Bob Marley And The Wailers’ ‘Could You Be Loved’ Certified Double Platinum In The UK

Bob Marley & The Wailers’ 1980 hit Could You Be Loved is now certified 2X Platinum in the United Kingdom, matching Three Little Birds as the Reggae band’s most commercially successful songs in the country.

According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Could You Be Loved was issued another Brit Certified Platinum Award after it surpassed 1,200,000 units in the UK, as measured by The Official Charts Company.

Composed during the band’s final tour dates before Marley’s tragic passing in 1981, Could You Be Loved had sampled lyrics from his very first single, Judge Not: “The road of life is rocky; And you may stumble too. So while you point your fingers, someone else is judging you.”

It was featured on the band’s 12th album, Uprising, and was later included in the greatest hits album, Legend (1984) and the Songs of Freedom (1992) box set.

In the liner notes to the Songs of Freedom, Could You Be Loved is described as “consciously recorded with a sound that would appeal to Black American radio programmers.” The song had a contemporary disco groove, captivating listeners with its irresistible keyboards and Marley’s signature vocals.

Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, who sampled the song in his 2002 track, And Be Loved, once commented on its innovation, stating, “I don’t think he ever went further away from traditional reggae than with this song. My father was far ahead of his time.”

It marked Marley’s only entry on the Billboard Dance chart, peaking at No. 6.

The song also reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart and was a top ten hit in Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland. It is currently certified 5X Platinum in New Zealand (150,000 units), Platinum in Italy (50,000 units), Gold in Germany (250,000 units), Denmark (45,000 units), and Brazil (30,000 units).

Could You Be Loved‘s enduring popularity is further evidenced by its recent animated music video, inspired by Cedella Marley’s advocacy for women’s soccer. Released in 2022, the video has already garnered over 52 million views on YouTube.

Marley’s other big hit, Three Little Birds, had achieved double platinum status in the UK last year.

Five other tracks by the group have reached Platinum in the UK, each selling over 600,000 units: No Woman, No Cry (1974), Jamming (1977), One Love (1977), Is This Love (1978), and Buffalo Solider (1983).