Bob Marley Album

[Carri Seargent]

Mostof Bob Marley's early music was recorded with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, who together with Marley were the most prominent members of the Wailers. In 1972, the Wailers had their first hit outside Jamaica when Johnny Nash covered their song "Stir It Up", which became a UK hit. The 1973 album Catch a Fire was released worldwide, and sold well. It was followed by Burnin', which included the song "I Shot the Sheriff". Eric Clapton's cover of the song became a hit in 1974.

The Roots Reggae Library has created an overview of the music released by the Wailers prior to their contract with the Island Records label. This overview lists all the Wailers' songs known to have been released during that period, filled into six ska albums and 11 rocksteady albums.[2]

What followed was thirteen more studio albums (two of which would be released posthumously), and two live albums, all of which would make him not just what many consider to be the greatest and most successful reggae artist of all time, but one of the greatest and most accomplished artists of all time in any genre with 75 million records sold worldwide.

Then in 1988, Trojan Records released a double-LP reissue of both the original and the dub version called Soul Revolution I & II, which too included bonus tracks. It can get a little confusing, but whatever version you do listen to contains great music which makes up for it.

Two years later, the group released their fifth studio album Catch a Fire, and the backstory behind this album is actually quite interesting. During the process of recording, Marley & the Wailers entered into a contract dispute with CBS. Not having enough money to return to Jamaica, their road manager Brent Clarke contacted Island Records producer Chris Blackwell to get the group an album advance. However, instead of using the funds on the album, the group chose to use the money to pay for tickets back to Jamaica where they would finish the recording of Catch a Fire, which was released in April 1973.

While not commercially successful at first, Marley and crew made the wise decision of embarking on a small European tour, which helped to drum up interest in them. Sometimes it takes time to fully appreciate a body of work, and in the decades since the release of Catch a Fire, the album has gone on to be regarded as one of the best reggae albums of all time.

One year later, an official greatest hits album appropriately titled Legend would follow, which was a greatest hits collection of his singles in its original vinyl format. The album is the best selling reggae album of all time with over 12 million sold in the US, over 3 million sold in the UK, and an estimated 25 million sold globally.

Bob Marley is truly one of those larger-than-life artists whose music crossed borders and influenced the world. With the Bob Marley: One Love biopic coming to theatres on February 14, with Kingsley Ben-Adir in the lead role, Exclaim! is looking back and ranking Marley's discography.

There is arguably no more iconic live performance than the groundswell of crowd energy generated by "No Woman, No Cry" on the Live! album, but we will strictly be looking at official studio albums in this ranking.

From his start as a soulful rocksteady crooner with the original Wailers, his label moves and recordings across the pond, Marley has truly traversed many eras of Jamaica's musical evolution and laid the foundation for its cultural resonance. Although his albums vary in style and substance, fans can always count on Marley to deliver at least one memorable anthem per project.

Released after Bob's passing from skin cancer in 1981, this posthumous collection of demo recordings and studio session leftovers was never going to match Marley's established discography. However, standout gem "Buffalo Soldier" helps salvage this otherwise unmemorable project.

Bob Marley had reached the peak of his popularity, especially in the UK. Having left Jamaica for good, it seems Survival was rushed by the label. Although it ranks low on this list, the message and melody of "Africa Unite" and the political cover artwork adds to the album's canonic relevance.

The Wailers were hot off their success with Lee Perry's Upsetter label and had released the hugely successful "Stir It Up" single. They wanted to take advantage of their momentum, so they switched labels and released a hodgepodge album that's not a compilation as the title suggests. Peter Tosh shines on "Go Tell It on the Mountain," and the slow burner "Caution" is a sleeper favourite, but this middle-of-the-road release is not impactful in the context of Marley's discography.

The Wailers debut is a collection of rocksteady and ska songs. Although not very cohesive, and with some unfortunate covers like "What's New Pussycat," The Wailing Wailers showcases the raw talent Marley, Tosh and Wailer already had. Again, one song, the original version of "One Love," single-handedly raises the album's quality quite a bit.

The Wailers started defining their style when they worked with legendary producer/engineer Lee "Scratch" Perry. Although Soul Rebels suffers from some redundancies and lacks a truly monumental hit, it establishes the group's mystical sound. Marley had fully embraced his Rastafarian faith and was looking to freely express his new sound, and with this album, he launched an astonishing new phase of his career.

After a slew of political, spiritual and highly conscious records Marley shifted gears for a laid-back album of good vibes. The joyful "Is It Love" and smoker's anthem "Kaya" are just some of the party songs on this soulful album, that is the perfect gateway drug for reggae non-believers.

The title track and rasta chanting techniques are already reason enough to make Rastaman Vibration a bonafide classic. However, Marley notably included more rock music touches to the record to keep up with the times. This creative gamble proved to be the correct decision, as the album would become Marley's only Top 10 record, as well as providing him with the charting single, "Roots, Rock, Reggae." While Marley's music was widely appreciated, he still had a hard time reaching the mainstream while he was alive.

This is the album where the Wailers truly hit their stride and Lee Perry worked his magic to get the most out of the group. "Don't Rock My Boat" introduces sweet hooks, "Sun Is Shining" propels Marley's golden vocal tone to illuminate the track, and "Lively Up Yourself" is a prime example of perfectly crafted song structure. Ultimately, this album is a testament to the Wailers' formula of roots reggae with a ting of psychedelic soul and the stylistic stamp of their sound.

Bob Marley & the Wailers' breakout album made them true superstars with their own aesthetic. We can't ignore the influence if producer Chris Blackwell the overdubs and studio musicians that padded the album's sound made it more universally accessible. Authentic and raw with a refined sound and imagery, the album solidified the mythical status of Bob Marley as a musical phenom and reggae ambassador.

Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh are legends in their own right, and each played an essential role in establishing the Wailers' sound. On Natty Dread, however, Bob Marley decided to go at it solo and released one of his most critically acclaimed and cohesive projects.

"Rebel Music" is a highlight and is the type of song Marley wanted to steer his sound towards. He achieves the perfect balance of songwriting depth and pop-like joviality with "Lively Up Yourself." The emotion-filled, iconic "No Woman, No Cry" confirms Bob was always meant to fly on his own and destined for musical greatness.

Bob Marley narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Kingston in 1976 and relocated to London. This fuelled the aptly titled Exodus, an album widely regarded as his best work. There is no denying the number of sublime songs packed into the project

The ubiquitous "Jamming," the romantic "Waiting in Vain," the enchanting "Three Little Birds" and timeless "One Love / People Get Ready" are the bricks on which this classic album lays its foundation. An argument could be made that this is the greatest pound-for-pound Marley LP, but the difference in its worldwide impact is why we ranked it as a runner-up.

From the scorched cover art to its genre-defining hits, it's only right that a full-band Wailers album tops the list. This was actually the second album released by Marley and his band in 1973, but it finds them in rare form, in a moment where they could do no wrong.

Bouncy basslines, powerful melodies and soulful vocals build the core of the album, as Bob Marley transformed from Wailers vocalist to full-on band leader. This is a record that was shared and passed around like a proverbial spliff, helping reggae conquer the musical landscape. This is the essential Marley recording, and a truly desert-island unequivocal masterpiece.

The European leg of the tour ended at New Bingley Hall, Stafford on July 13, 1980, after which Marley returned to London for a break before the American leg was due to begin. It had now been three years since the discovery of cancer in his big toe, and his health was giving growing cause for concern.

Watch this video on YouTubeClick to load videoBut the next day Marley collapsed while jogging in Central Park. An examination revealed that the blackout had been caused by a brain tumor. Later tests confirmed that the cancer had spread throughout his lungs, liver, and brain and would continue to do so. Thin, weak but determined, Marley gave what would be his last live performance two days later in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 23.

Whether or not Marley suspected his time was running out while he was making Uprising, his final musical statement was an album freighted with incredible emotional resonance. Much like Survival before it, Uprising was a deep and serious collection of songs that explored fire and brimstone themes of sin and salvation.

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