Natural Mystic by Bob Marley and The Wailers is a significant song for the reggae legend’s catalog since it is the band’s first original song to receive a Silver certification in the UK without being included in the best-selling Legend deluxe collection.
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) reports that the song exceeded 200,000 sales in the UK, as determined by The Official Charts Company, and was given a BRIT Certified Silver award on December 13, 2024.
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Marley now has 15 certified songs in the UK, seven of which have achieved Platinum status or higher.
Natural Mystic was first recorded in 1975 and then again for the legendary album Exodus in 1977. The recording was made at London’s Island’s Basing Street Studios.
Carly Barrett’s steady kick beat and the song’s eerie bassline create an introspective tone, which is well-known for its profound opening and gloomy yet optimistic message. Marley’s purposeful image of a spiritual reckoning is echoed by the regal horns, which increase the track’s weight.
Additionally, the song was included in Natural Mystic: The Legend Lives On, a compilation album released in 1995 that reached No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart.
Unlike the Legend (1984) compilation, which focused on love, this collection offered a deeper dig into Marley’s politically charged and spiritually contemplative repertoire. Songs like “Easy Skanking” and “Time Will Tell” offered layers of warmth and resolution, while tracks like “Africa Unite,” “So Much Trouble In The World,” and “Crazy Baldhead” addressed themes of social justice and salvation. Nevertheless, the album’s title tune, “Natural Mystic,” stood out as it transported listeners to a peaceful haven of liberty and solidarity.
The mainstay of Marley’s discography is still the deluxe edition of the Legend album, which features all of its songs—aside from “Easy Skanking”—certified Silver or higher in the UK.
With 3X Platinum status (1.8 million units sold), Three Little Birds is the most successful song, while Is This Love and Could You Be Loved both gained 2X Platinum, selling over 1.2 million units apiece.
In the UK, Marley’s other platinum hits—No Woman, No Cry, Jamming, One Love, and Buffalo Soldier—have each sold over 600,000 copies. He presently has Silver (200,000 units) certifications for Get Up, Stand Up, I Shot The Sheriff, and Satisfy My Soul, and Gold (400,000 units) certifications for Stir It Up, Waiting In Vain, and Redemption Song.
The 2016 remix of “Is This Love,” which included Bolier and LVNDSCAPE, is now certified gold.
