Gordon Lightfoot discography
Gordon Lightfoot (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s.[1] He is often referred to as Canada's greatest songwriter[2] and is known internationally as a folk-rock legend.[3][4]
Gordon Lightfoot discography | |
---|---|
Lightfoot performing at Interlochen, Michigan, in 2009 | |
Studio albums | 19 |
Live albums | 3 |
Compilation albums | 19 |
Video albums | 5 |
Singles | 47 |
B-sides | 3 |
Tribute albums | 2 |
Lightfoot's discography comprises 19 studio albums, three live albums, 16 greatest hits albums and 46 singles. Lightfoot's songs, including "For Lovin' Me", "Early Morning Rain", "Steel Rail Blues", "Ribbon of Darkness"—a number one hit on the U.S. country chart[5] with Marty Robbins's cover in 1965—and "Black Day in July" about the 1967 Detroit riot, brought him wide recognition in the 1960s. Canadian chart success with his own recordings began in 1962 with the No. 3 hit "(Remember Me) I'm the One", followed by recognition and charting abroad in the 1970s. His topped the US Hot 100 and/or AC chart with the hits "If You Could Read My Mind" (1970), "Sundown" (1974); "Carefree Highway" (1974), "Rainy Day People (1975), and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (1976), and had many other hits that appeared within the top 40.[6] Several of his albums achieved gold and multi-platinum status internationally.
Studio albums
1960s
Title | Details | Peak positions |
---|---|---|
CAN | ||
Lightfoot! |
|
— |
The Way I Feel |
|
— |
Did She Mention My Name? |
|
21 |
Back Here on Earth |
|
21 |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||
1970s
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAN | US | US Country | UK | |||
Sit Down Young Stranger [A] |
|
12 | 12 | — | — | |
Summer Side of Life |
|
3 | 38 | — | — | |
Don Quixote |
|
1 | 42 | — | 44 | |
Old Dan's Records |
|
1 | 95 | — | — | |
Sundown |
|
1 | 1 | — | 45 |
|
Cold on the Shoulder |
|
3 | 10 | — | — | |
Summertime Dream |
|
1 | 12 | — | — | |
Endless Wire |
|
2 | 22 | 14 | — |
|
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
1980s
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAN | CAN Country | US | US Country | |||
Dream Street Rose |
|
9 | 1 | 60 | 58 | |
Shadows |
|
16 | — | 87 | — | |
Salute |
|
59 | — | 175 | — | |
East of Midnight |
|
37 | — | 166 | — |
|
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
1990s–2000s
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
CAN | US Indie | ||
Waiting for You |
|
24 | — |
A Painter Passing Through |
|
92 | — |
Harmony |
|
13 | 35 |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Solo |
|
— | — |
Live albums
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
CAN | US | ||
Two Tones at the Village Corner |
|
— | — |
Sunday Concert |
|
21 | 143 |
All Live |
|
16 | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Compilation albums
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAN | US | US Country | |||
Early Lightfoot |
|
69 | — | — | |
The Best of Gordon Lightfoot |
|
— | — | — | |
Classic Lightfoot: The Best of Gordon Lightfoot, Vol. 2 |
|
41 | 178 | — | |
A Lightfoot Collection: The Best of Gordon Lightfoot, Vol. 3 |
|
— | — | — | |
The Very Best of Gordon Lightfoot |
|
— | 155 | — | |
The Very Best of Gordon Lightfoot, Vol. 2 |
|
— | — | — | |
Gord's Gold |
|
8 | 34 | 15 | |
Early Morning Rain |
|
— | — | — | |
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face |
|
— | — | — | |
Songbook |
|
— | — | — | |
Gord's Gold, Vol. 2 |
|
— | — | — | |
The Best of Gordon Lightfoot |
|
— | — | — | |
If You Could Read My Mind |
|
— | — | — | |
The Original Lightfoot |
|
58 | — | — | |
The United Artists Collection |
|
— | — | — | |
Songbook |
|
— | — | — | |
Complete Greatest Hits |
|
21 | 128 | — | |
An Introduction to: Gordon Lightfoot |
|
— | — | — | |
The Complete Singles 1970–1980 (2 CD) |
|
— | — | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Tribute albums
Title | Artist | Details |
---|---|---|
Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot[20] | Various Artists |
|
The Long River: A Personal Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot[21] | J.P. Cormier |
|
Singles
1960s
Year | Title | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
CAN | CAN Country | |||
1962 | "(Remember Me) I'm the One"[B] | 3 | — | N/A |
"It's Too Late, He Wins" / "Negotiations"[B] | 27 | — | ||
"Adios, Adios" | — | — | ||
1963 | "Day Before Yesterday" (UK release) | — | — | |
1965 | "I'm Not Sayin'" | 12 | 2 | Lightfoot! |
"Ribbon of Darkness" | — | — | ||
1966 | "Spin Spin" | 7 | — | N/A |
"Go-Go Round" | 27 | — | The Way I Feel | |
1967 | "The Way I Feel" | 36 | — | |
"Canadian Railroad Trilogy" | — | — | ||
1968 | "Black Day in July" | 68 | — | Did She Mention My Name? |
"Bitter Green" | 44 | — | Back Here on Earth | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
1970s
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
Album | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAN | CAN AC | CAN Country | US | US AC | US Country | UK | AUS | ||||
1970 | "Me and Bobby McGee" | 13 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | Sit Down Young Stranger | |
"Approaching Lavender" | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"If You Could Read My Mind" | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 30 | 27 | |||
1971 | "This Is My Song" | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Early Lightfoot | |
"If I Could" | — | — | — | 111 | — | — | — | — | Back Here on Earth | ||
"Talking in Your Sleep" | 19 | 2 | — | 64 | 11 | — | — | — | Summer Side of Life | ||
"Summer Side of Life" | 21 | 4 | — | 98 | — | — | — | — | |||
1972 | "Beautiful" | 13 | 1 | — | 58 | 30 | — | — | — | Don Quixote | |
"Alberta Bound" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"You Are What I Am" | 3 | 1 | 1 | 102 | 32 | — | — | 37 | Old Dan's Records | ||
1973 | "Can't Depend on Love" | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1974 | "Sundown" | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 33 | 4 | Sundown | |
"Carefree Highway" | 11 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 81 | — | 74 | |||
1975 | "Rainy Day People" | 10 | 1 | — | 26 | 1 | 47 | — | — | Cold on the Shoulder | |
1976 | "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 50 | 40 | 46 | Summertime Dream | |
"Race Among the Ruins" | 30 | 11 | 14 | 65 | 13 | — | — | — | |||
1977 | "The Circle Is Small (I Can See It in Your Eyes)" | 6 | 1 | 9 | 33 | 3 | 92 | — | — | Endless Wire | |
1978 | "Daylight Katy" | 44 | 25 | — | — | 16 | — | 41 | — | ||
"Dreamland" | — | 24 | — | — | — | 100 | — | — | |||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||||
1980s
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAN | CAN AC | CAN Country | US | US AC | US Country | |||
1980 | "Dream Street Rose" | — | 1 | 8 | — | 25 | 80 | Dream Street Rose |
"If You Need Me" | — | 5 | 21 | — | — | — | ||
1982 | "Baby Step Back" | — | 6 | — | 50 | 17 | — | Shadows |
"Blackberry Wine" | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | ||
"In My Fashion" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1983 | "Salute (A Lot More Livin' to Do)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Salute |
"Without You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1986 | "Anything for Love" | 39 | 14 | — | — | 13 | 71 | East of Midnight |
"Stay Loose" | 86 | 10 | — | — | — | — | ||
1987 | "East of Midnight" | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | |
"Ecstasy Made Easy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||
1990s–2000s
Year | Title | Peak positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
CAN AC | |||
1993 | "I'll Prove My Love" | — | Waiting for You |
"Waiting for You" | — | ||
1998 | "A Painter Passing Through" | 47 | A Painter Passing Through |
2004 | "Inspiration Lady" | — | Harmony |
2016 | "Plans Of My Own" | — | Download Only |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Charted B-sides
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Original A-side | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAN | CAN AC | CAN Country | US | |||
1965 | "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" | 3 | 9 | — | — | "Ribbon of Darkness" |
1972 | "That Same Old Obsession" | 3 | 1 | — | 101 | "You Are What I Am" |
1973 | "It's Worth Believin'" | — | — | 12 | — | "Can't Depend on Love" |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
Music videos
Year | Video |
---|---|
2012 | "Inspiration Lady" |
Video albums and documentaries
- Tears Are Not Enough (w/ Northern Lights) (1985)
- Live in Reno (2000)
- Greatest Hits Live (2003)
- If You Could Read My Mind (2019)
- Lightheaded (in production)
Notes
- A ^ Sit Down Young Stranger was re-released as If You Could Read My Mind in 1971.
- B ^ Credited to Gord Lightfoot. Canada did not have a national singles chart at the time of release—these chart figures are from Toronto's CHUM Chart. All other Canadian chart figures from RPM magazine.
References
- "Gordon Lightfoot to join U.S. Songwriters Hall of Fame". CBC News.
- Mayes, Alison (December 1, 2011). "If you could read his mind". Winnipeg Free Press.com. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
- Shaw, Punch (August 23, 2010). "Concert review: Folk-rock legend Gordon Lightfoot". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
- "Songwriters Hall of Fame Announces 2012 Inductees". SongHall. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
- "Gordon Lightfoot | Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. November 17, 1938. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
- Adam White & Fred Bronson (1988). The Billboard Book of Hits. Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-8285-7.
- "American album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – If You Could Read My Mind". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- "American album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Sundown". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- "Canadian album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Summertime Dream". Music Canada.
- "American album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Summertime Dream". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- "American album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Endless Wire". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- "Canadian album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – East of Midnight". Music Canada.
- "Canadian album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Gord's Gold". Music Canada.
- "British album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Gordon's Gold". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Type Gordon's Gold in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- "American album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Gord%27s Gold". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- "Canadian album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Gord's Gold Vol. Ii". Music Canada.
- "American album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Gord%27s Gold, Vol. 2". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- "Canadian album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Complete Greatest Hits". Music Canada.
- "American album certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Complete Greatest Hits". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- "Release group "Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot" by Various Artists". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- "Release group "The Long River: A Personal Tribute to Gordon Lightfooot" by J.P. Cormier". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- "American single certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Sundown". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.
- "Gordon Lightfoot". IMDb.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.