UK’s favourite Bob Marley song revealed ahead of reggae icon’s 80th birthday

Legendary reggae artist would have been 80 this week

Bob Marley’s most popular track of the 21st century has been revealed ahead of what would have been his 80th birthday.

The pioneering reggae artist, who died aged 36 in 1981, would have celebrated his birthday on Thursday 6 February.

Now, a report by music licensing company Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) has found that the 1980 track “Could You Be Loved”, by Bob Marley and The Wailers, has been played an average of 15 times a day in the UK since the turn of the century.

The company, which licenses the use of recorded music on radio, TV and in public places, said Marley's music has racked up more than four years of cumulative airplay since 2001.

Following “Could You Be Loved” are the songs “One Love/People Get Ready” and “Three Little Birds” as the second and third most popular tracks.

“No Woman, No Cry”, the 1974 song from Marley’s album Natty Dread, was the fourth most popular, with “Is This Love” rounding out the top five.

Peter Leathem, chief executive of PPL, said: “Bob Marley is one of the most iconic artists in history, and his 80th birthday provided the perfect opportunity to look back at his impact on UK airwaves.

“His huge presence on our radio and TV stations in the 21st century reflects the enduring power of his music, which continues to touch and inspire listeners across the country.”

Bob Marley performing in 1973 (Getty Images)

Marley was born in the rural Jamaican parish of Saint Ann in 1945 before moving with his mother to the impoverished neighbourhood Trenchtown, after the death of his father.

He became a Rastafarian and began recording music in the early Sixties, achieving international success with “No Woman, No Cry” just over a decade after Bob Marley and The Wailers were formed.

Amid a time of serious political unrest during the Seventies and Eighties, Marley and his wife and bandmates survived an assassination attempt that saw several men with guns raid his “safe house” on Hope Road.

He then moved the family to London where he spent two years in self-imposed exile and recorded Exodus, a critical and commercial success that propelled him to international fame.

Marley and The Wailers returned to Jamaica in April 1978 to perform the One Love Peace concert in Kingston – towards the end, Marley joined hands with prime minister Michael Manley and opposition leader Edward Seaga.

He died from cancer on 11 May 1981, having performed for as long as he could. His posthumously released 1984 album, Legend, became one of the biggest-selling of all time and spent 12 weeks at the top of the UK chart.

Last year, a film starring British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir was released to mixed reviews, with The Independent’s critic Clarisse Loughrey calling it “another watered-down celebrity biopic”.

Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch in the film ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ (AP)

The top 10 most-played songs by Bob Marley and The Wailers this century are:

1. “Could You Be Loved”

2. “One Love/People Get Ready”

3. “Three Little Birds”

4. “No Woman, No Cry”

5. “Is This Love”

6. “Jamming”

7. “Buffalo Soldier”

8. “Waiting In Vain”

9. “Sun Is Shining (Bob Marley vs Funkstar De Luxe)”

10. “Iron Lion Zion”

Additional reporting by Press Association