"Is This Love" is a song by Bob Marley and the Wailers, released on their 1978 album Kaya. The song became one of the best-known Marley songs and was part of the Legend compilation. It peaked at number 9 in the UK charts upon its release in 1978. A live rendition of the song can be found on the Babylon by Bus live album from Paris in 1978.

Bob Marley's bed in Nine Mile, Jamaica, which was the inspiration for the lyric "We'll share the shelter of my single bed" in the song "Is This Love"

Music video

A music video was also produced, shot at the Keskidee Arts Centre in London; in the video, future supermodel Naomi Campbell, then seven years old, made her first appearance in the public eye.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Lvndscape and Bolier remix

"Is This Love"

Single by Bob Marley featuring Lvndscape and Bolier

Released

10 June 2016^[5]

Genre

Tropical house

Length

3:20

Bob Marley singles chronology

"Stand Up Jamrock"
(2005)

"Is This Love"
(2016)

Lvndscape singles chronology

"Fed Up"
(2016)

"Is This Love"
(2016)

"Everyday My Life"
(2016)

Bolier singles chronology

"Sweet Love (Calling Out Your Name)"
(2016)

"Is This Love"
(2016)

"Ipanema"
(2016)

Music video

"Is This Love" (Remix) on YouTube

In June 2016, the song was remixed by Dutch electronic music collaborators Lvndscape and Bolier, and the remix version reached #16 single in the UK.^[6] The music video was released via Spinnin' Records YouTube channel on 17 June 2016.^[7]

Notable covers

The following artists have covered the song:

The Pat Travers Band, on their 1980 album Crash and Burn
Carly Simon, on her 1983 album Hello Big Man
Hawaiian reggae music group Three Plus, on their 2003 album 3+ 4 U. That album won the 2003 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Reggae Album of the Year. Their version of "Is This Love" is also included on the 2010 compilation album Putamayo Presents: Tribute To A Reggae Legend: Bob Marley.
Scott Matthews, as a bonus track on his 2009 album Elsewhere
Corinne Bailey Rae, on the 2011 EP The Love EP. This version was released as a single and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards.

Live covers

Rihanna covered the song during her first worldwide Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007—09). The performance is included in her DVD album Good Girl Gone Bad Live.^[8]
Adam Lambert covered the song in an acoustic set in Sydney, Australia, in the summer of 2012, as well as in his 2013 "We Are Glamily" world tour.^[9]
Allen Stone performed the Corinne Bailey Rae version of this song on the tour of his self-titled album, Allen Stone.

In popular culture

The song is played in the movies In the Name of the Father (1993), Six Days Seven Nights (1998), Lake Placid (1999), 50 First Dates (2004) and Just Go With It (2011).
The song is featured as the theme for the ending credits of Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball as well as its sequel, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2.
In the book Marley and Me, author John Grogan says that he and his wife Jenny came up with the name Marley for their dog when, during an argument about what to name him, Jenny walked to the tape deck and pushed play, and the song started playing.
A reference to the song is made in the lyrics "Just like the song on our radio set / We’ll share the shelter of my single bed" from James Blunt's song "Stay the Night", the first single of the 2010 album Some Kind of Trouble.
Bon Jovi's song "Lay Your Hands on Me" opens with the lyrics "you're ready, I'm willing, and able. Help me lay my cards down on the table", which bears a clear similarity to the lyrics of "Is This Love".

Charts

"Is This Love"[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (1978)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[10]	11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[11]	39
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[12]	8
Norway (VG-lista)^[13]	8
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[14]	16
UK Singles (OCC)^[15]	9
Chart (2016)	Peak position
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[16]	57

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1978)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[10]	83

"Is This Love" featuring LVNDSCAPE and Bolier[edit]

Chart (2016–19)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[17]	97
Hungary (Single Top 40)^[18]	18
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[19]	69
Scotland (OCC)^[20]	7
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[21]	67
UK Singles (OCC)^[22]	16

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)^[23]	Gold	30,000^*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)^[24]	Gold	45,000^‡
Germany (BVMI)^[25]	Gold	250,000^‡
Italy (FIMI)^[26]	Platinum	50,000^‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)^[27]	5× Platinum	150,000^‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)^[28]	Platinum	60,000^‡
United Kingdom (BPI)^[29]	Platinum	600,000^‡
United Kingdom (BPI)^[30] Remix	Gold	400,000^‡
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "The Keskidee - a community that discovered itself", Islington Local History Centre, 2009.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Peter Gruner, "Green plaque honours Keskidee arts centre where Naomi Campbell met Bob Marley", Camden New Journal, 25 March 2011". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
^ "Pavan Amara and Andrew Johnson, "Fire rips through pioneering black arts venue where Bob Marley shot Is This Love video", Islington Tribune, 9 March 2012". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
^ Mark Blunden, "Honour for arts centre where Bob Marley danced with Naomi Campbell, 7", Evening Standard, 21 March 2011.
^ "Bob Marley feat. LVNDSCAPE & Bolier - Is This Love". T.H.E - Music Essentials. 2016-06-13. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
^ "is+this+love+(remix) - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
^ "New Music: "Is This Love" Remix ft. LVNDSCAPE & Boiler". Bob Marley. 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
^ "Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad (Live)". iTunes Store (AU). Apple. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
^ Rubenstein, Jenna Hally (2012-08-23). "Adam Lambert Covers Bob Marley's 'Is This Love,' And DUH It's Incredible (Video)". Retrieved 2012-09-19.
^ ^a ^b "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via Imgur.com.
^ "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
^ "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
^ "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love". VG-lista. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
^ "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
^ "Bob Marley and the Wailers: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
^ "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
^ "ARIA CHART WATCH #389". auspOp. 8 October 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
^ "Bob Marley feat. LVNDSCAPE + Bolier – Is This Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
^ "Bob Marley feat. LVNDSCAPE + Bolier – Is This Love". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
^ "Brazilian single certifications – Bob Marley – Is This Love" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
^ "Danish single certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bob Marley; 'Is This Love')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ "Italian single certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
^ "New Zealand single certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
^ "Bob Marley - Is This Love". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
^ "British single certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
^ "British single certifications – Bob Marley Ft Lvndscape/Bolier – Is This Love (Remix)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 April 2022.

v t e Bob Marley and the Wailers
Bob Marley Peter Tosh Bunny Wailer Other vocalists: Junior Braithwaite Cherry Smith Beverley Kelso Constantine "Vision" Walker Rita Marley Marcia Griffiths Judy Mowatt Musicians: Aston "Family Man" Barrett Carlton Barrett Earl Lindo Tyrone Downie Alvin "Seeco" Patterson Al Anderson Earl "Chinna" Smith Donald Kinsey Junior Marvin
Studio albums	The Wailing Wailers (1965) Soul Rebels (1970) Soul Revolution Part II (1971) The Best of the Wailers (1971) Catch a Fire (1973) Burnin' (1973) Natty Dread (1974) Rastaman Vibration (1976) Exodus (1977) Kaya (1978) Survival (1979) Uprising (1980) Confrontation (1983)
Compilations	African Herbsman (1973) Rasta Revolution (1974) Legend (1984) Rebel Music (1986) Natural Mystic: The Legend Lives On (1995) 21 Winners: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers (1997) One Love: The Very Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers (2001) Gold (2005) Africa Unite: The Singles Collection (2005)
Live albums	Live! (1975) Babylon by Bus (1978) Talkin' Blues (1991) Live at the Roxy (2003) Live Forever: September 23, 1980 • Stanley Theatre • Pittsburgh, PA (2011) Easy Skanking in Boston '78 (2015)
Remix albums	Chances Are (1981) Chant Down Babylon (1999) B Is for Bob (2009)
Box sets	Songs of Freedom (1992) The Complete Bob Marley & the Wailers 1967–1972 (1997–2002)
Singles	"Judge Not" "Simmer Down" "Guava Jelly" "Stir It Up" "Get Up, Stand Up" "I Shot the Sheriff" "No Woman, No Cry (Live '75)" "Jah Live" "Exodus" "Waiting in Vain" "Jamming"/"Punky Reggae Party" "Is This Love" "Satisfy My Soul" "So Much Trouble in the World" "Could You Be Loved" "Redemption Song" "Three Little Birds" "Forever Loving Jah" "Buffalo Soldier" "One Love/People Get Ready" "Iron Lion Zion" "Sun Is Shining" "Turn Your Lights Down Low" "Slogans" "Is This Love"
Other songs	"One Love" "Rude Boy" "Mr Brown" "No Woman, No Cry" "Turn Your Lights Down Low" "Sun Is Shining" "One Drop"
Performances	Smile Jamaica Concert (1976) Exodus Tour (1977) One Love Peace Concert (1978) Uprising Tour (1980)
Associated acts	The Skatalites The Upsetters Word, Sound and Power The Wailers Band The Original Wailers
Related people	Chris Blackwell Errol Brown Allan Cole Coxsone Dodd Vincent Ford Neville Garrick Joe Higgs Lee Jaffe Arthur Jenkins King Sporty Leslie Kong Johnny Nash Jimmy Norman Lee "Scratch" Perry Mortimer Planno Karl Pitterson Alex Sadkin
Related articles	Discography Band members Outline of Bob Marley 1976 assassination attempt Marley Natural Upsetter Records Tuff Gong Bob Marley Museum Statue of Bob Marley Tribute to the Legend: Bob Marley Marley soundtrack Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley One Love: The Bob Marley Musical Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical Bob Marley: One Love
Category

v t e Corinne Bailey Rae
Studio albums	Corinne Bailey Rae The Sea The Heart Speaks in Whispers Black Rainbows
Live albums	Live in London & New York
Extended plays	The Love EP
Singles	"Like a Star" "Put Your Records On" "Trouble Sleeping" "I'd Like To" "Breathless" "I'd Do It All Again" "Paris Nights/New York Mornings" "Closer"
Related	Discography