It was the last album before Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer decided to pursue solo careers, while continuing their local releases through their company Tuff Gong Records.

A commercial and critical success in the United States, Burnin' was certified Gold and later added to the National Recording Registry, with the Library of Congress deeming it historically and culturally significant.

[4] It was mixed and overdubbed by Chris Blackwell at Island Records' Basing Street studios in London during the spring of 1973 while the band were touring in support of their previous album, Catch a Fire.

[4] Burnin' opens with one of The Wailers' best known songs,[citation needed] the call to action "Get Up, Stand Up" and includes a more confrontational and militant tone than previous records,[citation needed] such as in another Wailers standard turned into a number one hit by Eric Clapton, "I Shot the Sheriff".

[6] In 2007 the album was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its historical and cultural significance.