Dummy, released in 1994, was the debut album of the Bristol-based group Portishead. Building on the promise of their earlier EP, "Numb", it helped to cement the reputation of Bristol as the capital of "trip hop", a nascent genre which was then often referred to simply as "the Bristol sound". Fellow travellers along this experimental path included Massive Attack, Tricky and the record label, A Cup of Tea, who were exploring the margins of hip-hop, soundtracks and jazz just as their fellow Bristolians Smith and Mighty, Rip, Rig and Panic (featuring Neneh Cherry) and The Pop Group had pushed the boundaries of dub, funk and punk before them.

Now considered to be something of a classic, and regarded by many critics as one of the most influential albums of the 1990s, Dummy is arguably darker in tone than much of the music it later inspired.

In addition to the already released "Numb", the album spawned two further singles: "Sour Times" and "Glory Box".

It won the 1995 Mercury Music Prize, beating stiff competition which included PJ Harvey's To Bring You My Love, Oasis' Definitely Maybe, and Tricky's Maxinquaye.

In 1998 Q magazine readers voted Dummy the 16th greatest album of all time.

In February 2006, an online group of underground producers released "Dumb", a remix album based upon Portishead's Dummy.