"Could You Be Loved" is a 1980 song by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers. It was released as the first single from their twelfth and last album, Uprising (1980), and is also included on their greatest-hits album Legend (1984). It was written in 1979 on an aeroplane while The Wailers were experimenting on guitar. 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. "Could You be Loved" 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.
"Could You Be Loved" | ||||
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Single by Bob Marley and the Wailers | ||||
from the album Uprising | ||||
B-side | "One Drop" | |||
Released | 16 May 1980[1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:56 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley | |||
Producer(s) |
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Bob Marley and the Wailers singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Could You Be Loved" on YouTube |
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]
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Year-end charts edit
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[30] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[31] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI)[32] | Gold | 250,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI)[33] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[34] | 5× Platinum | 150,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP)[35] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[36] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[37] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Could You Be Loved" | ||||
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Single by Joe Cocker | ||||
from the album Across from Midnight | ||||
Released | 1997 | |||
Length | 4:35 | |||
Label | CMC International | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley | |||
Producer(s) |
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Joe Cocker singles chronology | ||||
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British singer Joe Cocker covered "Could You Be Loved" on his 1997 album Across from Midnight. The single peaked at number one in Hungary.
Chart (1997) | Peak position |
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Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[38] | 39 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[39] | 77 |
Hungary (Mahasz)[40] | 1 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[41] | 88 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[42] | 46 |
UK Singles (OCC)[43] | 86 |
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".
['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'.
but it was Marley...and his bandmates who helped elevate the message beyond the conservative confines of their home island and into the realm of global pop.