Marley’s Legend rises
LEGEND — Bob Marley & the Wailers Greatest Hits album — has moved to number five on the Billboard 200 Album chart, a massive jump from 100 last week.
The set sold over 41,000 units last week thanks to a sale discount at US$0.99 by the online Google Play store. The digital album normally sells for US$8.
Along with British band Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of The Moon, Legend is among the best-selling catalogue albums.
Released in 1984, three years after Marley’s death, it contains classics such as No Woman No Cry, One Love, Redemption Song and Waiting In Vain.
Since Nielsen Soundscan began tracking album sales in 1991, Legend has sold 11.6 million copies in the United States.
Overall (including sales before the Soundscan era), the album has been certified multi-platinum for sales of over 15 million copies in the US.
Legend has been a steady seller over the years, but never reached the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 Album chart.
It reached number 54 on its release 30 years ago and peaked at number 18 in 2012.
According to Billboard, Legend sells between 3,000 to 5,000 copies weekly.
This is Marley’s second time in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 Album chart. In 1976, Rastaman Vibration peaked at number eight.
Three other Jamaican reggae acts have made the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 Album chart. They are Marley’s son Damian, Shaggy and Sean Paul.
Shaggy was the first since Marley in 1976, to score a Top 10 album. His 2000 effort Hot Shot for MCA Records climbed to number one. To date, he is the only Jamaican to have a number one album on the Billboard 200.
Sean Paul made the Top 10 with his 2002 album Dutty Rock which has sold over six million copies. He repeated this feat in 2005 with Trinity, which raced to number seven.
Damian Marley s Welcome to Jamrock debuted at number seven in 2005 with over 86,000 copies sold in its opening week. The album went on to sell over 500,000 copies in the US and has been certified gold.
In 2010, he and American rapper Nas’ Distant Relatives reached number five on the Billboard 200.
