Stephen Marley’s ‘Old Soul’ Ends His No. 1 Streak On Billboard Reggae Albums Chart

Stephen Marley’s fifth album, Old Soul, has opened at No. 10 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, breaking his previous hot streak of four No. 1 debuts on the weekly sales and streaming-driven listing.

Released on September 15 via UMe in partnership with Tuff Gong Collective and Ghetto Youth International, the 14-track album sold 900 units in sales and streaming in the United States during its first week, according to data provided to DancehallMag from Billboard’s sales tracker Luminate. 

Of this, there were 500 copies in pure album sales and 566,000 in audio and video streaming in the US.

The album’s lifetime sales — which include streaming equivalent album units from its pre-release singles, the title track Old Soul, Cool As The Breeze, and Winding Roads with Bob Weir and Jack Johnson — stand at 1,700 units as of September 21, Luminate reported. This includes 500 copies and 1,500,000 in audio and video streaming in the US.

Old Soul, described as a “departure from his previous Reggae repertoire, showcasing more of his bluesy, acoustic soul side,” had also featured Eric Clapton, Ziggy Marley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Buju Banton, and Slightly Stoopid.

Marley became a solo artist in 2007, with the release of his debut album Mind Control, which not only spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart but also snagged a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. The album also peaked at No. 35 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

His subsequent albums Mind Control Acoustic (2008) and Revelation Pt. 1 – The Root Of Life (2011) peaked at No. 1 on the Reggae chart, before winning the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2010 and 2012, respectively.  Revelation Pt. 1 also peaked at No. 92 on the Billboard 200.

Luminate told DancehallMag that, as of January 2023, Mind Control has sold 336,000 units in the United States, while Mind Control Acoustic and Relevation Pt. 1 have sold 162,000 and 114,000, respectively.  

Revelation Part II: The Fruit Of Life (2016) spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Reggae chart, and peaked at No. 129 on the Billboard 200. 

Stephen had started his musical career as part of the child band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, alongside his siblings Ziggy, Sharon, and Cedella.   The group’s albums Conscious Party (1988), One Bright Day (1989), and Fallen Is Babylon (1997) won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. 

He continued working as a producer, winning the Grammy for Best Reggae Album another two times for his work on younger brother Damian Marley’s Halfway Tree (2001) and Welcome To Jamrock (2005) albums.

Meanwhile, back on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart dated September 30, Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Legend: The Best Of Bob Marley And The Wailers continued its reign at No. 1 for the 193rd non-consecutive week.

Shaggy’s Best of Shaggy: The Boombastic Collection is at No. 2, followed by Sean Paul’s Dutty Classics Collection at No. 3, and Byron Messia’s No Love is at No. 4.

Sean Paul’s Dutty Rock album is at No. 5, followed by UB40’s Greatest Hits album at No. 6.

Stick Figure’s Set In Stone, Wisdom, and World On Fire albums are at No. 7, 8, and 9, respectively.