Bob Marley

Bob Marley carried reggae out of Jamaica and turned it into a global language. More than four decades after his death, he remains the music’s defining figure and a worldwide symbol of resistance, faith and unity. Born Robert Nesta Marley on February 6, 1945, in Nine Mile, Jamaica, he built a body of work that has never stopped finding new listeners.

The Wailers

Marley formed the Wailers in the early 1960s in Trench Town, Kingston, with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. Early singles like “Simmer Down” made them stars at home. After signing to Island Records in 1972, the albums Catch a Fire and Burnin’ carried their sound abroad, and in 1973 the band toured the United States, sharing bills with acts including Bruce Springsteen.

A Rastafari voice

Marley’s conversion to the Rastafari faith shaped both his image and his message. His songs spoke for Jamaica’s poor and called for justice, but they could also be tender and joyful. In December 1976, days before a peace concert, he survived an assassination attempt at his home, then performed anyway with his wounds still fresh.

Exodus and the classics

Relocating to London, Marley recorded Exodus (1977), later named album of the century by Time, with “Jamming”, “Waiting in Vain” and “One Love”. The hits kept coming: “No Woman, No Cry”, “Three Little Birds”, “Could You Be Loved” and the stark “Redemption Song”. His posthumous compilation Legend (1984) became the best-selling reggae album of all time.

A lasting legacy

Marley died of cancer in May 1981 at the age of 36 and received a state funeral in Jamaica. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The 2024 film Bob Marley: One Love introduced his story to another generation, and his music remains a fixture around the world.

Most loved songs

A spread across the catalogue. Each title opens through the in-site player.

From a singalong chorus to a song of struggle and hope, the odds are good a Bob Marley track lives somewhere in your memory. Type the line you remember into the search box above and you may find it leads back to him.