Bob Marley WESTERN BUREAU -
BOB MARLEY'S Legend album is by far the largest selling Jamaican album internationally, selling over 10 million copies in the United States. Legend, which features some of the most popular Bob Marley & the Wailers standards, once again is destined for the top of the Billboard Top Pop Catalogue charts. In 1995 the album spent 44 consecutive weeks as the best selling older album.
The Island Record compilation-set was originally released in May 1984 to commemorate the third anniversary of Marley's death, and re-promoted and issued in a CD format in September 1990. After its initial release, Legend zoomed to the UK #1 album spot and lodged in that position for 12 weeks during its 129-week chart tenure. In the US, the album peaked at #54, but stayed within the bounds of the Top 200 Albums survey for over two years, earning triple-platinum status.
Efforts to get a comment from a member of the Marley family on the success and achievement of this incredible album were unsuccessful. However, according to Norman Bryan, product manager, Tuff Gong International Limited, "the album is constantly in demand even here in Jamaica, to the extent where we have never had enough CDs to supply the demand of the Jamaican and Caribbean markets".
Tracks from the Legend album include career-defining Marley classics like No Woman No Cry, I Shot The Sheriff, Redemption Song, Waiting In Vain, Exodus, Stir It Up, and One Love/People Get Ready. The 14-track compilation set brings together hits from the albums Burnin' (1973), Natty Dread (1975), Exodus (1977), Kaya (1978), Uprising (1980), and Confrontation (1983) The Billboard Top Pop Catalogue (TPC) chart represents album titles that are over two years (over 105 weeks) old but continues to score impressive numbers in record sales.
Legend moved up one position to #2 this week as the album celebrates 584 weeks (just over 11 years) on the TPC chart, selling over 10 million copies in the United States alone, according to a Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) survey.
On a chart devoid of the truly great names in pop music history, only one other album, Dark Side of the Moon, by British rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1973, would have serve more time on the American chart. What this means is that Legend, which has gone to the #1 position several times and has spent most of its weeks in the Top 20 position in its 11-year tenure, is, over time.
Other cuts from the album includes Three Little Bird, Get Up Stand Up, Could You Be Love, Buffalo Soldier, Jammin'. Is This Love and Rock My Boat.
My Own Poison by the group Creed, is the #1 one album this week.
The following is this week's Top 10 positions of the Billboard Top Pop Catalogue Albums chart, presented in order of position this week, number of weeks on the chart, title (sales in millions), artistes and record label.
1. (152) My Own Prison (4)
Creed Wind-Up
2. (584) Legend (10)
Bob Marley & the Wailers Tuff Gong/Island
3. (135) Wide Open Space (9)
Dixie Chicks Monument
4. (472) Metallica (12)
Metallica Elektra
5. (127) 'N Sync (10)
'N Sync RCA
6. (305) Greatest Hits (4)
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Capitol
7. (1223) Dark Side Of The Moon (15)
Pink Floyd Capitol
8. (439) Licensed To Ill (8)
Beastie Boys Def Jam
9. (199) Vault - Greatest Hits 1980-1995 (2) Def Leppard Mercury
10. (67) Buena Vista Social Club (2)
Buena Vista Social Club World Circuit
Bob Marley's 'Legend' creating waves worldwide
