Leading From Beyond
Written by Reggae world on November 1, 2018
He has been dead for nearly four decades, but the music of reggae icon Bob Marley shows no sign of dying. The musical legacy of the man born Robert Nesta Marley of modest means in Nine Miles, St Ann continues to be a force on global music charts.
Marley, who died in 1981, continues to chart and a quick glance at theĀ iTunesreggae charts for both singles and albums gives an indication of the depth and breadth of the man and his music.
The top 10 of the singles chart is riddled with the Marley’s music with six spots credited to the man. One song,Ā Three Little Birds, holds on to two positions, numbers two and nine. Other Marley anthems proving to be favourites of the global reggae market areĀ I Shot The SheriffĀ at number four,Ā Is This LoveĀ at number five,Ā One Love/ People Get ReadyĀ at number seven andĀ Could You Be LovedĀ which follows at number eight.
In fact, Marley has a total of 16 tracks in the top 100 of this chart.
However, the chart’s topper is the dittyĀ It Wasn’t MeĀ released by diamond-selling reggae act Shaggy in the year 2000. Shaggy also holds on to the number six slot withĀ AngelĀ which features Bajan-born singer Rayvon.Ā One DayĀ by American hassidic Jew Matisyahu at number three and Inner Circle’sĀ Bad BoysĀ in the 10th spot rounds out the top 10.
TheĀ iTunesĀ Top 100 Reggae Singles chart also sees a sprinkling of contemporary acts.
Female deejay Spice created a stir last week with the publicity surrounding the release of her singleĀ Black Hypocrisy. That track currently stands at number 33. Other deejays whose work appears on the chart include Busy Signal at number 41 withĀ Stay So; Popcaan’sĀ SilenceĀ at 60 andĀ FamilyĀ at 76; while incarcerated deejay Vybz Kartel is at number 68 withĀ Fever. Teejay, one of the new finds out of Montego Bay, charts with his singleĀ Up Top BoysĀ at number 80.
The young ‘reggae revivalists’ Lila Ike and Mortimer are also on this chart.Ā CarefulĀ by Mortimer is at 77, while Lila Ike’sĀ Second ChanceĀ holds the 81st position.
On the albums chart again Marley is one of three Jamaicans making a showing.
His albumĀ Legend, theĀ RemasteredĀ andĀ DeluxeĀ versions hold on to the top two slots. The collaborative workĀ 44/876Ā by Shaggy and British rocker Sting is at number five, whileĀ Never EndingĀ the recent release by reggae crooner, Beres Hammond, is at number six. The rest of this chart is occupied by reggae artistes from the United States and the wider Caribbean.