Last week another of Bob Marley’s songs reached a new milestone in New Zealand. Natural Mystic, featured on Marley’s 1977 album Exodus was certified 2x platinum for sales and streaming equivalent exceeding 60,000 units.

Exodus has been certified 2x platinum in New Zealand and Natural Mystic was previously certified silver in the United Kingdom for sales and streaming exceeding 200,000 units.

In 1979 when Bob Marley and the Wailers performed their sole concert in New Zealand, the visit had a profound effect on local Maori and Kasifika communities, with Marley meeting with elders and sharing traditional welcomes.

The concert, part of Marley’s Babylon By Bus tour, took place on April 16 at the Western Springs Stadium in Auckland. Published reports suggested that the concert drew an estimated 23,000 fans.

According to a post on Universal Music New Zealand’s website, Marley’s top-selling album and the biggest selling reggae album of all time,
Legend, has sold more than 28 million copies globally, with 300,000 of those sales, coming from New Zealand.

Legend peaked at #1 on the New Zealand Albums chart in 1984.

Marley had many hits in New Zealand including 1978s Is This Love, which reached #8; No Woman Nuh Cry (peaked at #30); Could You Be Loved (#2 in 1980); Buffalo Soldier (#3 in 1983); and I Shot the Sheriff (#1 in 1974).