ISSN 0006-2510 . Retrieved May 24, 2020 – via World Radio History. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004 . Record Research. p. 636. ^ "officialcharts.com" . officialcharts.com . Retrieved May 11, 2021 . ^ Patti, Mike (April 15, 2021). "Stevie Wonder's "Master Blaster" Tribute to Bob Marley" . The Pier . Retrieved July 3, 2021 . ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF) . Record World . September 20, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved February 7, 2023 . ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6 . ^ "Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster (Jammin')" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40 . Retrieved November 1, 2021. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster (Jammin')" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50 . Retrieved December 2, 2020. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Stevie Wonder". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 284. Retrieved July 14, 2022 . ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Master Blaster" . Irish Singles Chart . Retrieved February 7, 2019. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster (Jammin')" . Top Digital Download . Retrieved April 2, 2021. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 43, 1980 " (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved November 1, 2021. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster (Jammin')" (in Dutch). Single Top 100 . Retrieved November 1, 2021. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster (Jammin')" . Top 40 Singles . Retrieved November 1, 2021. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster (Jammin')" . VG-lista . Retrieved November 1, 2021. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2 . ^ "Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster (Jammin')" . Singles Top 100 . Retrieved November 1, 2021. ^ "Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster (Jammin')" . Swiss Singles Chart . Retrieved November 1, 2021. ^ "Stevie Wonder: Artist Chart History" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved November 1, 2021. ^ "Stevie Wonder Chart History (Hot 100)" . Billboard . Retrieved November 1, 2021. ^ "Stevie Wonder Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)" . Billboard . Retrieved November 1, 2021 . ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 13, 1980" . Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018 . ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster (Jammin')" (in German) . GfK Entertainment charts . Retrieved November 1, 2021. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1980" . Kent Music Report . January 5, 1981. Retrieved January 17, 2022 – via Imgur . ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1980" . Ultratop. Retrieved November 1, 2021 . ^ "Top Annuali Single 1980" . Retrieved January 28, 2022 . ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1980" . Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 1, 2021 . ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1980" . dutchcharts.nl . Retrieved November 1, 2021 . ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart" . ^ Swiss Year-End Charts, 1980 ^ "Chart File". Record Mirror . London, England: Spotlight Publications. March 21, 1981. p. 37. ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1980" . Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018 . ^ Musicoutfitters.com ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1981" . Billboard . Retrieved November 1, 2021 . ^ "Billboard Vol. 94, No. 23: Majors Flight Economics with Quirky Rock Originals" . Billboard . December 6, 1982. p. A-NZ 8. Retrieved November 10, 2021 . ^ "Canadian single certifications – Stevie Wonder – Master blaster" . Music Canada . Retrieved November 29, 2021 . ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Stevie Wonder – Master blaster" . Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved May 16, 2020 . ^ "British single certifications – Stevie Wonder – Master blaster" . British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved November 29, 2021 . ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting May 15, 2000: Singles" (PDF) . Music Week . May 13, 2000. p. 21. Retrieved August 2, 2021 . ^ "The 31 Best UK Garage Songs Ever" . Billboard . November 22, 2016. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF) . Music & Media . Vol. 17, no. 23. June 3, 2000. p. 15. Retrieved July 31, 2020 . ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100" . Official Charts Company . ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100" . Official Charts Company . ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved July 31, 2020. ^ "British single certifications – DJ Luck & MC Neat – Masterblaster 2000" . British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved July 8, 2021 .
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