Master Blaster (Jammin')
1980 single by Stevie Wonder
"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 and peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart, number two in Australia (Australian Music Report chart) and number one in New Zealand.
History
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.
Record World said that it combines "topical urban street themes with reggae-pop rhythms."
Personnel
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
Charts
Certifications
DJ Luck & MC Neat version
"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.
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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1907849. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1980, 1977, 1999 and 2000.
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This entry incorporates text from “Master Blaster (Jammin')” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.