Could You Be Loved

Last updated

"Could You Be Loved"
CouldYouBeLoved.jpg
Single by Bob Marley and the Wailers
from the album Uprising
B-side "One Drop"
Released16 May 1980 [1]
Genre
Length3:56
Label Island
Songwriter(s) Bob Marley
Producer(s)
Bob Marley and the Wailers singles chronology
"Zimbabwe"
(1979)		"Could You Be Loved"
(1980)		"Three Little Birds"
(1980)
Music video
"Could You Be Loved" on YouTube

"Could You Be Loved" is a song by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers. It was released in 1980 as the first single from their twelfth and last album, Uprising and is also included on their greatest-hits album Legend (1984). The song was very successful on the charts in Europe, peaking within the top 10 in Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. Additionally, it was a top 20 hit in Sweden and West Germany.

Contents

Composition

Written in 1979 on an aeroplane while The Wailers were experimenting on guitar, "Could You Be Loved" has been described as a reggae and disco fusion. [3] In the middle of the song, background singers quote a verse from Bob Marley's 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". Instruments used on the original record of this song are guitars, bass, drums, acoustic piano, the Hohner Clavinet and an organ, as well as the Brazilian cuíca.

Impact and legacy

American magazine Rolling Stone included "Could You Be Loved" at number 363 in their list of "500 Best Songs of All Time" in 2021. [4]

In 2025, King Charles III partnered with Apple Music to launch a radio show called The King's Music Room to mark Commonwealth Day with a selection of songs that "bring him joy" and "reflects the diversity of the Commonwealth". Could You Be Loved was the first track featured in the program. Additionally, a version of the song performed by the King's Guard band was used in the shows introduction and preceding promotional materials. [5]

Music video

On 25 July 2022, the official music video of the song was released on Marley's YouTube channel. [6]

Track listings

  1. "Could You Be Loved" – 3:35
  2. "One Drop" – 3:50
  1. "Could You Be Loved" – 3:35
  2. "No Woman, No Cry (Live '75)" – 3:57

Charts

Weekly charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [32] Gold30,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [33] Platinum90,000‡
Germany (BVMI) [34] Gold250,000‡
Italy (FIMI) [35] Platinum50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [36] 7× Platinum210,000‡
Portugal (AFP) [37] Platinum10,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [38] Platinum60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [39] 2× Platinum1,200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Joe Cocker version

"Could You Be Loved"
Single by Joe Cocker
from the album Across from Midnight
Released1997
Length4:35
Label CMC International
Songwriter(s) Bob Marley
Producer(s)
Joe Cocker singles chronology
"Into the Mystic"
(1996)		"Could You Be Loved"
(1997)		"N'oubliez jamais"
(1997)

British singer Joe Cocker covered "Could You Be Loved" on his 1997 album Across from Midnight . The single peaked at number one in Hungary.

Track listings

  1. "Could You Be Loved" (Single Version) – 4:35
  2. "Could You Be Loved" (Radio Edit) – 4:18
  3. "The Way Her Love Is" – 2:44

Charts

Chart (1997)Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [40] 39
Germany (GfK) [41] 77
Hungary (Mahasz) [42] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [43] 88
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [44] 46
UK Singles (OCC) [45] 86

Cover versions

Marley's four eldest children Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers have performed the song numerous times during their tours. Their performance versions appear on the concert DVDs "Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers Live", "Marley Magic: Live in Central Park at Summerstage", "One Love: The Bob Marley All-Star Tribute", and their live album "Live Vol. 1".

References

  1. ↑ "Bob Marley & the Wailers – Could You Be Loved". New Zealand-charts.com. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  2. ↑ O'Brien Chang, Kevin; Chen, Wayne (1998). Reggae Routes: The Story of Jamaican Music . Temple University Press. pp.  51–52. ISBN   978-1-5663-9629-5. ['Uprising'] saw a return to a wide and varied musical vision, from the disco oriented 'Could You Be Loved' to the hard-core reggae of 'Bad Card' and the acoustic balladry of 'Redemption Song'.
  3. ↑ Eames, Tom (18 July 2023). "The 50 greatest reggae songs of all time, ranked". Smooth. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  4. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone . 15 September 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "The King reveals his playlist, from Marley to Kylie". BBC. British Broadcasting Corporation. 7 March 2025. Archived from the original on 7 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  6. ↑ Peacock, Tim (15 July 2022). "Bob Marley Honored With New Animated Music Video For 'Could You Be Loved'". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  7. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Chart Positions Pre 1989 Part 3". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Could You Be Loved" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "Le Détail par Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Bob Marley & the Wailers" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Could You Be Loved". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 7 June 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Bob Marley".
  12. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 32, 1980" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Could You Be Loved" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Could You Be Loved". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  15. ↑ "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Could You Be Loved". VG-lista. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  16. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  17. ↑ "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Could You Be Loved". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Could You Be Loved". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  19. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  20. 1 2 "Bob Marley – Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  21. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Could You Be Loved" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  22. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  23. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Bob Marley & the Wailers". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 161. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  24. ↑ "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Could You Be Loved" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  25. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 26, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  26. ↑ "Billboard Global 200: Week of March 2, 2024". Billboard . Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  27. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1980" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  28. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1980" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  29. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1980" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  30. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1980" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  31. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts: 1980". Offiziellecharts.de (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015.
  32. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Bob Marley – Could You Be Loved" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  33. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Bob Marley & the Wailers – Could You Be Loved". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  34. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bob Marley & the Wailers; 'Could You Be Loved')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  35. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Bob Marley & the Wailers – Could You Be Loved" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  36. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Bob Marley and the Wailers – Could You Be Loved?". Radioscope. Retrieved 6 April 2025.Type Could You Be Loved? in the "Search:" field.
  37. ↑ "Portuguese single certifications – Bob Marley & the Wailers – Could You Be Loved" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa . Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  38. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Bob Marley / The Wailers – Could You Be Loved". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  39. ↑ "British single certifications – Bob Marley & the Wailers – Could You Be Loved". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  40. ↑ "Joe Cocker – Could You Be Loved" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  41. ↑ "Joe Cocker – Could You Be Loved" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  42. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 14, no. 29. 19 July 1997. p. 14. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  43. ↑ "Joe Cocker – Could You Be Loved" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  44. ↑ "Joe Cocker – Could You Be Loved". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  45. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
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