Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Rolling Stone

Conscious Party is Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers' third album. It was released in 1988. This album became popular with the hits "Tumblin' Down" and "Tomorrow People". It won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1989.

The album saw the Melody Makers, the children of Bob Marley and Rita Marley - Ziggy, Stephen, Sharon and Cedella - who had been organised into a child band by their parents a decade earlier, step into global spotlight for their own talent - at the time public focus largely drawn towards band leader, lead vocalist and the album's chief composer Ziggy Marley.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ziggy Marley, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Conscious Party"4:54
2."Lee and Molly"4:27
3."Tomorrow People"3:38
4."New Love"3:41
5."Tumblin' Down"Tyrone DownieZiggy Marley4:01
6."We a Guh Some Weh"3:51
7."A Who a Say"Z. MarleySteve Marley3:33
8."Have You Ever Been to Hell"5:22
9."We Propose"4:34
10."What's True"3:27
11."Dreams of Home"4:54

Personnel

  • Rita Marley - background vocals
  • Jerry Harrison - Hammond organ
  • Cedella Marley - background vocals
  • Chris Frantz - producer
  • Mulu Gessesse - guitar
  • Zeleke Gessesse - bass
  • Ziggy Marley - guitar, vocals, background vocals
  • Stephen Marley - vocals, background vocals
  • Dereje Makonnen - keyboards, composer
  • Sharon Marley Pendergast - background vocals
  • Lenny Pickett - clarinet, piccolo, saxophone, contrabass
  • Gary Pozner - keyboards
  • Melaku Retta - keyboards
  • Keith Richards - lead guitar on "Lee and Molly"
  • Chris Romanelli
  • Glenn Rosenstein - engineer
  • Mark Roule - tambourine
  • Asrat Aemro Selassie - percussion, bongos, conga, tambourine, background vocals, vibraslap, cabassa, wood block
  • Earl "Chinna" Smith - guitar
  • Raphael W'Mariam - drums, timbales
  • Franklyn "Bubbler" Waul - keyboards
  • Laura Weymouth - background vocals
  • Tina Weymouth - background vocals, producer

Charts

Chart (1988–89)Peak position
Weekly charts Chart (1988–89) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA) 34 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 18 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 4 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 16 US Billboard 200 23 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 26 Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position US Billboard 200 52Singles Year Single Chart Position 1988 "Tomorrow People" Australia (ARIA Charts) 36 Italy Airplay (Music & Media) 4 US Billboard Hot 100 39 US Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 16 "Tumblin' Down" Modern Rock Tracks 5 Mainstream Rock Tracks 43 Hot R&B Singles & Tracks 1 Hot Dance Music/Club Play 28 Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1
Australian Albums (ARIA)34
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)18
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)4
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)16
US Billboard 20023
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)26
Chart (1988)Position
US Billboard 20052
YearSingleChartPosition
1988"Tomorrow People"Australia (ARIA Charts)36
Italy Airplay (Music & Media)4
US Billboard Hot 10039
US Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks16
"Tumblin' Down"Modern Rock Tracks5
Mainstream Rock Tracks43
Hot R&B Singles & Tracks1
Hot Dance Music/Club Play28
Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales1

Certifications

RegionCertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)Gold50,000^
United States (RIAA)Platinum1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.