Pulse Nigeria is the most followed news and entertainment platform, informing and engaging young Nigerians round the clock, providing updates by the hour.

Pulse Nigeria

Also known as ‘The Perfect Three,’ it is three consecutive top quality, universally acclaimed and commercially successful albums by one Nigerian artist.

Here are the top 15 Nigerian artists to pull off 'the trifecta' after 1980 | Pulse Nigeria

Motolani Alake

<h1>In Nigerian music, greatness doesn’t last. However, some artists have found the hunger, consistency and success to transcend the limitations of greatness. However, even those who transcend those limitations struggle to achieve ‘The Trifecta.’&nbsp;</h1>

Also known as ‘The Perfect Three,’ it is three consecutive top quality, universally acclaimed and commercially successful albums by an artist. For certain artists, hits will add to their notoriety, but hits are not exactly a criterion to judge ‘The Trifecta.’&nbsp;

Most successful Nigerian artists like 2Baba, Shina Peters, Majek Fashek, Naeto C and almost everybody else did two groundbreaking albums back-to-back. Also sadly, the great Oliver De Coq doesn’t qualify for this list because two of his trifecta dropped in the 70’s and one in the 80’s. It’s also hard to follow his 80’s discography due to conflicting release dates.

Without ado, let’s get to the conversation;

D’Banj just missed out on the top 15 because his sophomore album was basically an EP that was padded with his debut, No Long Thing and turned into a whole album. Equally, No Long Thing is a good album that changed the Nigerian tide, but it’s not exactly the best album. But you see The Entertainer, that’s a classic.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The closest to the top 15 is Tony Tetuila’s trifecta between Morning Time, My Car and E Go Better.&nbsp;

Femi Kuti could have had the trifecta with Shoki Shoki, Fight To Win and Day By Day, but Day By Day isn't as great as other. The closest to a trifecta is Africa For Africa, No Place For My Dream and One People, One World. However, One People, One World never really got the same acclaim, on the level of the Grammy nominees preceding it.

Nonetheless, One People, One World will always have 'Evil People,' an incredible record.

She was barely legal when she released her debut album, My Kind of Music in 1987, but she became Nigeria’s queen of Reggae regardless. She misses out on the top 15 because her sophomore album, though impactful, was said to have been slightly underpar in comparison to the highs of both her debut and her groundbreaking third album, Happy Birthday.&nbsp;

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/top-10-times-nigerian-artists-released-groundbreaking-sophomore-albums-olamide-phyno/qhdj6m9">10 Nigerian artists who have avoided sophomore album</a>

For context, all three albums were released under Polydor.&nbsp;

Period: 2013 - 2016

Albums: Merchants, Dealers and Slaves (2013), Tabula Rasa (2014) and Klitoris (2016)

In terms of pure quality, Klitoris might be a weaker album to others since Brymo’s rebirth in 2013, but it’s still good enough to complete a trifecta. In fact, it’s stuck in between two trifectas in Brymo’s discography.&nbsp;

Merchants, Dealers and Slaves is largely thought to be Brymo’s magnus opus, but that might have changed with <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/brymo-yellow-album-review/8h4zkm9">Yellow. </a>You see Tabula Rasa, it deserves more respect outside Brymo’s core stan base. That was an incredible album.&nbsp;

Period: 1999 - 2001

Album: Sweet Experience (1999), Divine Intervention (2000) and Something Else (2001)

Yinka Ayefele’s magnus opus will probably be somewhere between Aspiration and Fulfilment. Equally, Aspiration, Fulfillment and New Dawn is another incredible trifecta in this 24-album career, but the first trifecta just takes the cake.

After his accident, Bitter Experience (1997) got some traction for its amazing roll-out, but Sweet Experience was where he started coming into his own as an artist. The album was so successful that rumours swirled that Ayefele sold his physical health for success through rituals.&nbsp;

By Divine Intervention and Something Else, he had become a full start who commanded incredible fees for shows.&nbsp;

Period: 2008 - 2011

Albums: Gongo Aso (2008), Tradition (2009) and Basorun Gaa (2011)

9ice’s early discography is often unfairly perceived with slight doses of ignorance. For those who experienced 9ice’s music, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-breakdown-gongo-aso-by-9ice/id1118938394?i=1000486309017">Gongo Aso</a> is one of the finest albums that Nigerian music has ever seen. Tradition might have been polarizing at the start, but it grew on people and had as much impact and staying power as ‘Gongo Aso.’

Basorun Gaa is an exceptional album with high replay value. As 9ice’s first album away from ID Cabasa, Chephoo and TY Mix experimented and found 9ice a new sound for ‘Everyday,’ ‘Attitude’ and ‘Adigun Ojuwonlo.’ Of the 18 tracks on this album, at least six were hits.&nbsp;

Of course, there was also Versus.&nbsp;

Period: 2005 - 2012

Albums: Uplifted (2010), Blessed (2012) and Thankful (2014)

Ijele launched onto the Nigerian scene in 2005 with his debut, Nabania. It was an interesting take on Nigeria Highlife and Traditional Folk music, fused together with Pop. Flavour canvassed topics like love, God, heartbreak and more.&nbsp;

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/review-flavour-flavour-of-africa/vmpf03l">Flavour - Flavour of Africa {Album Review]</a>

This template was tweaked for his first mainstream success, Uplifted in 2010 and then repeated for Blessed and Thankful. He never looked back as he became one of Africa’s most distinctive performers of his generation.&nbsp;

Period: 1982 - 1986

Albums: Endless Life (1982), In The Morning Light (1984) and One Love (1986)

Onyeka Onwenu was a stunningly beautiful singer who became Nigeria’s heartthrob in the 80’s. This was in the thick of Nigeria’s obsession with Electro-pop, Alt-pop and Disco, after the era of Psychedelic Rock.&nbsp;

Endless Life had some parts sung in Igbo and In The Morning Light was a conscious tale of positive topics, which also referenced God. One Love was a rallying cry to Nigerians about what we need.&nbsp;

Period: 2001 - 2002

Albums: P.A.S.S (2001), Mr. Lecturer (2002) and Jaga Jaga (2004)

Nigerians ignorantly spit&nbsp;on the greatness of Eedris Abdulkareem, but in the early 2000s, he was the Nigerian rapper who arguably became Africa’s biggest artist on Kennis Music. After the Remedies split, Tony Tetuila released his Paul Play Dairo-produced debut album, Morning Time in 1999.&nbsp;

It was so successful that it put Abdulkareem and Eddy Remedy under pressure. More importantly, Tetuila's album had a fresh sound. When Abdulkareem finally released his debut, P.A.S.S, it was a groundbreaker for Kennis Music.

It produced smash hits, ‘Oko Ashewo,’ ‘Oko Omoge,’ ‘Player Meji’ and ‘Wackawickee MCs.’ ‘Come Back Home’ was also a sleeper hit which heralded Pasuma’s run with the Nigerian Hip-Hop community as African Puff Daddy.&nbsp;

While Mr. Lecturer was not as good an album as ‘P.A.S.S,’ it was still a groundbreaking album which produced the classic eponymous record which documented sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and abuse of office in Nigerian universities before Sex For Grades and <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/movies/citation-is-perhaps-kunle-afolayans-best-told-story-yet/8nzqfe5">Citation.&nbsp;</a>

In 2004, he released the socio-political critique, Jaga Jaga, which threw the Nigerian government in the mud and angered then Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo who made a snide comment towards Abdulkareem in Yoruba.&nbsp;

Period: 1993 - 1995

Albums: The Ultimate (1993), Consolidation (1995) and Reflection (1995)

During a recent illuminating conversation with Pulse Nigeria, legendary cinematographer Clarence Abiodun Peters talked about the piercing of the veil in Nigerian folk music. It’s known as the 77/91 era. The entrance of KWAM 1 in 1991 took the music from ordinary consumption into something else.&nbsp;

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/king-wasiu-ayinde-marshall-kwam-1-fuji-the-sound-ep-review/3wwf66l">KWAM 1 - FUJI, The Sound [EP REVIEW]</a>

KWAM 1 must have at least four trifectas in his career, but this one stands out because;

<ol><li>It witnessed KWAM 1’s first arch with sonic experimentation.&nbsp;</li><li>Consolidation was the moment which made KWAM 1 the Fuji maven of his generation and set him on the path to greatness.&nbsp;</li><li>‘Reflection’ was an impressive experiment with faster paced music after KWAM 1 had markedly slowed it down with his last two albums. Reflection was also a positive energy in the face of negativity that Nigeria faced at the time.</li></ol>

Period: 1982 - 1983

Albums: Ja Funmi (1982) Juju Music (1982) and Synchro System (1982)

First off, neither of these albums will be in the top three of King Sunny Ade’s albums in terms of quality, impact and even critical acclaim. What they represent is King Sunny Ade’s finest, most consistent three album run.&nbsp;

Juju Music and Synchro System were his two releases under Island Records, as the heir apparent to Bob Marley. Both albums also <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/burna-boy-wizkid-king-sunny-ade-and-the-top-5-nigerian-peak-positions-on-the/zymx1eb">debuted within the </a><a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/burna-boy-wizkid-king-sunny-ade-and-the-top-5-nigerian-peak-positions-on-the/zymx1eb">Billboard 200</a> and ‘Synchro System’ got a Grammy nomination for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording in 1984.&nbsp;

When he refused to westernize his music, he left the deal and continued releasing music. However, his next genuine groundbreaking album came when he released Odu in the 90’s.&nbsp;

But before all that, he released the hugely successful and popular album, Ja Funmi during his impressive 1982-1983 run. The album produced the classic tune of the same name.&nbsp;

Period: 2008 - 2013&nbsp;

Albums: Asha (2008), Beautiful Imperfection (2010) and Bed of Stone (2014)

<a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/cobhams-tells-pulse-nigeria-his-story-pulse-interview/6n88dsj">When Asa met </a><a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/cobhams-tells-pulse-nigeria-his-story-pulse-interview/6n88dsj">Cobhams Asuquo</a> at Allianz Francais in 2005, she was a France IJGB who had a hot craving for fried yam. Although they became friends, thanks to Asa’s lifelong friend, Janet Nwose, it was their musical output that will truly be the striking point which leads back to that album.&nbsp;

Together, they worked on Asa’s classic debut album, Asha which produced hits in the thick of Nigeria that had found its contemporary pop sound. ‘Jailer,’ ‘Fire On The Mountain’ and ‘Bibanke’ are classic Nigerian records that have become lifelong radio darlings. <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/asa-beautiful-imperfection-10th-anniversary-review/2h676ee">Beautiful Imperfection</a> is Asa’s magnus opus.&nbsp;

When the album clocked 10 in 2020, Pulse Nigeria did an anniversary review that broke down the socio-political meaning of the album in painstaking detail. What followed was Bed of Stone, Asa’s most commercially viable album till date. Purely in terms of album quality, it will be hard to find a better three album run in Nigerian music since the 80’s.&nbsp;

Period: 1996 - 2000

Albums: C’est Un African Thing (1996), WE (2000) and ME (2000)

Look, Lagbaja had three different trifectas between 1991 and 2000. First he had; Ikira, Lagbaja and C’est Un African Thing. Second, he had; C’est Un African Thing, WE and ME. Third, he had; WE/ME (as a double album), We and Me Part II and ABAMI, his riveting dedication to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.&nbsp;

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/20-years-after-lagbajas-warning-on-suuru-lere-nigeria-is-in-trouble/xg9zzb1">20 years after Lagbaja’s warning on ‘Suuru Lere,’ Nigeria is in trouble</a>

That said, the second trifecta gets the nod because it’s a beautiful potpourri of hits, socio-political commentaries and activism. ‘C’est Un African Thing’ was a hotbed for hits like ‘Coolu Temper,’ ‘Africalypso’ and ‘Baby T’a Ni Ko Fe Wa.’ It also had album cuts like ‘Owo Eko’ and ‘Dis Is Lagos,’ which documented both sides of Lagos reality.

‘WE’ discussed Nigeria, responsibility, unity and patriotism from the perspective of the Nigerian people. He then used ‘ME’ as&nbsp;a converse narration of those themes from the aggregate of one person while being more commercial. WE/ME was a double album that shook the Nigerian mainstream with its layered doses of scary artistry when it dropped. It also got Lagbaja on some major European tours.

‘WE’ produced hits like ‘Me And You No Be Enemy’ and the classic Folksy ballad, ‘Suuru Lere,’ a record that drove many grown Nigerians to tears in the 2000s. ‘ME’ produced hits like ‘Simple Yes or No,’ ‘Gra Gra,’ ‘Feyin E’ and the classic record, ‘Konko Below.’&nbsp;

Period: 2018 - 2020

Albums: Outside (2018), African Giant (2019) and Twice As Tall (2020)

At the 2015 MTV African Music Awards, Nigerian superstar, Burna Boy was a hungry artist with incredible depths of talent. He snatched the microphone from his former friend, South African rapper, AKA and stole French Montana’s show during the performance of ‘Ain’t Got No Worries.’

Two years later, his career looked to be dwindling as his albums even stopped being an acid trip down fruit-laden paths. Then his mother came back into the frame as his manager while he signed with Bad Habit/Atlantic Records/Warner. The first record from a revamped Burna Boy was fan-favourite, <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/pulse-album-review-burna-boy-and-damini-ogulu-are-the-same-person-on-outside-album/qwh20pd">Outside.&nbsp;</a>

The album produced the international smash hit, ‘Ye.’ It also produced ‘Heaven’s Gate,’ on which Burna Boy produced the best show of his layered sonic palette and scary natural talent opposite the talented British singer, Lily Allen. Then came <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/album-review-pulse-does-a-breakdown-of-burna-boys-african-giant/z2dvdhz">African Giant</a> and its three-hit run, which culminated in the classic street tune, ‘Kilin Dem’ and a Grammy nod.&nbsp;

Unsatisfied with his Grammy loss for ‘African Giant,’ Burna Boy pushed the limits of his creativity and produced T<a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/burna-boy-twice-as-tall-album-review-sauti-sol-diddy-youssou-ndour-stormzy-chris/hxbfrgt">wice As Tall </a>- another Grammy nominated album.&nbsp;

Here are the top 15 Nigerian artists to pull off 'the trifecta' after 1980. (Pulse Nigeria)

Here are the top 15 Nigerian artists to pull off 'the trifecta' after 1980

Pulse Picks

Business

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Politics

Local

Metro

World

News 

Celebrities

Music

Movies

Fashion

Beauty & Health

Relationships & Weddings

Food & Travel

Domestic

International 

Sports 

Celebrity Picks

Pulse Marketing

Explore categories

Influencer Awards

Company Pages

Breaking News & Top Stories | Pulse Nigeria

Video

Checkout our authors for the latest content across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Nigeria 

Authors | Pulse Nigeria

| Pulse Nigeria

Read the latest news across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Nigeria

Search for the latest content across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Nigeria

Search Results | Pulse Nigeria

Watch the latest videos across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Nigeria