Bob Marley’s 25 greatest songs, ranked
As the biopic Bob Marley: One Love hits theaters, we count down the top tracks from one of music's most vital artists
Music Features Bob Marley
Bob Marley’s life finally hits the big screen this week in the form of Bob Marley: One Love. In his 36 years, Marley lived a life so rich and tumultuous, not all of it can be distilled into a biopic. Similarly, he produced more great music than could be contained on Legend, the posthumous 1984 compilation that helped cement his image as a Rastafarian mystic and reggae outlaw.
One of the best greatest hits albums ever assembled, Legend painted a vivid, colorful portrait but it wasn’t complete: it deliberately favored his lighter later material, leaving the tougher work of the Wailers to languish on LPs and CDs. Those early records, when the Wailers featured Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, are crucial to understanding the impact and legacy of Marley. They’re featured here, along with selections from Legend, on a list of 25 essentials that tell Bob Marley’s story as thoroughly as One Love itself.
24 Comments
Solid list, but I honestly think it would be better if it were in reverse order. Small Axe, Concrete Jungle, Trenchtown Rock, and Duppy Conqueror are all way too low IMO, and the front end is too heavy with his big, mainstream hits, of which I’m admittedly not a huge fan. Definitely would’ve liked to have seen Kaya on this list too.Also, potentially hot take: The original Wailing Wailers version of One Love is much better than the 1977 version.
I think there are a couple on the list that could have been skipped in favor of “Them Belly Full” and “No Woman No Cry.”
Yeah, I was also surprised by their absence.
No Woman, No Cry is #4.
Yep, good catch. My feeble mindedness made me type “No Woman No Cry” when I meant “Johnny Was” (“.. woman hold her head and cry.” )
Sun is Shining is another big omission
As one of the Bob’s said about another artist, “I celebrate the guy’s entire catalogue.” This is a good list. Personal favorites of mine are “Coming in from the Cold,” and “Time Will Tell,” but to each his own.
Heh, not bad, but of course, Redemption Song in first place, No Woman No Cry up there too. Are these Marley’s best songs, really? Certainly, they’re the most recognized and inarguably overplayed. Also, in some ways, they’re the furthest afield of the genre that Marley helped to popularize, and really more radio-ready pop songs designed to shift units for Chris Blackwell, et al. Small Axe, Duppy Conqueror, Keep On Moving, African Herbsman, Walk The Proud Land, Mr. Brown, even some of the oddball Upsetter one-offs like Who Colt The Game, Rainbow Country, and Shocks Almighty could be called out and highlighted here, instead…
One of the best greatest hits albums ever assembled, Legend To steal from Wayne’s World, if you were in college in the early 90s you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of Tide.
The same happened with Clapton Unplugged if you were 20 years older.
My top Bob Marley is the entire “Burnin’” album and the entire “Catch a Fire” album. I thought he was at his best with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. The footage from “The Old Grey Whistle Test” is fantastic. Sure, I like the other stuff. The “Live” record is great.
still no mention of the death of Family Man. huh. ok.my personal favourites are ‘heathen’ and the entire ‘survival’ and ‘uprising’ albums.
Right, too ratid! Not a word! Shame.
I had to read about it in more reputable sites. A few years back I read a Robbie Shakespeare interview where he was talking Aston Barrett up. The whole bass sound in reggae can be traced right to Family Man. Shakespeare was calling him “the architect.”
I hate 3 little birds. There I said it. That said, I’d also add Sun is Shinin and Crazy Baldheads.
somehow i’ve never seen the official video for “Is This Love,” and it was such a wholesome, joyous thing it has made my afternoon.
Wrongly omitted:Fussing and FightingFour Hundred YearsComing In From The ColdToo low:ExodusJammingI think the “lighter” stuff is systematically disfavored here to paint a fuller picture of this artist’s “Roots Reggae” side: how political and message-driven much of his work is. And that’s a reasonable goal.But Marley’s “lighter” stuff is fucking incredible. There’s a reason Legend has been irresitable. over the decades.
An okay list, but missing “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)“ is atrocious.Also, “War” is top three. Silly ranking it so low.
Not on the list, but Top 10 for me: “Natural Mystic” and “One Drop”!
Also, “We and Dem.” I always heard it as a much scarier song than it is. When it came out I assumed it was hinting at retaliation for the shooting.
I wouldn’t put it in the top 25, but I’m fond of his early stuff, like this and “Maga Dog”.
This list felt like “Legend” plus the songs that the author had heard at other people’s places.Crazy Baldheads, Them Bully Full, and Sun is Shining were mentioned in other comments, I’m adding votes for them. Talkin’ Blues and Kaya have always been personal favorites as well.
https://www.batmanrehbergazetesi.com tüm imkanlarını gerçek
haberlere en hızlı şekilde ulaşmak için kullanmaktadır. Tüm ekibi bu alanda
profesyonel eğitim almış kişilerden oluşan Batman
gazeteleri içerisinde en üst sırada yer alan site en kısa sürede tüm Batman
haberlerine ulaşmanızı sağlamaktadır.