Decades after its release, Bob Marley & the Wailers’ iconic 1977 album Exodus has been certified double platinum in the United Kingdom, commemorating sales and streaming equivalent to 600,000 units, the British Phonographic Industry announced.
Recorded between Harry J Studios in Kingston and Island Records in London, Exodus featured themes of change, religious politics, and matters of the heart, helping to propel Marley to international stardom. The album includes timeless hits such as One Love/People Get Ready, Turn Your Lights Down Low, Natural Mystic, Jamming, Waiting in Vain, and Three Little Birds.
Upon its release, Exodus reached #20 on the Billboard 200, #15 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums, and #8 on the UK Albums Chart, also charting in countries including Austria, Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Greece, and Canada. The 2001 digital re-release saw it peak at #4 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, and it has re-entered at #10 on the latest reggae chart.
Over the years, Exodus has garnered critical acclaim, with Time magazine naming it the best album of the 20th century in 1999. VH1 ranked it the 26th greatest album of all time in 2001, while Rolling Stone placed it at #169 on the 500 Greatest Albums list, later revising it to #48 in 2020.
The album was crafted with the talents of Junior Marvin, Aston Barrett, Carlton Barrett, Tyrone Downie, Alvin “Seeco” Patterson, David Madden, and Vin Gordon, among others. Exodus has also been certified gold in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy, and double platinum in New Zealand.
