Bob Marley Tops Billboard Reggae Albums Chart Again

For the sixth consecutive year, Bob Marley and The Wailers’ Legend has emerged as the top-selling reggae album in the United States, once again underscoring the enduring power of Marley’s legacy. First released in 1984, the compilation leads the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart for the week ending December 13 and remains dominant despite competition from far younger acts.

Since Billboard opened its reggae chart to catalog releases and compilations in 2020, Legend has consistently claimed the number one spot on the year end ranking. Now more than four decades old, the album has sold over 18 million copies in the United States alone, with global sales far exceeding that figure. Its sustained success reflects not only Marley’s unmatched influence but also a broader reality within the reggae market, where commercial longevity often favors carefully curated compilations aimed at mainstream audiences. Legend notably highlights songs that appealed strongly to pop listeners while steering away from the more overtly political themes that defined much of reggae’s early social commentary.

On the broader Billboard 200, Legend continues its historic run. The album, which peaked at number five in September 2014, currently sits at number 151 after an extraordinary 916 weeks on the chart. It also holds the number 82 position on the year end Billboard 200 list. The album was first certified gold and platinum in the United States on June 22, 1988, four years after its release.

Marley remains the only reggae artist represented on the Billboard 200 for the week ending December 13, a reminder of the genre’s marginal position within the American album market despite its global cultural reach. That influence was recently underscored by the passing of reggae icon Jimmy Cliff, whose career helped carry the music to international audiences.

Originally released by Island Records when it was still an independent label, Legend now falls under the Universal Music Group umbrella. Universal also controls the number two album on the 2025 year end reggae chart, Best of Shaggy: The Boombastic Collection. In total, Universal accounts for seven of the top fifteen reggae albums of 2025, asserting a dominant presence over independent labels. UB40’s Greatest Hits sits at number four, while Marley’s own Exodus from 1977 ranks at number nine. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley follows at number ten with Welcome to Jamrock, first released in 2005. Marley’s Rastaman Vibration from 1976, which will soon mark its fiftieth anniversary, holds the number fourteen spot and is the oldest album on the year end chart.

As a result of this collective performance, Universal leads the Billboard Reggae Albums Labels list, while Marley’s Tuff Gong imprint tops the Reggae Album Imprints ranking, with Island in second place.

Among independent performers, Stick Figure stands out as the strongest presence. The Ineffable Music Group act places three albums on the year end chart through the Ruffwood imprint. World on Fire from 2019 ranks at number three, Wisdom from 2022 is at number six, and Set in Stone from 2015 holds the number seven position. Ruffwood, the custom label founded by Stick Figure’s Scott Woodruff, ranks third among reggae imprints. VP Records also maintains visibility, driven largely by continued sales of Sean Paul releases distributed by Atlantic Records.

Notably absent from the 2025 year end Reggae Albums Chart are any releases from the current calendar year. While older hit albums frequently maintain strong sales over long periods, the complete absence of new releases raises questions about opportunities for emerging acts and the ability of labels to challenge the genre’s entrenched hierarchy.

Further emphasizing this stagnation, the number fifteen spot on the chart is occupied by Ini Kamoze’s Here Comes the Hotstepper, originally released in 1994 and named after his Hot 100 chart topping crossover hit.

In total, nine of the fifteen albums on Billboard’s 2025 year end reggae chart are more than twenty years old, with only a small number released within the past decade. Whether this reflects an unusually conservative market or shortcomings in how consumption is measured, the figures point to a genre whose commercial album landscape remains firmly rooted in the past.