Legend

If you are just being introduced to the father of reggae Bob Marley, then this is the CD to get. It has all his greatest hits. The beautiful "Is This Love", "Redemption Song", "Now Woman No Cry", "Exodous" "Could You Be Loved" "Three Little Birds" and "One Love" are my favorites. Marley really will forever be the heart and soul of reggae.

These are his "greatest hits" on one cd. However if you would like to buy a more thorough assembly of his songs I would recommend the box-set Songs of Freedom, a chronological compilation of songs, (and you can do without legend.) Here is some other essential Bob Marley material- Babylon by Bus(live), LIVE (the Wailers first live album), Catch a Fire (first Wailers album),Rastaman Vibration. And here is a list of songs that I like just as much as any song on legend (from each album in chronological order):

soul rebel
concrete jungle
slave driver
no more trouble
burnin' and lootin'
lively up yourself
them belly full
trenchtown rock
rebel music
positive vibration
roots rock reggae
want more
who the cap fit
war
rat race
jah live
natural mystic
the heathen
punky reggae party
natural mystic
africa unite
one drop
wake up and live
coming in from the cold
bad card
work
zion train

what more can be said about bob marley and legend (a synonym in itself).
the best well known songs (not necessarily the best) that sum up what bob marley has meant to most of us...
although it is a bit too commercial, it kept me singing and humming and every once in a while i go through a bob marley week where i drive my family crazy by listening to legend over and over again.

Bob Marley is a reggae and pop music legend. One could make a case for him being the best-loved musician in the whole world. This CD collects his biggest hits--which are not necessarily his best songs--and it is a sublime collection of tunes. Highlights include "Could You Be Loved," "Three Little Birds," "Satisfy My Soul" and "Waiting in Vain."

Everybody knows a couple of Bob marley songs, here they are, not his best album in my opinion, but truly the difinative benchmark for popular Regge music. A must have for any collection, or if you are just starting to build a solid foundation, this is the CD that rome was built upon