Michael McDonald discography

Following is a discography for the major solo works of American singer Michael McDonald.

Albums

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions						Certifications
		US [1]	DEN [2]	NLD [3]	SWE [4]	US R&B [1]	UK [5]
If That's What It Takes	Released: August 3, 1982 Label: Warner Bros. Formats: LP, CD, cassette	6	—	—	—	10	—	RIAA: Gold[6]
No Lookin' Back	Released: July 30, 1985 Label: Warner Bros. Formats: LP, CD, cassette	45	—	—	26	—	—
Take It to Heart	Released: May 15, 1990 Label: Reprise Formats: LP, CD, cassette	110	—	56	29	—	35
Blink of an Eye	Released: August 3, 1993 Label: Reprise Formats: CD, cassette	—	—	74	42	—	—
Blue Obsession	Released: March 28, 2000 Label: Ramp Formats: CD	—	—	—	—	—	—
In the Spirit: A Christmas Album	Released: 2001 Label: MCA Nashville Formats: CD	—	—	—	—	—	—
Motown	Released: June 24, 2003 Label: Motown, Universal Formats: CD, cassette	14	25	95	58	17	29	RIAA: Platinum[6]
Motown Two	Released: October 26, 2004 Label: Motown, Universal Formats: LP, CD	9	8	—	56	8	29	RIAA: Gold[6]
Through the Many Winters, A Christmas Album	Released: 2005 Label: Hallmark Formats: CD	—	—	—	—	—	—	RIAA: Gold[6]
Soul Speak	Released: March 4, 2008 Label: Universal Motown Formats: CD	12	—	—	—	10	27
Wide Open	Released: September 15, 2017 Label: Chonin, BMG Formats: LP, CD	—	—	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

Compilation albums

Year	Album	Chart positions		Certification	Record label
		US [1]	UK [5]
1982	That Was Then – The Early Recordings of Michael McDonald *	—	—	—	Arista
1986	Sweet Freedom	—	6	BPI: Platinum[7]	Warner Bros.
2000	The Voice of Michael McDonald	—	—	BPI: Silver[7]	Warner Bros. / Rhino
2001	The Very Best of Michael McDonald	—	21	RIAA: Gold[6]	Warner Bros. / Rhino
2004	The Best of Michael McDonald: The Christmas Collection	—	—	—
2005	The Ultimate Collection	19	20	—	Warner Bros. / Rhino
2009	This Christmas	95	—	—	Razor & Tie

Live albums

Year	Album	Chart positions		Certification	Record label
		US [1]	UK [5]
2018	Live on Soundstage *	—	—	—	Chain Records, BMG

• "I had a kind of stressful moment with Arista Records when they released a lot of old catalogue…" McDonald recalled. "Most of it was just demos I'd done – and really not very good ones. It was after I'd been in the Doobies and had a couple of hit records… They'd found all this stuff in the vaults and decided they were going to release it as an album."[8]

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions							Album
		US [9]	US R&B [9]	US AC [9]	US Dance [9]	US Main Rock [9]	US Smooth Jazz	UK [5]
1982	"I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)"	4	7	8	—	—	—	43	If That's What It Takes
	"I Gotta Try"	44	—	28	—	—	—	—
1985	"No Lookin' Back"	34	—	18	—	4	—	—	No Lookin' Back
	"Bad Times"	—	—	—	—	38	—	—
	"Lost in the Parade"	—	—	40	—	—	—	—
1986	"Sweet Freedom"	7	17	4	8	—	—	12	Running Scared (soundtrack) / Sweet Freedom
1987	"Our Love (Theme From No Mercy)"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Sweet Freedom
1990	"Take It to Heart"	98	—	4	—	—	—	—	Take It to Heart
	"Tear It Up"	—	—	27	—	—	—	—
1991	"All We Got"	—	88	—	9	—	—	—
1993	"I Stand for You"	114	—	21	—	—	—	—	Blink of an Eye
	"Hey Girl"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"For a Child"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1994	"Matters of the Heart"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2003	"I Heard It Through the Grapevine"	—	—	20	—	—	—	—	Motown
2004	"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"	111	—	5	—	—	—	—
2005	"Reach Out, I'll Be There"	—	—	12	—	—	—	—	Motown Two
	"Baby I Need Your Lovin'"	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Deck the Halls/Jingle Bells"	—	—	19	—	—	—	—	Through the Many Winters
2008	"Walk On By"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Soul Speak
	"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher"	—	—	9	—	—	—	—
	"Love T.K.O."	—	92	—	—	—	-—-	—
	"Enemy Within"	—	—	18	—	—	—	—
2009	"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	This Christmas
2017	Find It In Your Heart	—	—	—	—	—	22	—	Wide Open
"—" denotes the single was not released or didn't chart.

Guest singles

-

Year	Single	Chart positions					Album
		US [9]	US R&B [9]	US AC [9]	US Country [9]	UK [5]
1979	"This Is It" (w/ Kenny Loggins)	11	19	17	—	—	Keep the Fire
1980	"Let Me Go, Love" (w/ Nicolette Larson)	35	96	9	—	—	In the Nick of Time
1983	"Yah Mo B There" (w/ James Ingram)	19	5	10	—	44	It's Your Night
1985	"Yah Mo B There" (w/ James Ingram) [UK re-release]	—	—	—	—	12
1986	"On My Own" (w/ Patti Labelle)	1	1	2	—	2	Winner in You
	"I Just Can't Let Go" (w/ David Pack & James Ingram)	—	—	13	—	—	The Voice of Michael McDonald
1987	"What a Fool Believes" (w/ Doobie Brothers) [UK 1987 release]	—	—	—	—	57	Minute by Minute
	"Love Has No Color" (w/ The Winans)	—	—	—	—	—	Decision
1992	"Ever Changing Times" (w/ Aretha Franklin)	—	19	11	—	—	What You See Is What You Sweat
1992	"Time to Be Lovers" (w/ Chaka Khan)	—	-	-	—	—	Beverly Hills 90210 - The Soundtrack
1998	"One Heart at a Time" (w/ Garth Brooks, Billy Dean, Faith Hill, Olivia Newton-John, Neal McCoy, Victoria Shaw, and Bryan White)	56	—	—	69	—	single only
1999	"Among the Missing" (w/ Kathy Mattea)	—	—	—	73	—
	"Eyes of a Child"	—	—	—	—	—	South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
2002	"Sweet Freedom" (w/ Safri Duo)	—	—	—	—	54	— Episode II
2005	"Heart of America" (w/ Wynonna Judd, Eric Benet and Terry Dexter)	—	—	—	—	—	Hurricane Relief: Come Together Now
2006	"My Love's Leavin' " (w/ Fourplay)	—	—	—	—	—	X
2009	"While You Wait for the Others" (w/ Grizzly Bear)	—	—	—	—	—	single only
2011	"Some Children" (w/ Holy Ghost!)	—	—	—	—	—	Holy Ghost!
2017	"Show You The Way" (w/ Thundercat)	—	—	—	—	—	Drunk
2017	"When We Were Young" (w/ Jo Harman)	—	—	—	—	—	People We Become

Music videos

Year	Video
1982	"I Keep Forgettin'"
1986	"Sweet Freedom" (with Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines)
1986	"On My Own" (with Patti LaBelle)
1998	"One Heart at a Time" (with Olivia Newton-John, Bryan White, Neal McCoy, Faith Hill, Victoria Shaw, Billy Dean and Garth Brooks)
2000	"Among the Missing" (with Kathy Mattea)

References

1. "allmusic ((( Michael McDonald > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
2. "Archived copy". Retrieved 2017-10-01.
3. Hung, Steffen. "Michael McDonald - dutchcharts.nl". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
4. Hung, Steffen. "swedishcharts.com - Discography Michael McDonald". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
5. "The Official Charts Company > Michael McDonald". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
6. "American certifications – Michael McDonald". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
7. "British certifications – Michael McDonald". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 1, 2017. Type Michael McDonald in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
8. Henderson, Paul (January 2002). "Classic career: Michael McDonald". Classic Rock #36. p. 130.
9. "allmusic ((( Michael McDonald > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2010-04-24.

Further reading

• Michael McDonald interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' April 2008