Bob Marley’s Legend has now spent 900 weeks on the Billboard 200, making it just the second album in history to reach that milestone. UNSPECIFIED – NOVEMBER 27: Photo of Bob Marley. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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Ever since it dropped in the mid-1980s, Legend, the compilation album released by Bob Marley and the Wailers, has been a must-own for music lovers everywhere. The project, which is far and away the most successful reggae set in history, has ranked as one of the bestselling musical releases of all time for many years, and it’s one of a handful of titles that can always be counted on to appear on the Billboard 200.
The compilation is present once again on the competitive Billboard tally, and after well over a decade on the roster, Marley posthumously makes history.
Legend Reaches 900 Weeks on the Billboard 200
Legend has racked up 900 stays on the Billboard 200. As it advances to that landmark, the compilation becomes just the second album in U.S. history to reach such a prestigious figure.
Bob Marley Matches Pink Floyd
Marley and the Wailers’ Legend joins The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd as the only two 900-week charting successes on the Billboard 200. Pink Floyd’s rock classic remains in a distant first place, as it has accumulated 990 stays on the roster. Unlike Legend, however, The Dark Side of the Moon does not regularly appear on the Billboard 200, so whether or not it will ever make it to 1,000 frames is yet to be seen.
Legend Continues to Move Huge Numbers of Units
More than 40 years after its release, Legend moved another 12,000 equivalent units in the past tracking period in America, according to Luminate. That sum is down slightly from the previous frame, and the compilation dips from No. 91 to No. 106 on the Billboard 200.
Bob Marley’s Domination on the Reggae Albums Chart
Legend is one of the longest-running No. 1 albums of all time on a Billboard chart, as it regularly commands the Reggae Albums tally. Of the 293 weeks it has spent somewhere on that genre-specific roster, Marley’s hits-focused project has only failed to lead the charge once.
“Is This Love,” “No Woman, No Cry” and “Three Little Birds”
Sadly, Marley never got to experience the immense commercial success that Legend has enjoyed, as the compilation dropped several years after his death in 1981. The original version features some of his most famous tracks, such as “Is This Love,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Three Little Birds,” “Buffalo Soldier,” and several others. Legend has been re-released multiple times throughout the years, and in each instance, it’s become a bestseller again.