This is a discography of American musician
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
.
Overview
Ray Charles first appeared on a ''Billboard'' chart in 1949, when — as part of the Maxin Trio with G.D. McKee and Milton Garred — he charted his first single with "Confession Blues." It reached No. 2 on the R&B chart, then called the Most-Played Juke Box Race Records. In 1952, Charles signed with
Atlantic Records and went on to top ''Billboard''s pop, country, R&B, jazz, and dance charts.
In the early 1960s, after leaving Atlantic Records to sign with
ABC–Paramount, he negotiated for ownership of his own master recordings. He also established his own labels.
Tangerine
The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of ''Citrus retic ...
came first, which later evolved into CrossOver Records. As a songwriter, Charles penned nearly 200 songs. He also operated his own publishing companies, Tangerine Music and Racer Music.
On the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, Charles had 80 hits between 1958 (the year the chart began) and 1990, when "
I'll Be Good to You" became his last Hot 100 single, reaching No. 18. His biggest hit, "
I Can't Stop Loving You
"I Can't Stop Loving You" is a popular song written and composed by country singer, songwriter, and musician Don Gibson, who first recorded it on December 3, 1957, for RCA Victor Records. It was released in 1958 as the B-side of "Oh, Lonesome M ...
", spent five weeks at No. 1 in 1962. He also topped the Hot 100 with the singles "
Hit the Road Jack
"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by the rhythm and blues singer Percy Mayfield and recorded by Ray Charles. The song was a US number 1 hit in 1961, and won a Grammy award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording, becoming one of Charles' sig ...
" and "
Georgia on My Mind
"Georgia on My Mind" is a 1930 song written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell and first recorded that same year by Hoagy Carmichael. However, the song has been most often associated with soul singer Ray Charles, who was a native of the U ...
".
Among all acts, he charted the third-most singles on the Hot 100; only Elvis Presley (with 108) and James Brown (91) had more.
On
''Billboard''s R&B chart, Charles had 86 hits, including 11 chart-toppers such as "
I've Got a Woman", "
What'd I Say (Part 1)", "Hit the Road Jack", and "
You Are My Sunshine
"You Are My Sunshine" is a song published by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell on January 30, 1940. According to Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the song has been recorded by over 350 artists and translated into 30 languages.
In 1977, the Louisi ...
."
Charles also reached No. 1 on the
Hot Country Songs chart in 1985 with "
Seven Spanish Angels", a duet with
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...
. The single appears on Charles' duets album, ''
Friendship
Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague.
In some cultures, the concept o ...
'', which reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums. His 1962 album, ''
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music'', became his first album to top the
''Billboard'' 200.
In 1990, Charles had a No. 1 on the
Hot Dance Club Songs chart with "I'll Be Good to You", a collaboration with
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
and
Chaka Khan.
Albums
The Atlantic years
The ABC years
1973–2004
Posthumous albums
Compilations
Hundreds of Ray Charles compilations and "Greatest Hits/Best Of" albums have been released and continue to be produced and released by various labels around the world. Some of the more notable compilations include:
*1958: ''Ray Charles'' (Coronet)
*1959: ''The Original Ray Charles'' (Hollywood)
*1959: ''The Fabulous Ray Charles'' (Hollywood)
*1961: ''
Do the Twist! with Ray Charles'' (Atlantic)
eissued as ''The Greatest Ray Charles''*1962: ''The Ray Charles Story, Volume One'' (Atlantic)
*1962: ''The Ray Charles Story, Volume Two'' (Atlantic)
*1963: ''The Ray Charles Story, Volume Three'' (Atlantic)
*1964: ''The Ray Charles Story, Volume Four'' (Atlantic)
*1967: ''
A Man And His Soul'' (ABC)
*1970: ''
The Best of Ray Charles'' (Atlantic) (BPI: Silver)
*1971: ''A 25th Anniversary in Show Business Salute to Ray Charles'' (ABC)
*1973: ''
Ray Charles Live'' (Atlantic)
*1978: ''The Tender Side of Ray Charles'' (Suffolk Marketing, Inc.)
*1980: ''Heart to Heart'' (Endeavour) (AUS #46)
[
*1987: ''Ray Charles – His Greatest Hits, Volume 1/Volume 2'' (DCC Compact Classics)
*1988: '' Ray Charles Anthology'' (]Rhino
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
) 960–1972 ABC material*1989: ''Seven Spanish Angels and Other Hits'' (Columbia)
*1990: ''The Collection'' (Castle Communications) (AUS #34)
Singles
Down Beat, Swing Beat, Swing Time releases
1949: The McSon Trio ( Maxin Trio and Maxim Trio):[''Ray Charles, The Way I Feel'' liner notes]
link
*"I Love You, I Love You (I Will Never Let You Go)" / " Confession Blues"
:''"Confession Blues" reached No. 2 on the U.S. R&B charts.''
*"Blues Before Sunrise" / " How Long Blues"
*"A Sentimental Blues" / "You'll Never Miss the Water (Until the Well's Gone Dry)"
*"Alone in the City" / "Can Anyone Ask for More?"
*"Rockin' Chair Blues" / "Let's Have a Ball" (a.k.a. "Here I Am")
*"If I Give You My Love" / "This Love of Mine" (a.k.a. "The Honey Bee")
*"Ain't That Fine" / "Don't Put All Your Dreams in One Basket"
1949–1953: Ray Charles, The Ray Charles Trio:
*"I've Had My Fun (Going Down Slow)" / "Sitting on Top of the World
"Sitting on Top of the World" (also "Sittin' on Top of the World") is a country blues song written by Walter Vinson and Lonnie Chatmon. They were core members of the Mississippi Sheiks, who first recorded it in 1930. Vinson claimed to have c ...
(Now She's Gone)" (1949)
*" See See Rider" / "What Have I Done?" (1950)
*"She's on the Ball" / "Honey, Honey" (1950)
*"Th' Ego Song" ("Sweet as Can Be") / "Late in the Evening" (1950)
*"Some Day" (a.k.a. "Worried Life Blues
"Worried Life Blues" is a blues standard and one of the most recorded blues songs of all time. Originally recorded by Big Maceo Merriweather in 1941, "Worried Life Blues" was an early blues hit and Maceo's most recognized song. An earlier song ...
"/"Someday Baby") / "I'll Do Anything but Work" (1950)
*" I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" / "All to Myself" (1951)
*"Lonely Boy" / "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand" (1951)
:''"Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand" reached No. 5 on the U.S. R&B charts.''
*"I'm Glad for Your Sake" / "Kissa Me Baby" (1952)
:''"Kissa Me Baby" reached No. 8 on the U.S. R&B charts.''
*" Baby Won't You Please Come Home" / "Hey Now" (1952)
*"Baby Let Me Hear You Call My Name" / "Guitar Blues" (B-side by Rufus Beacham Orchestra) (1952)
*"I Can't Do No More" / "Roly Poly" (a.k.a. "Back Home") (B-side by Rufus Beacham Orchestra) (1952)
*"Walkin' and Talkin' to Myself" / "I'm Wonderin' and Wonderin'" (1952)
*"Misery in My Heart" / "The Snow Is Falling (Snowfall)" (1953)
Atlantic releases
The list of singles below are songs Ray Charles released while on the Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
label between 1952 and 1980.
ABC releases
This list below is of songs Ray Charles released on the ABC-Paramount, ABC, and subsidiary Impulse and Tangerine/TRC labels from 1960 to 1973.
*AThrough a period between November 1963 and January 1965, Billboard Magazine
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the musi ...
did not publish an R&B singles chart. Positions shown are from the Cashbox RnB Charts during this period.
CrossOver releases
This list below is of songs Ray Charles released while on the CrossOver label from 1973 to 1976.
Columbia releases (all country music)
Listed below are songs Ray Charles released during his Columbia Records tenure which was spent on the country singles chart.
Other releases
Listed below are songs Ray Charles issued on various labels where the pop and R&B charts are concerned.
''Billboard'' Year-end performances
Video performances
*''O Genio – Live in Brazil 1963'' (Rhino) 1963 São Paulo performance
*''The Dick Cavett Show – Ray Charles Collection'' (Shout! Factory Theatre) 1972 and 1973 TV appearances
*''Soul of the Holy Land'' (Xenon) 1973 Israel tour
*''Ray Charles Live – In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony'' (Eagle Rock) 1981 performance
*''Ray Charles – 50 Years in Music'' (Image Entertainment) 1991 Pasadena, CA performance
*''Live at Montreux, 1997'' (Eagle Rock, Sunset Home Visual Entertainment)
*''Ray Charles, Live at the Olympia, 2000'' (XIII Bis) 2000 Paris performance
*''Ray Charles in Concert'' (with special guest Diane Schuur
Diane Joan Schuur (born December 10, 1953), nicknamed "Deedles", is an American jazz singer and pianist. As of 2015, Schuur had released 23 albums, and had extended her jazz repertoire to include essences of Latin, gospel, pop and country music ...
) (Image Entertainment) 1999 Miami, FL 'Lighthouse for the Blind' benefit
*''Ray Charles Celebrates a Gospel Christmas with Voices of Jubilation'' (Urban Works, Medialink Entertainment, LLC) 2002 Green Bay, WI performance
*''The Legend Lives On'' (Immortal) video compilation of various performances
References
External links
Album Discography at RayCharles.com
* Ray Charles Discographyat AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
.
Robert Christgau reviews of several Charles albumsRay Charles lyrics
at Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music was a brand under which Yahoo! provided a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming. Previously, users with Yahoo! accounts could gain access to hundreds o ...
Atlantic Records discography at jazzdisco.org
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles, Ray
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 ...
Discographies of American artists
Pop music discographies
Rock music discographies
Rhythm and blues discographies