Who breaks a record — the shop counter or the radio?
One side
Shop-counter sales as the true tastemaker
The other
Radio playlists as the gatekeeper
What was argued
Two documented views on where a Jamaican hit is really made, stated neutrally: one holds that counter sales and shop-front selectors were the true tastemakers who told producers and radio what mattered; the other credits radio DJs and station playlists as the gatekeepers that turned a local seller into a national hit. No verdict.
The records this concerns
Sources
Lloyd Bradley, Bass Culture; David Katz, Solid Foundation; Jamaica Gleaner archive