Bob Marley

About Bob Marley

Bob Marley (1945–1981) stands as a globally significant cultural force, ranking #222 in historical importance according to MIT’s Pantheon project. As the pioneering figure of reggae music, his fusion of rhythm and blues, ska, and rocksteady carried potent messages of social commentary, anti-colonialism, and Rastafarian spirituality far beyond his native Jamaica. His influence cemented reggae as a major international genre, making him one of the most recognizable musicians of the 20th century.

In the digital landscape of 2025, Marley commands considerable, though somewhat disproportionate, attention, garnering 3.4 million annualized Wikipedia pageviews. This places him well above less historically crucial contemporaries like Bob Dylan (#736 importance, 12.7M views) and Michael Jackson (#416 importance, 8.4M views), though still behind them in raw traffic. The data suggests an overattention factor of +7x relative to his historical ranking, meaning the internet is paying more attention to Marley than his overall global influence might strictly suggest, likely due to enduring musical relevance.

Despite his high cultural standing, attention to Marley appears to be waning slightly in the immediate term. His year-over-year view count dropped by a significant -68.2%, and his Q1 vs. Q3 momentum shows a -27% decrease, indicating a cooling of immediate online curiosity heading into the latter half of the year.