Roy Orbison discography

Roy Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer-songwriter who found the most success in the early rock and roll era from 1956 to 1964. He later enjoyed a resurgence in the late 1980s with chart success as a member of the Traveling Wilburys and with his Mystery Girl album, which included the posthumous hit single "You Got It". At the height of his popularity, 22 of Orbison's songs placed on the US Billboard Top 40 chart, and six peaked in the top five, including two number-one hits. In the UK, Orbison scored ten top-10 hits between 1960 and 1966, including three number-one singles.

Born and raised in Texas, According to The Authorized Roy Orbison, Orbison's first release was in March 1956 on the Je-Wel label. He broke into professional music under Sam Phillips at Sun Records in the summer of 1956, but he found only marginal success there. After a couple years writing for other musicians (including "Claudette", recorded by The Everly Brothers), Orbison recorded several songs at Monument Records under producer Fred Foster starting in 1959. With Foster, Orbison and his frequent songwriting partners Joe Melson and Bill Dees tailored many of Orbison's songs for his unique voice; his most popular songs were dramatic ballads ending with emotional crescendos that showcased his powerful vocals. After his biggest hit in 1964, "Oh, Pretty Woman", Orbison continued to record and chart intermittently in the UK and Australia, but it was not until 1987 that he again found the level of popular worldwide success he had known in the early 1960s, when his original recording of "In Dreams" was used in David Lynch's film Blue Velvet. The following year, Orbison co-founded the supergroup Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. Lynne produced Orbison's final album Mystery Girl, which was released posthumously in February 1989.

This discography shows main official U.S. and U.K. releases. According to the discography in The Authorized Roy Orbison, there were numerous international single and album releases of importance (not released in the U.S. or U.K.) like the German "San Fernando" b/w "Mama" (London DL 20 726).

Albums

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details

! colspan="10" |Peak chart positions

! rowspan="2" |Certifications

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | US

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | US Country

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | AUS

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | CAN

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | GER

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | NL

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | NOR

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | NZ

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | SWE

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | UK

! scope="row" |Lonely and Blue

Released: January 1961
Label: Monument
Formats: LP

|—

|14

! scope="row" |Roy Orbison at the Rock House

Released: December 1961
Label: Sun
Formats: LP

|—

|17

! scope="row" |Crying

Released: January 1962
Label: Monument
Formats: LP

|21

|—

|17

! scope="row" |In Dreams

Released: July 1963
Label: Monument
Formats: LP

|35

|—

! scope="row" |There Is Only One Roy Orbison

Released: August 1965
Label: MGM
Formats: LP, reel-to-reel

|55

|—

|10

! scope="row" |The Orbison Way

Released: January 1966
Label: MGM
Formats: LP, reel-to-reel

|128

|—

|11

! scope="row" |The Classic Roy Orbison

Released: July 1966
Label: MGM
Formats: LP, 4-track

|—

|12

! scope="row" |Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson

Released: January 1967
Label: MGM
Formats: LP

|—

! scope="row" |Cry Softly Lonely One

Released: October 1967
Label: MGM
Formats: LP

|—

! scope="row" |Roy Orbison's Many Moods

Released: May 1969
Label: MGM
Formats: LP

|—

! scope="row" |The Big O

Released: March 1970
Label: London
Formats: LP
Not released in the US until 2015

|—

! scope="row" |Hank Williams: The Roy Orbison Way

Released: August 1970
Label: MGM
Formats: LP

|—

! scope="row" |Roy Orbison Sings

Released: May 1972
Label: MGM
Formats: LP

|—

! scope="row" |Memphis

Released: November 1972
Label: MGM
Formats: LP

|—

! scope="row" |Milestones

Released: September 24, 1973
Label: MGM
Formats: LP

|—

! scope="row" |I'm Still in Love with You

Released: September 15, 1975
Label: Mercury
Formats: LP, 8-track

|—

! scope="row" |Regeneration

Released: November 23, 1976
Label: Monument
Formats: LP, MC, 8-track

|—

! scope="row" |Laminar Flow

Released: May 16, 1979
Label: Asylum
Formats: LP, MC, 8-track

|—

! scope="row" |In Dreams: The Greatest Hits

Released: May 28, 1987
Label: Virgin
Formats: CD, 2×LP, MC
Re-recordings of older hits

|—

|24

|—

|86

RIAA: Gold
BPI: Silver
RMNZ: Gold

! scope="row" |Mystery Girl

Released: January 30, 1989
Label: Virgin
Formats: CD, 2×LP, MC

|17

RIAA: Platinum
BPI: Platinum
GLF: Platinum
MC: 3× Platinum
NVPI: Platinum
RMNZ: Platinum

! scope="row" |King of Hearts

Released: October 20, 1992
Label: Virgin
Formats: CD, LP, MC

|179

|—

|25

|61

|—

|18

|—

|23

ARIA: Gold

! scope="row" |One of the Lonely Ones

Released: December 4, 2015
Label: Universal
Formats: CD, LP, digital download

|—

|40

|—

| colspan="13" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Collaboration albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details

! colspan="10" |Peak chart positions

! rowspan="2" |Certifications

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | US

BPI: Platinum
BVMI: Gold
GLF: Gold
RMNZ: Platinum

| colspan="13" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Soundtrack albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title

! scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details

! scope="row" |The Fastest Guitar Alive

Released: June 1967
Label: MGM
Formats: LP

Live albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details

! colspan="7" |Peak chart positions

! rowspan="2" |Certifications

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | US

! scope="row" |Combo Concert: 1965 Holland

Released: January 13, 1998
Label: Orbison
Formats: CD

|—

! scope="row" |Live at the BBC

Released: February 1998
Label: Mastertone/BBC
Formats: CD

|—

! scope="row" |Authorized Bootleg Collection

Released: October 26, 1999
Label: Orbison
Formats: LP, MC, 8-track

|—

! scope="row" |Live at Austin City Limits

Released: April 2001
Label: Orbison
Formats: 4×LP

|—

! scope="row" |The Last Concert

Released: August 10, 2010
Label: Eagle
Formats: CD

|—

| colspan="10" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details

! colspan="10" |Peak chart positions

! rowspan="2" |Certifications

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | US

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | CAN

! scope="row" |Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits

Released: August 1962
Label: Monument
Formats: LP

|13

|—

RIAA: Gold

! scope="row" |Love Songs

Released: 2000
Label: WEA
Formats: 2×CD
Australia-only release

|—

|180

|—

! scope="row" |20 Golden Hits

Released: August 2000
Label: TeeVee
Formats: CD, MC

|—

|69

|—

! scope="row" |Love Songs

Released: January 29, 2001
Label: Virgin
Formats: 2×CD, 2×MC
Europe and South Africa-only release

|—

|8

BPI: Gold

! scope="row" |The Very Best of Roy Orbison

Released: October 16, 2006
Label: Orbison/Monument/Legacy/Sony BMG
Formats: CD

|—

|11

|—

|20

ARIA: Platinum
BPI: Platinum

! scope="row" |Playlist: The Very Best of Roy Orbison

Released: April 29, 2008
Label: Monument/Orbison/Legacy
Formats: CD

|—

|50

|—

! scope="row" |The Monument Singles Collection (1960–1964)

Released: April 15, 2011
Label: Monument/Orbison/Legacy/Sony BMG
Formats: 2×CD, 2×LP

|—

|55

|26

|—

|32

|—

|87

! scope="row" |The Monument Singles A-Sides (1960–1964)

Released: April 15, 2011
Label: Monument/Orbison/Legacy/Sony BMG
Formats: CD

|—

|50

|—

! scope="row" |Opus Collection

Released: May 10, 2011
Label: Orbison/Legacy
Formats: CD

|65

|12

|—

! scope="row" |The Real... Roy Orbison

Released: April 10, 2015
Label: Sony Music/Legacy
Formats: 3×CD

|—

|81

! scope="row" |Collected

Released: July 1, 2016
Label: Universal Music
Formats: 3×CD
Netherlands-only release

|—

|13

|—

! scope="row" |The Ultimate Collection

Released: October 28, 2016
Label: Monument/Legacy
Formats: CD, 2×LP, digital download

|—

|40

|12

|—

|10

BPI: Platinum
Label: Roy's Boys/Monument/Legacy
Formats: CD, 2×LP, digital download

|—

|32

|—

BPI: Gold
Label: Pickwick
Formats: 3×CD, 3×MC
UK-only release

|—

! scope="row" |Orbison 1955–1965

Released: February 16, 2001
Label: Bear Family
Formats: 7×CD
Germany-only release

|—

! scope="row" |The Complete Collection

Released: 2003
Label: Insight Music/Orbison
Formats: 2×CD+DVD
Europe-only release

|—

! scope="row" |The Soul of Rock and Roll

Released: November 24, 2008
Label: Monument/Orbison/Legacy
Formats: 4×CD

|—

! scope="row" |Greatest Hits

Released: 2008
Label: Sony BMG
Formats: 3×CD
Europe-only release

|—

! scope="row" |The Monument Vinyl Box

Released: November 29, 2013
Label: Monument/Legacy
Formats: 4×LP

|—

! scope="row" |The MGM Years 1965–1973

Released: December 4, 2015
Label: Universal Music
Formats: 13×CD, 14×LP, digital download

|—

! scope="row" |A Love So Beautiful & Unchained Melodies (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

Released: June 7, 2019
Label: Rory's Boys/Monument/Legacy
Formats: 2×CD

|—

|22

| colspan="4" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

EPs

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Title

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |EP details

! colspan="2" |Peak chart positions

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | AUS

! scope="row" |Hillbilly Rock

Released: September 1957
Label: London
Formats: 7"
UK and France-only release

|—

! scope="row" |Only the Lonely

Released: December 1960
Label: London
Formats: 7"
UK and Spain-only release

|—

|15

! scope="row" |Roy Orbison

Released: March 1963
Label: London
Formats: 7"
UK-only release

|—

! scope="row" |In Dreams

Released: May 1963
Label: London
Formats: 7"
UK and New Zealand-only release

|—

! scope="row" |She Wears My Ring

Released: May 1964
Label: London
Formats: 7"
Australia-only release

|68

|—

! scope="row" |It's Over

Released: August 1964
Label: London
Formats: 7"
UK and New Zealand-only release

|—

! scope="row" |Sweet and Easy to Love

Released: November 1964
Label: Ember
Formats: 7"
UK-only release

|—

! scope="row" |Oh, Pretty Woman

Released: December 1964
Label: London
Formats: 7"
UK and New Zealand-only release

|—

! scope="row" |Tryin' to Get to You

Released: 1965
Label: Ember
Formats: 7"
UK-only release

|—

! scope="row" |Devil Doll

Released: 1965
Label: Ember
Formats: 7"
UK-only release

|—

! scope="row" |Roy Orbison's Stage Show Hits

Released: February 19, 1965
Label: London
Formats: 7"
UK-only release

|—

|10

! scope="row" |Love Hurts

Released: June 1965
Label: London
Formats: 7"
UK-only release

|—

! scope="row" |Ooby Dooby

Released: December 1976
Label: Charly
Formats: 7"
UK-only release

|—

| colspan="4" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Singles

1950s

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:17em;" |Title

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:2em;" |Year

!Peak chart positions

! rowspan="2" |Album

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |US

! scope="row" |"Trying to Get to You" "Ooby Dooby" (as a member of the Teen Kings)

| rowspan="3" |1956

| — —

| rowspan="9"

! scope="row" |"Ooby Dooby" (re-recording) "Go! Go! Go!" (as Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings)

|59 —

! scope="row" |"Rockhouse" "You're My Baby" (as Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings)

|— —

! scope="row" |"Sweet and Easy to Love" "Devil Doll" (as Roy Orbison and the Roses)

| rowspan="2" |1957

|— —

! scope="row" |"Chicken-Hearted" "I Like Love"

|— —

! scope="row" |"Seems to Me" "Sweet and Innocent"

|1958

|— —

! scope="row" |"Almost Eighteen" "Jolie"

| rowspan="3" |1959

|— —

! scope="row" |"Paper Boy" "With the Bug"

|— —

! scope="row" |"Up Town" "Pretty One"

|72 —

| colspan="4" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

1960s

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" |Title

! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:2em;" |Year

! colspan="10" |Peak chart positions

! rowspan="2" |Certifications

! rowspan="2" |Album

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |US

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |US AC

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |AUS

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |BEL

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |CAN

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |GER

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |NL

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" |UK

! scope="row" |"Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)" "Here Comes That Song Again"

| rowspan="3" |1960

| 2 —

| — —

| 5 —

| 6 —

| 2 —

|— —

| 2 —

|7 —

|2 —

| 1 —

BPI: Silver

| rowspan="2" |Lonely and Blue

----

Non-album track

! scope="row" |"Blue Angel" "Today's Teardrops"

|9 —

|— —

|28 —

|— —

|14 —

|— —

|8 —

|— —

|11 —

! scope="row" |"I'm Hurtin'" "I Can't Stop Loving You"

|27 —

|— —

|27 —

|— —

|Lonely and Blue

! scope="row" |"Running Scared" "Love Hurts"

| rowspan="2" |1961

|1 —

|— —

|1 —

|— —

|1 —

|9 —

|Crying

! scope="row" |"Crying" "Candy Man"

|2 25

|— —

|2 —

|25 —

BPI: Silver|group=upper-alpha —

|4 —

|6 —

BPI: Silver

----

In Dreams

! scope="row" |"Borne on the Wind" "What'd I Say"

| rowspan="3" |1964

|— —

|9 —

|— —

|15 —

| rowspan="5"

! scope="row" |"It's Over" "Indian Wedding"

|9 —

|— —

|4 —

|29 —

|— —

|1 —

|4 —

|1 —

BPI: Silver

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | AUS

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | NL

BPI: Platinum

! scope="row" |In Dreams – The Roy Orbison Story

Released: 2001
Label: Wienerworld Presentation
Formats: DVD

|—

|4

|—

|3

ARIA: Platinum
MC: Gold

! scope="row" |"In Dreams"

| rowspan="2" |1987

| rowspan="3" |Leslie Libman

! scope="row" |"Crying"

! scope="row" |"You Got It"

| rowspan="4" |1989

! scope="row" |"She's a Mystery to Me"

|David Fincher

! scope="row" |"California Blue"

|Unknown

! scope="row" |"A Love So Beautiful"

|Matt Mahurin

! scope="row" |I Drove All Night"

| rowspan="2" |1992

|Peter Care

! scope="row" |"Heartbreak Radio"

| rowspan="2" |Unknown

! scope="row" |"The Way Is Love"

|2014

! scope="row" |"One of the Lonely Ones"

|2016

|Michael Lawrence and Alana Lawrence

Collaborations and guest appearances

"Find My Baby for Me" – Sonny Burgess
"I Was a Fool" – Ken Cook
"Jenny" – Ken Cook
"I Fell in Love" – Ken Cook
"Rockabilly Gal" – Hayden Thompson
"Greenback Dollar", "Watch and Chain" – Ray Harris
"Cast Iron Arm" – Johnny Wilson
"You've Got Love" – Johnny Wilson
"Don't Do Me This Way" – Ricky Tucker (erroneously reported as being with Buddy Holly)
"Patty Baby" – Ricky Tucker (erroneously reported as being with Buddy Holly)
"Fools like Me" – Jerry Lee Lewis
"No One Really Cares" – Kris Jensen
"Shook Up" – Joe Melson
"Dance" – Joe Melson
"I'm in a Blue Mood" – Conway Twitty
"Tennessee Owns My Soul" – Bill Dees
"I Belong to Him" – Jessi Colter with Waylon Jennings
"Indian Summer" – Gatlin Brothers & Barry Gibb
"Leah" – Bertie Higgins
"Beyond the End" – Jimmy Buffett
"Zombie Zoo" – Tom Petty
"Life Fades Away" – Written by Glenn Danzig
"Crying" – k.d. lang
"Zigzag" on Zig Zag (Original Motion Picture Score) (MGM, 1970)

Roy Orbison discography

Albums

Studio albums

Collaboration albums

Soundtrack albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

EPs

Singles

1950s

1960s

Collaborations and guest appearances

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links