9. Soon Forward (Gregory Isaacs, 1979)
The catchy title track from Gregory Isaacs’ landmark 1979 album co-produced by Sly & Robbie brilliantly complements the subtly emotive vocal stylings of the Cool Ruler. It is an extraordinary performance from start to finish and one of the Ruler’s most enduring anthems. The instrumental would later come to be known as the Mean Girl riddim; re-cut by XTerminator Records in the ’90s, it spawned tracks including Luciano’s “Sweep Over My Soul.”