If you were outside in 2005—radio on, TV tuned to Music Music, or just strolling past a trotro station—you probably didn’t know that you were witnessing what would become golden moments in Ghanaian music history.
Fast forward to 2025, and some of the biggest anthems from that year are turning 20. Yes, two full decades.
Yet somehow, when those beats drop, they still send a shiver down your spine. Goosebumps. That’s the power of songs that weren’t just released—they were lived.
And if you don’t know the feeling of hearing Shoddy for the first time at a jam, do you really know hiplife? Praye‘s Shoddy wasn’t just a banger—it was a whole vibe, a cultural event.
From weddings in Kumasi to nightclubs in Labone, when that song kicked in, your auntie would throw her heels to the side and show you steps you didn’t know she had.
The song carried weight; and it hasn’t lost a drop of it!
Then you have Kwaw Kese’s Na Ya Tal—pure lyricism, no gimmicks. That track didn’t just slap, it spoke. Kwaw Kese was rapping in parables, and we were eating it all up.
2005 was stacked.
You had Castro dropping Toffee—a DJ must-have anthem that caused a dancing pandemic each time it was played.
Ofori Amponsah gave us Otoolege—a heartbreak song that we somehow managed to singalong with glee and excitement.
Mzbel showed up with 16 Years—controversial? Yes. Iconic? Absolutely.
And Noble Nketsia blessed us with Me Tiase, a song that introduced the whole country to his iconic voice and elite song writing skills.
Bollie made a stunning debut his rap bag with You May Kiss The Bride, delivering a heartfelt hit before his later transition into Reggie & Bollie.
But that was just scratching the surface. The real list? It reads like a time capsule of Ghanaian greatness:
1. Otoolege – Ofori Amponsah ft. Barosky, KK Fosu & Kofi Nti
2. Goosie Ganda – Wutah
3. Shoddy – Praye
4. Kiss Your Bride – Bollie
5. Aso – Kwabena Kwabena ft. Kontihene
6. Tuobodom – Nkasei
7. Toffee – Castro
8. Rakia – Kofi Nti ft. KK Fosu & Ofori Amponsah
9. Odo Fitaa – 4×4 ft. Buk Bak
10. Na Ya Tal – Kwaw Kese
11. 16 Years – Mzbel ft. Castro
12. Obia Nye Obia – Sydney
13. Yenabra – 2Toff ft. Castro
14. In Heaven There’s No Beer – Atongo Zimba
15. Old School – Lucky Mensah
16. Odo Fakye Me – Eboni Band ft. Kwaisey Pee & Samini
17. Tsi Obenke Me – King David
18. Yesu Wo Mafa – Esther Smith
19. Me Tiase – Noble Nketsia
20. Okumtsola – Prophet Seth Frimpong
Whether you were jamming to Toffee by Castro at a high school funfair, or watching your uncles sing their lungs out to Atongo Zimba’s In Heaven There’s No Beer at Friday night outs, you felt those songs.
Each one told a story—some in love, some in comedy, some in gospel fire. Krokro Me by Amakye Dede? That was the wedding national anthem.
Yesu Wo Mafa? It was church offertory royalty. And Tuobodom by Nkasei? That song caused headlines and arguments—bold, brash, unforgettable.
Even now, you’ll hear these tunes in taxis, at funerals, in chop bars—and nobody skips. You don’t skip Shoddy. You turn it up.
These weren’t songs that needed a TikTok dance challenge or an expensive music video to go viral. They spread through speakers, street corners and shared moments.
Back when cassette tapes were king, these tracks were passed hand to hand like treasure. And in many ways, they still are.
Now in 2025, these legends are 20 years deep—and still sound like they just dropped yesterday. That’s not nostalgia, that’s greatness.
We talk about Afrobeats to the world and the rise of Ghana’s new school, and rightfully so. But make no mistake—this new generation is standing on strong shoulders.
Shoulders built by Ofori Amponsah, Kwabena Kwabena, Mzbel, Noble Nketsia, Bollie, Castro, Wutah, Esther Smith and the rest.
So go ahead, build a playlist, throw on your two-button shirt, grab a chilled malt, and just vibe. Let the beat remind you where it all began.
