| Sam Cooke discography | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio albums | 14 |
| Live albums | 2 |
| Compilation albums | 13 |
| Singles | 49 |
| Box sets | 2 |
The discography of Sam Cooke, an American singer and songwriter, consists of fourteen studio albums (including one collaborative album and two notable posthumous releases), two live albums, 49 singles, 13 compilations and 2 box sets. Over the course of his eight-year career, Cooke placed 29 singles in the Top 40 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. He also placed 20 singles in the Top Ten of Billboard's R&B chart, Black Singles chart. Between 1957 and 1960, Sam Cooke's records were produced on the Keen label. From 1960 through 1966, they were produced on the RCA label.
Ownership of Cooke's material is split between RCA (roughly 1958–1963) and ABKCO (post-1963), with each label releasing their own compilations and rarely cross-licensing ( The Man and His Music and Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964 being the two exceptions). As a result, few of Cooke's original albums saw individual release on the medium of compact disc, and, consequently, digital distribution, although all of Cooke's recorded work has been released either in compilation or box set.
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US [1] | ||||||||||||
| Sam Cooke |
|
16 | ||||||||||
| Encore |
|
— | ||||||||||
| Tribute to the Lady |
|
— | ||||||||||
| Cooke's Tour |
|
— | ||||||||||
| Hits of the 50's |
|
— | ||||||||||
| Swing Low |
|
— | ||||||||||
| My Kind of Blues |
|
— | ||||||||||
| Twistin' the Night Away |
|
74 | ||||||||||
| Mr. Soul |
|
94 | ||||||||||
| Night Beat |
|
62 | ||||||||||
| Ain't That Good News |
|
34 | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
Posthumous studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US [1] |
US R&B [1] | |||||||||||
| Shake |
|
44 | 1 | |||||||||
| Try a Little Love |
|
120 | — | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US [1] |
US R&B [1] | |||||||||||
| Sam Cooke at the Copa |
|
29 | 1 | |||||||||
| Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 |
|
— | — | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
Collaboration albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| 3 Great Guys |
|
Compilation albums
Numerous compilation albums and greatest hits collections of Cooke's work have been released, notably Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964 in 2003. This list compiles the most notable compilation releases from major labels. Many cross-licensed compilations from smaller labels (most of which contain Cooke's gospel work with the Soul Stirrers) are not represented here.
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US [1] |
US R&B [1] |
UK [3] [4] | ||||||||||
| Hit Kit |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||
| The Wonderful World of Sam Cooke |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||
| I Thank God |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||
| The Best of Sam Cooke |
|
22 | — | — | ||||||||
| The Best of Sam Cooke, Volume II |
|
128 | 7 | — | ||||||||
| The Unforgettable Sam Cooke |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||
| The One and Only |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||
| This Is Sam Cooke |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||
| The Man and His Music |
|
— | — | 8 |
| |||||||
| The Rhythm and the Blues |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||
| Greatest Hits |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||
| Keep Movin' On |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||
| Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964 |
|
— | — | 19 |
| |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
Box sets
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The Man Who Invented Soul |
|
| The RCA Albums Collection |
|
| The Complete KEEN Years: 1957-1960 |
|
Singles
| Title (A-side / B-side) |
Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US [1] |
US R&B [1] |
UK [4] | |||||||||||
| "
You Send Me" " Summertime" |
1957 | 1 81 |
1 — |
29 — |
Sam Cooke (Keen) | ||||||||
| "
I'll Come Running Back to You" "Forever" |
18 60 |
1 — |
23 — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "
(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" "Desire Me" |
17 47 |
15 17 |
— — |
Non-album track/re-recorded for Mr. Soul
Non-album track | |||||||||
| "That's All I Need to Know" "I Don't Want to Cry" |
1958 | — — |
— — |
— — |
Non-album tracks | ||||||||
| "
You Were Made for Me" " Lonely Island" |
27 26 |
7 10 |
— — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "Stealing Kisses" "All of My Life" |
— — |
— — |
— — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "Win Your Love for Me" "Love Song from Houseboat (Almost in Your Arms)" |
22 — |
4 — |
— — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "
Blue Moon" "Love You Most of All" [A] |
— 26 |
— 12 |
— — |
Non-album track | |||||||||
| "I Need You Now" "Happy in Love" |
1959 | — — |
— — |
— — |
Non-album tracks | ||||||||
| "
Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha" "Little Things You Do" |
31 — |
2 — |
— — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "
Only Sixteen" "Let's Go Steady Again" |
28 — |
13 — |
23 — |
||||||||||
| "Summertime (Part 1)" "Summertime (Part 2)" |
— — |
— — |
— — |
Sam Cooke
(Keen) Non-album track | |||||||||
| "
There, I've Said It Again" "One Hour Ahead of the Posse" |
81 — |
25 — |
— — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "Mary, Mary Lou" "Ee-Yi-Ee-Yi-Oh" |
1960 | — — |
— — |
— — |
Encore Non-album track | ||||||||
| "T'Aint Nobody's Bizness" "No One (Can Ever Take Your Place)" |
— — |
— — |
— — |
Tribute to the Lady
Non-album track | |||||||||
| "Teenage Sonata" " If You Were the Only Girl" |
50 — |
22 — |
— — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "You Understand Me" "I Belong to Your Heart" |
— — |
— — |
— — |
||||||||||
| "
Wonderful World" " Along the Navajo Trail" |
12 — |
2 — |
27 — |
Non-album track Encore | |||||||||
| "With You" "I Thank God" |
— — |
— — |
— — |
Non-album track
I Thank God | |||||||||
| "
Chain Gang" "I Fall in Love Every Day" |
2 — |
2 — |
9 — |
Swing Low
Non-album track | |||||||||
| "So Glamorous" "Steal Away" |
81 — |
25 — |
— — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "
Sad Mood" "Love Me" |
29 — |
23 — |
— — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "
That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On" "What Do You Say" |
1961 | 31 — |
25 — |
— — |
Twistin' the Night Away Non-album track | ||||||||
| "
Cupid" "Farewell, My Darling" |
17 — |
20 — |
7 — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "Feel It" "It's All Right" |
56 93 |
— — |
— — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "Just for You" "Made for Me" |
— — |
— — |
— — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "
Twistin' the Night Away" "One More Time" |
1962 | 9 — |
1 — |
6 — |
Twistin' the Night Away
Non-album track | ||||||||
| "Twistin' in the Kitchen with Dinah" "A Whole Lotta Woman" |
— — |
— — |
— — |
Twistin' the Night Away | |||||||||
| "
Bring It On Home to Me" " Having a Party" |
13 17 |
2 4 |
— — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "
Nothing Can Change This Love" " Somebody Have Mercy" |
12 70 |
2 3 |
— — |
Mr. Soul Twistin' the Night Away | |||||||||
| "
Send Me Some Lovin'" "Baby, Baby, Baby" |
13 66 |
2 — |
— — |
Mr. Soul
Non-album track | |||||||||
| "
Another Saturday Night" "Love Will Find a Way" |
1963 | 10 — |
1 — |
23 — |
Ain't That Good News
Non-album track | ||||||||
| "
Frankie and Johnny" "Cool Train" |
14 — |
4 — |
30 — |
Non-album tracks | |||||||||
| "
Little Red Rooster" "You Gotta Move" |
11 — |
7 — |
— — |
Night Beat | |||||||||
| "
Good News" "Basin Street Blues" |
1964 | 11 — |
[B] | — — |
Ain't That Good News
Non-album track | ||||||||
| "
Good Times" " Tennessee Waltz" |
11 35 |
[B] | — — |
Ain't That Good News | |||||||||
| "
That's Where It's At" "Cousin of Mine" |
93 31 |
— 40 |
— — |
Non-album track | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Posthumous singles
| Title (A-side / B-side) |
Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US [1] |
US R&B [1] |
UK [4] | |||||||||||
| "
Shake" " A Change Is Gonna Come" |
1964 | 7 31 |
2 9 |
— — |
|
Shake Ain't That Good News | |||||||
| "Another Saturday Night" "Send Me Some Lovin'" |
1965 | — — |
— — |
— — |
Ain't That Good News Mr. Soul | ||||||||
| "It's Got The Whole World Shakin'" "(Somebody) Ease My Troublin' Mind" |
41 — |
15 — |
— — |
Shake | |||||||||
| "When a Boy Falls in Love" "The Piper" |
52 — |
— — |
— — |
Try a Little Love Non-album track | |||||||||
| "Sugar Dumpling" "Bridge of Tears" |
32 — |
18 — |
— — |
The Unforgettable Sam Cooke Try a Little Love | |||||||||
| "Feel It" "That's All" |
1966 | — — |
— — |
— — |
The Unforgettable Sam Cooke | ||||||||
| "Let's Go Steady Again" "Trouble Blues" |
97 — |
— — |
— — |
Hit Kit Night Beat | |||||||||
| "Meet Me at Mary's Place" "If I Had a Hammer" |
— — |
— — |
— — |
Ain't That Good News Sam Cooke at the Copa | |||||||||
| "The Last Mile of the Way" "Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone" [C] |
1970 | — — |
— — |
— — |
The Two Sides of Sam Cooke The Gospel Soul of Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers, Volume 1 | ||||||||
| "Bring It On Home to Me" "Nothing Can Change This Love" |
1985 | — — |
— — |
— — |
|
Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 | |||||||
| "Wonderful World" "Chain Gang" |
1986 | — — |
— — |
2 — |
|
Sam Cooke, The Man and His Music | |||||||
| "Another Saturday Night" "You Send Me" |
— — |
— — |
75 — |
||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Billboard Year-End performances
| Year | Song | Year-End Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | " You Send Me" | 20 |
| 1960 | " Chain Gang" | 29 |
| " Wonderful World" | 80 | |
| 1962 | " Twistin' the Night Away" | 23 |
| " Having a Party" | 52 | |
| 1963 | " Another Saturday Night" | 78 |
| 1965 | " Shake" | 66 |
- Notes
- ^ The single "Blue Moon"/"Love You Most of All" was reissued one month following its initial release on the same catalog number, with the A and B sides switched.
- ^ a b Through a period between late 1963 and early 1965, Billboard did not publish an R&B singles chart.
- ^ This release is credited to Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Sam Cooke – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- ^ "Spotlight Winners of the Week" (PDF). Billboard. February 27, 1961. p. 18.
- ^ Roach, Martin, ed. (2009). The Virgin Book of British Hit Albums. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-1700-0.
- ^ a b c "Sam Cooke – Artist – Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "British certifications – Sam Cooke". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 21, 2024. Type Sam Cooke in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
External links
- Sam Cooke discography at MusicBrainz
- Sam Cooke discography at Discogs
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Live albums | |
| Collaboration albums | |
| Compilations | |
| Singles |
|
| Related articles | |
