Bob’s Legend tops Billboard Year-End Reggae Albums chart
For the fourth year running, Legend by Bob Marley and the Wailers is the top-selling reggae title in the US.
This was revealed earlier this week, when Billboard magazine anounced its top-selling titles for the year in its annual year-end charts.
Legend, first released in 1984, was allowed to chart on the Reggae Albums chart, after Billboard began to incorporate streaming and other metrics into its chart consumption in 2020.
The hits-laden compilation which peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, has been #1 on the weekly reggae albums chart for the past 201 non-consecutive weeks.
Best of Shaggy: The Boombastic Collection, a hits compilation by international recording artiste Shaggy ranks at #2 for the year. It held the same position on the 2022 year-end tally.
Released via Geffen Records in 2008, it has been certified gold in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It peaked at #22.
Another hits compilation making the year-end tally is Dutty Classics Collection by Sean Paul. This project was released in 2017 by Rhino Entertainment/Warner Records and features several of Sean Paul’s hit songs such as Gimmie The Light, Infiltrate, Deport Them, Like Glue, Get Busy, among others.
It ranks at #3, the same place it ranked on the 2022 listing, after ranking #4 on the 2021 chart.
In 2022, Stick Figure’s Wisdom ended Bob Marley and the Wailers’ chart-topping streak for a single week. Last year it ranked #19 on the chart and this year it ranks at #4.
UB40’s Greatest Hits is #5, the same place it held at the end of 2022. However, it ranked at #6 the previous year.
Greatest Hits was released by Virgin Records in 2008.
Stick Figure appears again at #6 and #7, with World on Fire and Set in Stone respectively.
World on Fire was released in 2019 and has remained inside the top 10 every week since. Meanwhile, Set in Stone, released in 2015, ranked at #5 in 2021 and #6 in 2022.
Newcomer Byron Messia makes the year-end tally with his debut opus No Love finishing the year at #8.
Released in January, via Ztekk Records/Simple Stupid Records/Geffen, No Love peaked at #3 on the weekly reggae albums chart.
Sean Paul’s Dutty Rock is at #9, while Live at Red Rocks by Rebelution, which was released in 2016 via 87 Music/Easy Star Records, is #10.
Koffee’s 2022 release Gifted is #11, Great is He by Popcaan ranks at #12, and Backyard Sessions: Malibu Edition by Iration tops out at #13.
Endless Summer by The Elovaters, which was released in July via Belly Full Records, and Outside by Burna Boy, are #14 and #15.
Of note, Marley’s Legend also appears on five other year-end charts. It ranks at #66 on the all-genre Billboard Reggae Albums chart, #10 on Top R&B Albums chart, #24 on Catalog Albums, #34 on Top R&B/Hip-hop Albums, and #34 on Top Album Sales.
— Kevin Jackson