Thirty-one years after its original release, The Reggae Collection, a compilation of hits by the late American reggae-pop icon Johnny Nash, has made its debut at #8 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. This marks Nash’s second appearance on the chart; in 2020, he reached #5 with The Best of Johnny Nash. He died that same year at age 80.
Released September 21, 1993 by Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the 21-track The Reggae Collection features a range of Nash’s classics, including his enduring hit “I Can See Clearly Now.” The album also includes notable covers of Bob Marley’s songs like “Guava Jelly” (which peaked at #83 on Cash Box Magazine’s Top 100) and “Stir It Up” (which reached #13 in the UK). Other highlights include “Hold Me Tight” (#5 in both the US and UK in 1968), “Cupid” (#39 in the US in 1969), “Nice Time,” “Mellow Mood,” and his updated version of “Tears on My Pillow,” a #1 UK hit in 1975.
Elsewhere on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, Bob Marley and the Wailers continue their record-breaking reign with Legend, which has held the #1 spot for 251 non-consecutive weeks. The album drops to No 119 on the Billboard 200. Dutty Classics Collection by Sean Paul remains at #2, while Shaggy’s Best of Shaggy: The Boombastic Collection holds steady at #3.
California-based reggae band Stick Figure has a strong presence on the chart with World on Fire, Wisdom, and Set in Stone occupying the #4, #5, and #6 positions, respectively. UB40’s UB45 re-enters the chart at #7, while Welcome to Jamrock by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Ini Kamoze’s Here Comes the Hotstepper complete the top 10 at #9 and #10.
On the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, Shenseea’s “Work Me Out” featuring Wizkid slips from #40 to #46, while on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, the track declines from #27 to #32 in its tenth week. Meanwhile, Akon’s “Beautiful Day” rises from #24 to #22 in its third week on the Rhythmic Airplay Top 40.
