Reggae has somewhat been oversimplified and mocked by music and television shows. Even if that was not the medium's intent, the movies and shows were likely created by people who did not understand the origin of the music or what the point of it all was.
Bob Marley and the Wailers were not just people who sat around and smoked marijuana without any forethought as to how to create music. Very few artists have conceived of their music and thought about how it might be met more than Marley. He was not only trying to sell himself; he was trying to get the entire world to understand his culture and how rich it was.
And make no mistake Bob Marley did give the world greatness. He did not have a down period. He consistently produced songs that should still be listened to millions of times today. He was an icon and worthy of the name.
Here are Bob Marley’s five greatest love songs
"Waiting in Vain" (1977)
Released as a single of the Exodus album, "Waiting in Vain" hit number 27 on the UK charts. While the song definitely is a reggae tune, even if Bob Marley's name was not attached to it, take away the elements of reggae (the guitar playing the upbeat) and you would have a perfect example of what an R&B song would song like in the 1970s. There is not anything wrong with that, of course, as Marley's melody is nearly perfect and the music is not overly saccharine.
There is an undeniable sweetness tied with melancholy to the track. The lyrics begin with the chorus seems awfully bold until one releases that Marley is simply speaking a statement to the person he is singing about. Plus, while he is waiting for the person to come around and realize Marley is the right person, he says he does not mind the wait as long as it is, of course, not in vain.
This song is so perfect musically that if any other lyrics were added instead of the words Marley wrote, the track would still be excellent. But what Marley says is poetic enough to stand on its own too. Plus, the bridge is nearly without peer in its quality.