Once producers began making records, they would test new styles out on their sound systems and nearly every development in Jamaican music- ska, rocksteady, reggae, dancehall and so on has been a result of competition between sound system deejays to find something new to pull in the crowds.
Sugar Minott began singing for Coxsone Downbeat in the mid-1970s, he sang "live" over the rhythm track being played on the sound system and these productions were the first to be called "dancehall music". The reception of the Jamaican massive to dancehall was explosive! Dancehall no longer meant a place where dances were held instead the dominant music of the day a new era had dawned in Jamaican music. The growth of dancehall music resulted in the burgeoning of sound systems, sound systems brought the music to the Jamaican massive and as the demand escalated, the sources began to increase.
In the words of Keith Walford, owner of Bass Odyssey Music Machine, "sound systems are currently taking dancehall to an universal audience and as a result earning precious foreign currency". Presently, the international crossover of dancehall music has further increased the demand for sound systems to provide people with authentic Jamaican music. Jamaican music has been well received abroad, fans cassettes, CDs, records and attend clubs and arenas to experience dancehall sensations when sound systems deejays are performing "live". The genuine way to listen to dancehall is through a sound system. Ideally this would be at an open air lawn in any Jamaican town or city, where it is eighty degrees at two AM and the bassline vibrates your bottle of Red Stripe. The deejay drives the crowd wild and every great "chune" stimulates a noisy often boisterous reaction. The thought of this undeniable unforgettable experience has lured millions to the island where it was originated "and as a result earning precious foreign currency".