“Exodus,” the title track from Bob Marley and the Wailers 9th studio album is now certified Silver in the U.K. for selling 200,000 combined units in that country. The award for the 1977 revolutionary track was issued on Friday March 1, 2024 by the British Phonographic Industry.
This is Marley’s 15th U.K. Silver single certification following “Get Up Stand Up” (02.09.2022), “I Shot The Sheriff” (18.06.2021), “Stir It Up” (04.09.2020), “Waiting In Vain” (21.02.2020), “Redemption Song” (29.09.2017), “One Love/People Get Ready” (26.05.2017), “Is This Love (Remix)” (30.09.2016), “Could You Be Loved” (18.12.2015), “Buffalo Soldier” (30.10.2015), “Three Little Birds” (22.07.2013), “Sun Is Shining” (05.11.1999), “No Woman No Cry” (01.07.1981), “Is This Love” (01.04.1978) and “Jammin'” (01.04.1978)
The making of Exodus the single is chronicled in the “Bob Marley: One Love” movie as the band’s bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett discovered a movie soundtrack album in London with “Theme From Exodus,” from the 1960 film starring Paul Newman. Bob Marley after hearing the Exodus soundtrack gathered the band and made their version of Exodus from Jamaica to London as well as Rastafari’s stated aim of African repatriation.
Bob Marley made the ‘Exodus’ single and album in the aftermath of assassination attempts on his life on December 3, 1976. Subsequently, Marley sought refuge in London with label head Chris Blackwell, where the transformative album was recorded.
“London supplied all that he needed, spiritually and creatively. The city had become a more fertile and welcoming place for Jamaican music,” Blackwell recalled in his memoir ‘The Islander.’ We had two albums’ worth of new material.
“Exodus” the single peaked at No. 14 on the U.K. singles chart and No. 19 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart. The album reached top 20 in the UK and is certified Gold in the US, UK, and Canada.
For its 40th anniversary in 2017, the album was remastered and re-released and this week re-entered the U.S. Billboard Reggae Albums chart at No. 4. The album has the highest number of tracks on Marley’s Billboard chart-topping greatest hits compilation, ‘Legend,’ which remains this week’s no. 1 album.
Bob Marley: One Love Music inspired by the movie and Bob Marley: One Love Soundtrack albums move up to No 5 and 6 this week.
Dutty Classics Collection by Sean Paul and Best Of Shaggy: The Boombastic Collection at No. 2 and 3.
Stick Figure’s World On Fire, Set In Stone and Wisdom are at No. 7, 9 and 10 respectivley. While UB40’s Greatest Hits is at No. 8.
