The discography of
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...
, an English singer-songwriter, consists of thirteen studio albums, one
soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( ...
, one live album, ten
compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
s, one
extended play
An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
, ten
video album
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
s, sixty-three singles (including eight as a featured artist), six
promotional single
A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
s and
fifty-seven music videos (including two as a featured artist). Williams originally found success in the male pop group
Take That
Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
, which he joined in 1990 following a successful audition:
they released a series of UK number-one singles, including "
Pray", "
Relight My Fire", "
Babe" and "
Back for Good". Williams left Take That in 1995 to pursue a solo career; the group disbanded the following year.
His first single, a
cover of English singer
George Michael
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
's "
Freedom
Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws".
In one definition, something is "free" i ...
", reached number two on the
UK Singles Chart in 1996.
''
Life thru a Lens
''Life Thru A Lens'' is the debut solo album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams following his departure from Take That. Released on 29 September 1997 through Chrysalis Records, the album is influenced by Britpop, a departure from the p ...
'', Williams' debut studio album, was released the following year. Although the album initially sold poorly, strong radio play of its fourth single, "
Angels
An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
", helped to increase sales of ''Life thru a Lens'', leading to it topping the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
and later being certified eight times platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry
BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI).
Although it only reached number four in the United Kingdom, consistent sales eventually led "Angels" to be certified double platinum by the BPI;
the single also reached the top ten of the French, German and Swiss singles charts.
Williams released his second album, ''
I've Been Expecting You
''I've Been Expecting You'' is the second studio album by the English singer Robbie Williams. It was released on 26 October 1998 through Chrysalis Records. The album spawned five singles, including lead single "Millennium", which became William ...
'', in October 1998. It too topped the UK Albums Chart and experienced reasonable international success, reaching the top twenty of several worldwide charts. Two of the album's singles, "
Millennium
A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
" and the double A-side "
She's the One" / "
It's Only Us", became Williams' first singles as a solo artist to top the UK Singles Chart.
''
Sing When You're Winning'' followed in August 2000, and became his first to achieve significant overseas commercial success, topping many national album charts and including the UK number-ones "
Rock DJ" and "
Eternity
Eternity, in common parlance, is an Infinity, infinite amount of time that never ends or the quality, condition or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside tim ...
" / "
The Road to Mandalay".
A collection of covers of popular
swing songs, entitled ''
Swing When You're Winning'', was released in November 2001 and his cover of the
Carson Parks song "
Somethin' Stupid" with actress
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...
became his most successful single to date, reaching the top three of many singles charts and peaking at number one in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
During 2002, Williams collaborated with concept band
1 Giant Leap on their single "
My Culture", which reached number nine in the UK.
His next two albums, ''
Escapology'' (2002) and ''
Intensive Care
Intensive care medicine, usually called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. It includes p ...
'' (2005), maintained this success, both topping the UK Albums Chart, and contained the international top-five hits "
Feel" and "
Tripping".
Williams released his first live album, ''
Live at Knebworth'', in 2003 and his first greatest hits album, ''
Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
'', in 2004, with the latter certified six times platinum by the BPI and eight times platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA).
Following a deliberate break from media scrutiny, Williams released his seventh album ''
Rudebox
''Rudebox'' is the seventh studio album by the English singer Robbie Williams, released by Chrysalis Records on 23 October 2006 in the United Kingdom. A breakaway from previous releases, Williams worked with a variety of producers, including Ma ...
'' in October 2006 to great public anticipation. Despite a lukewarm critical reception, it matched the chart success of its predecessors, becoming Williams' seventh album in a row to reach number one in the United Kingdom and spawning the UK number-four
single of the same name.
His eighth album, ''
Reality Killed the Video Star
''Reality Killed the Video Star'' is the eighth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, released in November 2009. The title is a reference to The Buggles' 1979 single ''Video Killed the Radio Star''. The album was produc ...
'', followed in November 2009, but became his first studio album not to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart, charting at number two. The single "
Bodies" reached number two in the UK and topped several European singles charts.
Another retrospective compilation album, ''
In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990–2010'' was released in 2010, reaching number one in the UK: during the year, Williams also returned to Take That, who had reformed in 2006 without him. ''
Take the Crown'', Williams' ninth studio album, was released in November 2012 and featured the UK number-one single "
Candy
Candy, alternatively called sweets or lollies, is a Confectionery, confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, also called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, including chocolate, chewing gum ...
";
his tenth studio album, ''
Swings Both Ways'', was released the following year and became the one thousandth album to top the UK Albums Chart.
As of 2024, Williams has had 14 UK number-one singles (seven solo and seven with Take That; not including being part of four number-one charity singles).
Albums
Studio albums
Soundtrack albums
Live albums
Compilation albums
Extended plays
Singles
As lead artist
As featured artist
Promotional singles
Other charted songs
Guest appearances
As Lufthaus
Albums
Singles
See also
*
Take That discography
Notes
References
External links
Official websiteRobbie Williamsat
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Robbie
Discographies of British artists
Pop music discographies
Discography
Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ...