CSPC: Bob Marley Popularity Analysis

Digital Singles Sales – Part 3

As a reminder, the weighting is done with a 10 to 1,5 ratio between albums and digital singles.

Survival (1979) – 116,000 equivalent albums

So Much Trouble In The World – 130,000
Ambush In the Night – 150,000
Zimbabwe – 190,000
Africa Unite – 150,000
Remaining tracks – 150,000

Uprising (1980) – 675,000 equivalent albums

Could You Be Loved – 2,220,000
Redemption Song – 1,580,000
Coming In From the Cold – 160,000
Pimper’s Paradise – 190,000
Forever Loving Jah – 150,000
Remaining tracks – 200,000

Confrontation (1983) – 395,000 equivalent albums

Buffalo Soldier – 2,480,000
Remaining tracks – 150,000

Orphan singles – 269,000 equivalent albums

Punky Reggae Party – 450,000
War – 170,000
Hold Ya Head – 220,000
Remaining Singles – 950,000

Survival replicates exactly the pattern of Rastaman Vibration with no real hit but four moderately known songs.

Just like Exodus put him back on track instantly, Uprising did the same job. It contains two sizable classics. In fact, Could You Be Loved is past 2 million digital sales while Redemption Song is on 1,6 million. Three more songs have decent numbers.

Confrontation only has one popular track but what a song it is… Buffalo Solider. It’s close to 2,5 million units sold in digital formats.

With 9 studio albums the norm for most artists is to have 1 or 2 with big hits. The norm is reversed for Marley as he has only 2 albums fail to include at least one widely popular song. He sold nearly 34 million tracks in total, a tremendous achievement for an artist who passed away in 1981.