Bob Marley Makes History As He Reaches An Incredible Milestone

Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Legend compilation reaches 1,200 weeks on the U.K. Official Albums Chart, joining ABBA’s Gold as the only albums to do so. UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 01: Photo of Bob MARLEY; Bob Marley performing live on stage at the Brighton Leisure Centre (Photo by Mike Prior/Redferns)

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For decades now, Bob Marley and the Wailers’ compilation Legend has been one of the top-selling albums in multiple markets. Each week, sometimes hundreds – and in some instances thousands of people – purchase the project. After streaming began impacting charts, Legend became a constant fixture on multiple rosters, as people continue to listen to the reggae superstar any way they can.

In the United Kingdom, Legend always appears on multiple tallies, and this frame is no different, though it does stand out as a meaningful one. This time around, the compilation makes it to a milestone that only a handful of other albums have ever even approached.

Bob Marley’s Legend Reaches 1,200 Weeks

On the Official Albums chart — the 100-spot ranking of the most consumed full-lengths and EPs in the U.K. — Legend dips from No. 44 to No. 52. As it descends, it reaches 1,200 weeks on the all-encompassing and hugely competitive roster.

Bob Marley Follows Only ABBA

It appears that only one other title has reached 1,200 weeks on the Official Albums chart. ABBA’s Gold – Greatest Hits is up to 1,215 turns on the tally.

Queen Follows Close Behind

Queen’s Greatest Hits has racked up 1,168 weeks on the ranking. Multiple versions of that compilation have landed on the list, so when they are all combined, that number soars much higher – although the Official Charts Company does count all versions as separate entities.

Fleetwood Mac May be the Next Addition to this Club

Just one other full-length has managed at least 1,000 frames on the Official Albums chart so far. Rumours, the Fleetwood Mac classic, has earned 1,111 stays. Other editions of the set, including The Alternate Rumours and Rumours Live, have also reached the chart separately. Since Rumours is still hundreds of weeks away from matching the figure that Legend hits this time around, it seems unlikely that any project will make it to 1,200 frames for several years.

A Dozen Weeks at No. 1 for Legend

Legend debuted on the Official Albums chart in May 1984. The compilation launched at No. 1 and held there for an even dozen frames. Throughout its lifetime, Legend has only collected 35 stays inside the top 10. For most albums, that would be an incredible performance, but for a project that has now managed 1,200, it’s actually a fairly small figure.