Celebrating 49 Years of Bob Marley's Iconic Album 'Exodus' Released on June 3, 1977

Forty-nine years ago today, on June 3, 1977, Bob Marley and the Wailers released Exodus, the ninth of what would be 13 studio albums for the iconic reggae group.

Already a revered musician, Marley reached another stratosphere with Exodus, which produced not only several major hits, but also became regarded as one of the greatest albums of both the 20th century and all time.

Exodus track list

Exodus is a two-sided album, with the title track on Side One and some of Marley's most recognizable songs on Side Two.

There are five songs on each side. Below are all 10 tracks in order:

1. "Natural Mystic"
2. "So Much Things to Say"
3. "Guiltiness"
4. "The Heathen"
5. "Exodus"
6. "Jamming"
7. "Waiting in Vain"
8. "Turn Your Lights Down Low"
9. "Three Little Birds"
10. "One Love/People Get Ready"

An all-time classic

In 1999, as part of its series entering the new millennium, TIME Magazine rated Exodus as the "Greatest Album of the 20th Century."

"Every song is a classic, from the messages of love to the anthems of revolution," TIME wrote at the time. "But more than that, the album is a political and cultural nexus, drawing inspiration from the Third World and then giving voice to it the world over."

Other publications have also recognized Exodus' excellence over the years. In 2023, Rolling Stone updated its ranking of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time," with Exodus checking in at No. 48.

"As the title suggests, this album wasn't recorded in Jamaica; after Bob Marley took a bullet in a 1976 assassination attempt, he relocated the Wailers to London," Rolling Stone wrote. "But tracks such as "Jamming" are still suffused with the deep essence of reggae and life at home. "Three Little Birds," for example, had been written on the back step of Marley's home in Kingston, where he would sit and smoke herb. Each time Marley rolled a spliff, he would discard the seeds - and the birds of the song's title would pick them up.

"'The music have a purpose,'" Marley said, and his spiritual intent was never clearer than on the anthem "One Love," with its message of redemption and revolution."

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 1:01 PM.