Right now, as you read this, chances are there is someone, somewhere in the UK listening to “Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Very possibly, they’re singing along to its indelible lyrics – ostensibly about sticking to your guns – or at the very least bobbing their head to its disco-inflected groove. The song, released in 1980, is played an average of 15 times a day in the UK – amounting to a frankly mind-boggling four years of cumulative airplay since 2001. There are worse ways to spend your time, I suppose.
“Could You Be Loved” is the reggae star’s most popular song this side of the pond, coming in ahead of 1965’s “One Love/People Get Ready” and 1977’s “Three Little Birds”; rounding out the top five are “No Woman, No Cry” and “Is This Love”. Consider also its place in popular culture: the song has been covered by everyone from Toto and Joe Cocker to Lauryn Hill and Sweden’s Eurovision star Loreen. It was also a go-to choice for players of the video game Just Dance 2014, if that means anything to you.
