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Tom Waits discography

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Tom Waits discography
A man performing on-stage, surrounded by confetti. Several instruments surround him and behind him a man is playing a double bass.
Waits performing in 2008
Studio albums17
Live albums2
Compilation albums7
Video albums1
Music videos16
Singles23
Soundtrack albums2
Box sets1

The discography of the American rock musician Tom Waits spans five decades. It consists of 17 studio albums, 3 live albums, 7 compilation albums, 23 singles, 2 soundtracks, and 1 box set. Waits has also released one video album and 16 music videos.

Waits's debut release was the 1973 single "Ol' '55", which was the lead single for his debut album Closing Time (1973). He began recording in 1971, but these first sessions would not be released until the beginning of the 1990s. For most of the 1970s he recorded for Asylum Records. After cutting his first soundtrack album for the Francis Ford Coppola musical film One from the Heart, Waits signed with Island Records for the 1980s.[1]

The release of Bone Machine in 1992 brought him a Grammy Award, after a less prolific decade.[1] After Island Records, Waits moved to Anti/Epitaph for Mule Variations, an album that won him a second Grammy.[1] Since the mid-1980s, he has collaborated with his wife Kathleen Brennan. His latest studio album, titled Bad as Me, was released in 2011.[1]

As of 2011, according to Nielsen Soundscan, Waits has sold 4.6 million albums in the United States.[2]

Discography

[edit]

Albums

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
Year Album details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
(sales thresholds)
US
[3]
AUS
[4]
AUT
[5]
FRA
[6]
GER
[7]
IRL
[8]
NLD
[9]
NOR
[10]
SWE
[11]
UK
[12]
1973 Closing Time
  • Released: March 6, 1973
  • Label: Asylum (53 030)
  • Formats: LP, CD
44 29
1974 The Heart of Saturday Night
  • Released: October 15, 1974
  • Label: Asylum (53 035)
  • Formats: LP, CD
201
1975 Nighthawks at the Diner
  • Released: October 21, 1975
  • Label: Asylum (63002)
  • Formats: 2xLP, CS, CD
164
1976 Small Change
  • Released: September 21, 1976
  • Label: Asylum (53 050)
  • Formats: LP, CD
89
1977 Foreign Affairs
  • Released: September 13, 1977
  • Label: Asylum (53 068)
  • Formats: LP, CS, CD
113
1978 Blue Valentine
  • Released: September 5, 1978
  • Label: Asylum (53 088)
  • Formats: LP, CS, CD
181 42
1980 Heartattack and Vine
  • Released: September 9, 1980
  • Label: Asylum (52 252)
  • Formats: LP, CS, CD
96 31 81
1983 Swordfishtrombones
  • Released: September 1, 1983
  • Label: Island (90095)
  • Formats: LP, CS, CD
167 48 18 62
1985 Rain Dogs
  • Released: September 30, 1985
  • Label: Island (90299)
  • Formats: LP, CS, CD
181 49 26 23 12 5 29
1987 Franks Wild Years
  • Released: August 17, 1987
  • Label: Island (90572)
  • Formats: LP, CS, CD
115 83 24 49 21 13 17 20
1992 Bone Machine
  • Released: September 8, 1992
  • Label: Island (512 580)
  • Formats: CD, LP, CS
176 41 22 42 31 15 38 26
1993 The Black Rider
  • Released: November 2, 1993
  • Label: Island (518 559)
  • Formats: CD, LP
130 68 47
1999 Mule Variations
  • Released: April 16, 1999
  • Label: Anti- (86547)
  • Formats: CD, 2×LP, CS, MD
30 13 7 22 4 12 1 7 9
2002 Alice
  • Released: May 4, 2002
  • Label: Anti- (86632)
  • Formats: CD, LP
33 26 3 27 10 5 16 3 13 20
Blood Money
  • Released: May 4, 2002
  • Label: Anti- (86629)
  • Formats: CD, LP
32 25 5 36 9 4 21 4 12 21
2004 Real Gone
  • Released: October 3, 2004
  • Label: Anti- (86678)
  • Formats: CD, 2xLP
28 27 11 39 19 9 10 2 9 16
2011 Bad as Me 6 11 5 28 7 5 3 1 4 10

Soundtrack albums

[edit]
Year Album details
1982 One from the Heart (with Crystal Gayle)
  • Released: February 1982
  • Label: CBS (37703)
  • Formats: LP, CD
1992 Night on Earth
  • Released: April 7, 1992
  • Label: Island (510 725)
  • Formats: CD, LP

Live albums

[edit]
Year Album details Peak chart positions
US
[3]
AUT
[5]
FRA
[6]
GER
[7]
IRL
[8]
NLD
[9]
NOR
[10]
SWE
[11]
UK
[12]
1988 Big Time
  • Released: September 1988
  • Label: Island (90987)
  • Format: LP, CD, CS
152 36 84
2009 Glitter and Doom Live
  • Released: November 23, 2009
  • Label: Anti- (87053)
  • Format: 2xCD, 2xLP, digital download
63 30 91 61 44 36 5 46 76

Compilation albums

[edit]
Year Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
[4]
AUT
[5]
NOR
[10]
NZL
[28]
UK
[12]
1981 Bounced Checks
  • Released: 1981
  • Label: Asylum (52 316)
  • Formats: LP, CS
75 24
1984 Anthology of Tom Waits
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: Asylum (60 416)
  • Formats: LP, CS
1986 Asylum Years
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: Asylum (960 321)
  • Formats: LP, CD
40
1991 The Early Years, Volume One
1993 The Early Years, Volume Two
  • Released: February 1993
  • Label: Bizarre/Manifesto Records (40602)
  • Formats: CD, LP
1998 Beautiful Maladies – The Island Years
  • Released: June 1998
  • Label: Island (524 519)
  • Formats: CD
18 63
2001 Used Songs 1973–1980
  • Released: October 16, 2001
  • Label: Rhino (78351)
  • Formats: CD
63 18

Box sets

[edit]
Year Album details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
(sales thresholds)
US
[3]
AUS
[4]
AUT
[5]
FRA
[6]
GER
[7]
IRL
[8]
NLD
[9]
NOR
[10]
SWE
[11]
UK
[12]
2006 Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
  • Released: November 20, 2006
  • Label: Anti- (86844)
  • Formats: 3xCD, 7xLP, digital download
74 59 15 46 26 25 5 4 6 49

Singles

[edit]

Retail singles

[edit]
Year Single Peak chart positions Album
BEL
[31]
FRA
[6]
1973 "Ol' '55" Closing Time
1974 "Blue Skies" non-album single
1975 "San Diego Serenade" The Heart of Saturday Night
1976 "Step Right Up" Small Change
1979 "Somewhere" Blue Valentine
1980 "Jersey Girl" Heartattack and Vine
1983 "In the Neighborhood" Swordfishtrombones
1985 "Downtown Train" Rain Dogs
1987 "Hang On St. Christopher" Franks Wild Years
1988 "16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought-Six" (live) Big Time
1992 "Goin' Out West" Bone Machine
1999 "Hold On" Mule Variations
2006 "Lie to Me" Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
2011 "Bad as Me" 50 Bad as Me
"Back in the Crowd" 123

Promotional singles

[edit]
Year Single Album
1975 "(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night" The Heart of Saturday Night
1985 "Tango Till They're Sore" Down By Law
1993 "Heartattack and Vine" Heartattack and Vine
"I'll Shoot the Moon" The Black Rider
2002 "Alice" Alice
"God's Away on Business" Blood Money
2004 "How It's Gonna End" Real Gone
"Make It Rain"

Other appearances

[edit]

Studio

[edit]
Year Song(s) Album Album type Notes
1985 "What Keeps Mankind Alive?" Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill tribute Kurt Weill cover
1988 "Heigh Ho (The Dwarfs Marching Song)" Stay Awake cover of song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1989 "Sea of Love" Sea of Love[32] soundtrack Phil Phillips cover
1990 "It's All Right with Me" Red Hot + Blue charity Cole Porter cover
1996 "Fall of Troy" and "Walk Away" Dead Man Walking soundtrack original songs
1997 "Little Drop of Poison" The End of Violence[33]
1999 "Books of Moses" More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album tribute Skip Spence cover
"On the Road" Jack Kerouac Reads on the Road anthology Jack Kerouac adaptation, with Primus
2000 "Putting on the Dog" and "It's Over" Liberty Heights[34][35] soundtrack original songs
"Rains on Me" Free the West Memphis 3 charity with Chuck E. Weiss
2001 "Long Way Home" and "Jayne's Blue Wish" Big Bad Love[36] soundtrack original song
2002 "Bend Down the Branches" For the Kids charity original song, previously featured in 1998 film Bunny
2003 "The Return of Jackie and Judy" We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to Ramones tribute Ramones cover
2004 "King Kong" The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered Daniel Johnston cover
2013 "Shenandoah" Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys various artists with Keith Richards
2016 "The Soul of a Man" and "John the Revelator" God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson tribute Blind Willie Johnson covers

Live

[edit]
Year Song(s) Album Notes
1987 various tracks Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
1998 "Fall of Troy" Rare on Air, Volume Four[37]
2007 "Way Down In The Hole," "God's Away On Business," "Lost In The Harbor," and "Diamond In Your Mind" Healing the Divide: A Concert for Peace and Reconciliation with Kronos Quartet
[edit]
Year Song(s) Album Artist
1975 "Your Sweet and Shiney Eyes" Home Plate Bonnie Raitt
1979 "Waitin for Waits" Hollywood Madness Richie Cole
1986 "Harlem Shuffle" Dirty Work The Rolling Stones
1989 "Silent Night" SOS United SOS Children's Villages
1989 "Date to Church" I'll Be You single The Replacements
1991 "Tommy the Cat" Sailing the Seas of Cheese Primus
1991 "Thousand Bing Bangs" and "The Movie" Devout Catalyst Ken Nordine
1991 "Little Man" and "I'm Not Your Fool Anymore" Mississippi Lad Teddy Edwards
1992 "Adios Lounge" Beautiful Mess Thelonious Monster
1993 "Tramp and Tom Waits With Full Orchestra" and "Coda: Tom Waits With High Strings" Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet Gavin Bryars
1998 "River of Men" and "World of Adventure" Fishing With John John Lurie
1999 "Coattails of a Dead Man" Antipop Primus
1999 "Do You Know What I Idi Amin?" and "It Rains on Me", and co-produced album Extremely Cool Chuck E. Weiss
2000 "Helium Reprise" Helium Tin Hat Trio
2000 "I'll Tell Why That Is" Beatin' the Heat Dan Hicks
2001 "Buzz Fledderjohn" and "Fannin'", and produced album Wicked Grin John P. Hammond
2001 "Dog Door" It's a Wonderful Life Sparklehorse
2001 "Mahfouz" Witness Dave Douglas
2002 "What's He Building in There"" Hullabaloo Soundtrack Muse
2002 "Diamond in Your Mind" Don't Give Up On Me Solomon Burke
2003 "Go Tell It on the Mountain" Go Tell It on the Mountain The Blind Boys of Alabama
2004 "Kitate" The Ride Los Lobos
2005 "Going Fetal"" Blinking Lights and Other Revelations Eels
2006 "Morning Hollow" Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain Sparklehorse
2007 "Pray" Traineater The Book of Knots
2008 "Waitress" When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold Atmosphere
2009 "Spacious Thoughts" The Spirit of Apollo N.A.S.A.
2010 "Tootie Ma Was a Big Fine Thing" and "Corrine Died on The Battlefield" Preservation: An Album to Benefit Preservation Hall & The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program Preservation Hall Jazz Band
2011 "Ghost to a Ghost" and "Fadin' Moon" Ghost to a Ghost/Gutter Town Hank Williams III
2018 "Bella Ciao" Songs Of Resistance 1942 - 2018 Marc Ribot

Other

[edit]
  • 1987 Smack My Crack: "The Pontiac", spoken-word piece
  • 1993 Born to Choose: "Filipino Box Spring Hog", earlier release of Mule Variations song
  • 2007 People Take Warning! Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs 1913–1938, by various artists: Waits wrote the introduction for this 3 CD reissue anthology produced by Christopher King and Henry "Hank" Sapoznik
  • 2011 Hard Ground by Michael O'Brien: contributed poems to accompany photographs of homeless people in Austin, Texas taken by Michael O'Brien

Music videos

[edit]
Year Title Director
1979 "The One That Got Away" John Lamb
1983 "In the Neighborhood" Haskell Wexler[38]
1985 "Downtown Train" Jean-Baptiste Mondino[39]
1987 "Blow Wind Blow" Chris Blum[40]
"Temptation" Betzy Bromberg[41]
1990 "It's All Right with Me" Jim Jarmusch
1992 "Goin' Out West" Jesse Dylan[42]
"I Don't Wanna Grow Up" Jim Jarmusch [41]
1999 "Hold On" Matt Mahurin[43]
"Come On Up to the House" Anders Lövgren
"What's He Building?"
2002 "God's Away on Business" Jesse Dylan[44]
2004 "Top of the Hill" Chris Blum[41]
2006 "Lie to Me" Danny Clinch[45]
2011 "Satisfied" Jesse Dylan[46]
2012 "Hell Broke Luce" Matt Mahurin[47]

Video albums

[edit]
Year Album details
1988 Big Time
  • Released: September 1988
  • Label: Island
  • Format: VHS

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Ruhlmann, William. "Tom Waits - Biography". Billboard.com. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  2. ^ "Strictly By The Numbers - Tom Waits". Billboard. March 19, 2011. p. 26. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Tom Waits – Awards at AllMusic. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Peaks in Australia:
    • All peaks pre-1988 (Kent Music Report): Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 331. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
    • All peaks after 1988 except noted: "Discography Tom Waits". australian-charts.com. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
    • Orphans, Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 296.
  5. ^ a b c d "Discographie Tom Waits – austriancharts.at". austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d "lescharts.com – Discographie Tom Waits". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c "Discographie von Tom Waits" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "irishcharts.com – Discography Tom Waits". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  9. ^ a b c "dutchcharts.nl – Discografie Tom Waits". dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  10. ^ a b c d "norwegiancharts.com – Discography Tom Waits". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  11. ^ a b c "swedishcharts.com – Discography Tom Waits". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  12. ^ a b c d "TOM WAITS | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  13. ^ a b c d e f "British Phonographic Industry – Certified awards search". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2011. N.B. User must define search parameters and enter "Tom Waits" into the Search field, select "Artist" in the Search by field, and click Go.
  14. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  15. ^ a b c "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2018-03-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America.
  17. ^ a b c "Gold and Platinum Search". Music Canada. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2011. N.B. User must define search parameters and enter "Tom Waits" into the Artist field and click Search.
  18. ^ "Anti Artists - Tom Waits" (PDF). Billboard. January 27, 2007. p. 47. Retrieved December 9, 2019 – via American Radio History.
  19. ^ "'New IMPALA Awards include Yolanda Be Cool & DCup, The XX, Prince, Katie Melua, Tom Waits and Ida Corr vs. Fedde le Grand". IMPALA. 5 October 2010. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  20. ^ Merritt, Stephanie (November 12, 2006). "Tom Waits, Orphans". The Guardian. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  21. ^ a b c d "Dutch album certifications – Tom Waits" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved December 9, 2018. Enter Tom Waits in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  22. ^ a b Jeckell, Barry A. (August 21, 2003). "Billboard Bits: Waits, Bozulich, Santa Fe Jazz Fest". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  23. ^ a b c "Impala sales award winners June 2005 - January 2008" (PDF). Impala music. January 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  24. ^ Roberts, Randall (October 22, 2011). "Riffing with Tom Waits: Critic's Notebook – Page 2 – Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 29, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  25. ^ "2013 Grammy Awards: Rock, Alternative & Metal Nominations". Billboard. December 21, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  26. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (January 16, 2012). "Indie rock's slow and painful death". The Guardian. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  27. ^ "13/12/12 More Independent Artists Take European Gold, Silver and Platinum Awards Than Ever Before". IMPALA. December 13, 2012. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  28. ^ "charts.nz – Discography Tom Waits". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  29. ^ "RIAA – Recording Industry Association of America". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on June 26, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2011. N.B. User must define search parameters and enter "Tom Waits" into Search G&P Database and click Search.
  30. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Tom Waits – Orphans". Music Canada.
  31. ^ "ultratop.be – Discografie Tom Wait". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  32. ^ "Various - Sea Of Love (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  33. ^ "Various - The End Of Violence - Songs From The Motion Picture Soundtrack". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  34. ^ "Various - Liberty Heights: Music From The Motion Picture". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  35. ^ "Liberty Heights [Original Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  36. ^ "Various - Big Bad Love (Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  37. ^ "Various - Rare On Air (Volume Four)". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  38. ^ Jacobs, Jay S. (2006). Wild Years: The Music and Myth of Tom Waits. ECW Press. p. 132. ISBN 1550227165. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  39. ^ Keepnews, Peter (1985). "Waits Not Waiting for a Hit". Billboard. No. November 16, 1985. p. 51. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  40. ^ Jacobs, p. 152
  41. ^ a b c "Tom Waits Library". tomwaitsfan.com. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  42. ^ "Goin' Out West on Vimeo". ANTI-. Vimeo. 2 April 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  43. ^ ""Hold On" by Tom Waits | Music Video | VH1.com". VH1. Archived from the original on July 8, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  44. ^ ""God's Away on Business" by Tom Waits | Music Video | VH1.com". VH1. Archived from the original on March 24, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  45. ^ "Tom Waits: Lie to Me – Danny Clinch". dannyclinch.com. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  46. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (November 8, 2011). "Video: Tom Waits: "Satisfied" | News | Pitchfork". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  47. ^ Thompson, Stephen (August 7, 2012). "Watch Tim Waits' Bracing, Beautiful 'Hell Broke Luce' Video; NPR". NPR. Retrieved August 7, 2012.