CSPC: Bob Marley Popularity Analysis

Digital Singles Sales – Part 1

As a reminder, the weighting is done with a 10 to 1,5 ratio between one album and one digital single.

Catch a Fire (1973) – 302,000 equivalent albums

Stir It Up – 1,550,000
Concrete Jungle – 210,000
Remaining tracks – 250,000

Burnin’ (1973) – 273,000 equivalent albums

Get Up, Stand Up – 680,000
I Shot The Sheriff – 940,000
Remaining tracks – 200,000

Natty Dread (1974) – 548,000 equivalent albums

Lively Up Yourself – 160,000
Revolution – 130,000
No Woman, No Cry – 3,210,000
Remaining tracks – 150,000

Stir It Up was released locally in 1967 and then internationally in 1973 to almost no success. In-between Johnny Nash made the song popular with his 1972 cover that reached #12 in the US and #13 in the UK. This popularity is visible with its digital sales which are now up to 1,55 million units.

In terms of US sales both Get Up, Stand Up and I Shot The Sheriff, are similar to Stir It Up but songs from the album Burnin’ appear to be unavailable to download in most countries, which explains why they are still yet to cross the million mark.

Expectedly, the absolute classic No Woman, No Cry has solid sales all around the world. It sold over 1,5 million downloads in the US alone and almost as many overseas to bring its comprehensive total to a huge 3,2 million once the addition of ringtones are included..

It is rather impressive to notice that each of those 3 albums that went mostly unnoticed when first released contain at least one golden great that remains widely remembered to this very day.