Billboard Ranks Pass The Dutchie On its “25 Weed Songs: Highest Hits in Hot 100 History”

Billboard has ranked Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth at No. 10 on its 4/20-themed list, “25 Weed Songs: Highest Hits in Hot 100 History”—a roundup of “stoner songs that blazed their way up the chart.”

“Pass the Dutchie” is not actually about marijuana and the list should have included Sean Paul’s No. 6 Hot 100 hit We Be Burnin which starts off  “We be burning not concerning what nobody have to say.”

The Grammy-nominated group shot to international fame in 1982 with the track, which was adapted from Pass the Kouchie by The Mighty Diamonds. The original song referenced cannabis use, but Musical Youth’s version was deliberately rewritten to remove all drug references.

Instead, the track blends elements from Gimme the Music by U Brown and borrows its intro from Rule the Nation by U Roy. To make it radio-friendly, “kouchie” (a cannabis pipe) was changed to “dutchie” (a cooking pot), and lyrics about “herb” were replaced with references to “food.” The revised version was written by Toney Owens to appeal to a broader, younger audience.

Ironically, despite those changes, the song has long been associated with weed culture—and even helped popularize “dutchie” as slang for cannabis—now landing it on Billboard’s weed-themed list decades later. It as featured in The Wedding Singer (1998) to help set the early ’80s atmosphere and in Scooby-Doo (2002) and Stranger Things.

The song itself remains one of reggae’s biggest crossover hits. After early support from DJ Zach Diezel and a deal with MCA Records, it became a global smash:

• No. 1 in the UK (jumping from No. 26 to No. 1 in a week)
• No. 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100
• No. 1 in multiple countries, including Canada, Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand

It went on to sell over 5 million copies worldwide.

In an exclusive interview with WMV, surviving members Dennis Seaton and Michael Grant—now in their 50s—reflected on their journey, including the early support they received from dancehall pioneer Sugar Minott.

“The first time I ever entered a studio was in London,” Dennis recalled. “We were doing backing vocals for Sugar Minott, who was doing very well in the UK at the time. He really took us under his wing—whether we were in Jamaica or the UK, he always supported us.”

Dennis also spoke about the creation of “Pass the Dutchie” and the role of legendary Jackie Mittoo in shaping its sound.

“Jackie Mittoo worked closely with Sugar Minott and even helped UB40 with their ‘Labour of Love’ album. He contributed to our musical arrangements as well. We didn’t realize at the time that he co-created the ‘Full Up’ riddim with Leroy Sibbles, which became the foundation for ‘Pass the Dutchie.’ Jackie and I even share the same birthday, and he toured Ghana with us,” Dennis said.

Despite their early success—including becoming one of the first reggae acts nominated for “Best New Artist” at the 25th Annual Grammy Awards—internal tensions led to the group’s breakup by 1985. Dennis Seaton and Michael Grant later revived Musical Youth in 2001, and the group continues to tour today, despite never receiving publishing royalties from their biggest hit.