55 albums · 1960–2024

Music of South Africa, from Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim to Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Brenda Fassie, kwaito, Black Coffee and amapiano

· 2 min read · by 1001 Albums

South Africa's recorded music grew out of the townships and cities where rural vocal harmonies met jazz, pennywhistle kwela and the electric guitar. Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela carried the songs of Sophiatown and the King Kong generation into exile and onto stages around the world, while pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, saxophonist Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, singer Letta Mbulu, Philip Tabane's Malombo and later Zim Ngqawana built a jazz tradition of unmistakable cadence. Alongside them, the groaner Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens drove the electric township jive of mbaqanga, Ladysmith Black Mambazo brought the quiet night-watch harmonies of isicathamiya from Natal to the world, the Soul Brothers filled dance halls with organ-driven mbube soul, and Phuzekhemisi, Bhekumuzi Luthuli and Busi Mhlongo carried the Zulu guitar and vocal traditions of maskandi into the modern studio.

Through the eighties and the end of apartheid, stadium pop, rock and reggae gave the country its everyday anthems: Juluka and Johnny Clegg & Savuka bridged Zulu dance and rock, Stimela, Sankomota, Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, Bright Blue and Mango Groove mixed horn hooks with political undercurrents, Lucky Dube became one of Africa's biggest reggae stars, and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Chicco and Brenda Fassie ruled township pop and bubblegum, alongside the gospel voice of Rebecca Malope and the folk-soul of Vusi Mahlasela. After 1994 a free generation invented kwaito on slowed-down house beats with Arthur Mafokate, Boom Shaka, TKZee, Bongo Maffin and Zola, while Mafikizolo, Freshlyground, Lira, Zahara, GoldFish, Die Antwoord and Jeremy Loops took South African pop, afro-soul and electronic music across borders. In the last two decades South African house, hip hop, gqom and amapiano—from Tuks Senganga, Spoek Mathambo, Black Coffee, Cassper Nyovest, AKA and Nasty C to Babes Wodumo, Sho Madjozi, Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, Master KG, Tyla and Uncle Waffles—have turned Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria into capitals of global dance music.

The list gathers 55 records from 1960 to 2024, one or two by each artist; the Afrikaans rock and folk tradition, Boeremusiek, the choral eisteddfods and the classical concert hall would each need a list of their own. About 46 hours of music, 5 days of a few records each.

By genre

World 21%Electronic 14%Jazz 11%Other 54%
  • World 21%
  • Electronic 14%
  • Jazz 11%
  • Other 54%

The genres named most: hip hop, afro-pop, electronic, kwaito, house, jazz.

The colours of the covers

A stripe for each cover, in the colour Tidal picks from it, sorted by hue; the greys at the end.

Where the music comes from

Music from 1 country: South Africa 55. The deeper the colour, the more albums: one, two to four, five to nine, ten and more.

The 1960s

The 1970s

The 1980s

The 1990s

The 2000s

The 2010s

The 2020s

More lists

Lists of Countries first, then others; all of them on the blog. The blog.