Dodd went through an almost endless string of house bands: The Skatalites, Soul Brothers, Brentford All Stars, Soul Vendors, Soul Defenders and Sound Dimension are a few. Among the musicians who contributed greatly to the sound were keyboardist Jackie Mittoo and bassist Leroy Sibbles (also lead singer of the Heptones) both of whom arranged and auditioned during their tenure, as well as guitarist Ernest Ranglin and key-man Pablove Black.

Incorporating talent was perhaps Dodd's greatest ability and scores of well-known producers like Derrick Harriot, Lloyd Charmers and Niney the Observer began their careers working for Coxsone.

Among those whom Dodd was first to record is Winston Rodney, AKA Burning Spear. His two Studio One albums sketched out the conscious roots sound he's modified but stayed with throughout his long and successful career. The late Delroy Wilson was a youth of 14 when he cut some ripping ska sides for Coxsone, and his first two albums were done for Dodd as well. Freddie McGregor was all of 7-years-old, and had to stand on a crate to cut his
earliest vocals for Dodd as a member of the Clarendonians.

Others who scored early at Studio One include Slim Smith, Jackie Opel and later singers as diverse as Clifton Gibbs and Sugar Minott.

Vocal groups were stock in trade at Studio One, from the pre-lovers rock style of Carlton and the Shoes to the early reggae sound of the Cables. One of the first self-contained reggae bands, the Gladiators cut their first album for Dodd, including hits like "Hello Carol," that the group (and others) returned to over and over throughout their career.

Other groups that made their mark at Studio One include the early Clue J and his Blue Blasters, the Bassies, Gaylads, Westmorlites, Termites, the Wailing Souls and the Heptones.

Coxsone also recorded some of the best early reggae in the DJ style including Dillinger, Prince Francis and Dennis Alcapone. Later the likes of Lone Ranger and (still later) Michigan and Smiley fired their opening salvo's from Brentford Road.

King Stitt, who recorded mainly for producer Clancy Eccles, was originally a sound system DJ for Coxsone, and Prince Jazzbo, who later recorded for Lee Perry (then went on to become a producer in his own right), recorded for him as well.

Not only Coxsone's recordings but his original rhythms have stood the test of time as Jamaican producers have returned again and again to rework and "modernize" them. Dodd himself has revisited the original rhythms many times too, bringing new generations of singers like Johnny Osbourne or Earl Sixteen on to sing on tracks cut as much as two decades previously. In the late-'70s and early-'80s he "updated" many of the rhythms by adding disco-era syndrums, though fortunately this tendency passed fairly quickly.