Bob Marley’s best-selling greatest-hits album is Legend. Released by Island Records on May 7, 1984, three years after Marley’s death, it became the most commercially successful reggae album in recording history.
Legend is a compilation rather than a studio album recorded as one continuous project. Its original vinyl edition brought together major singles and fan favorites from Bob Marley and the Wailers, including “Is This Love,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Could You Be Loved,” “Three Little Birds,” and “One Love/People Get Ready.” The track selection made it an accessible introduction to Marley’s music for listeners who were new to reggae.
The album’s success also helped preserve and expand Marley’s posthumous legacy. It has sold tens of millions of copies worldwide and has remained a long-running presence on album charts. Its enduring popularity is one reason casual listeners sometimes mistake Legend for a regular studio release.
The other choices were important studio albums: Catch a Fire, Natty Dread, and Exodus. None is Marley’s best-selling greatest-hits collection.