# Mary Chapin Carpenter discography

The discography of American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter consists of 17 studio albums, four compilation albums, three video albums, 41 singles, 15 music videos, and 88 album appearances. After recording a demo tape, she was signed to Columbia Records in 1987 and released her debut studio album Hometown Girl (1987). In June 1989, Carpenter's second studio album State of the Heart was issued, which transitioned more towards country music. Among its four singles, both "Never Had It So Good" and "Quittin' Time" became top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart.
Carpenter entered the 1990s with her third album, Shooting Straight in the Dark, which was released in October 1990 and certified platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America. Its third single "Down at the Twist and Shout" won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 1992 and became a top 10 hit. In June 1992, Carpenter released Come On Come On, which became her best-selling record. From seven singles issued, the songs "I Feel Lucky", "Passionate Kisses", and "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" became top 10 hits on the Billboard country chart. Her fifth album Stones in the Road (1994) debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart and No. 10 on the Billboard 200. Its lead single "Shut Up and Kiss Me" topped the Billboard country chart in 1994. Her sixth studio release entitled A Place in the World (1996) certified gold in sales in the United States. Party Doll and Other Favorites (1998) was Carpenter's first compilation album, also certifying gold in sales from the RIAA.
Carpenter entered the 2000s with her seventh studio album Time* Sex* Love* (2001), debuting at No. 6 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The release was nominated by the Grammy Awards in 2002 for Best-Engineered Album. Her second compilation album, The Essential Mary Chapin Carpenter, was released in 2003. Her eighth studio album, Between Here and Gone was released in 2004. The record was co-produced by Carpenter and pianist Matt Rollings. She returned in 2007 with her ninth studio album The Calling on Zoë Records. The project debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold 100,000 copies within its first few weeks. Carpenter's first holiday album, Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas, was released in 2008.
Carpenter entered the 2010s with her 11th studio album, The Age of Miracles, released in April 2010. Among other entries, The Age or Miracles debuted within the top 10 of the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. She followed with her 13th studio album Ashes and Roses (2012). Carpenter then collaborated with arranger Vince Mendoza to issue Songs from the Movie (2014), an album of orchestral music. In May 2016, The Things That We Are Made Of marked a return to traditional roots music and debuted at No. 8 on the Top Country Albums chart. Carpenter's 15th studio album Sometimes Just the Sky (2018) contained new versions of previously-recorded material and debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard folk albums chart. Carpenter's 16th studio album, The Dirt and the Stars, was released in 2020.

## Albums
### Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing other relevant details :
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
| Title | Album details | US | US Country | US Folk | AUS | CAN | CAN Country | UK | Certifications |
| Hometown Girl | Released: July 30, 1987 Label: Columbia Formats: Vinyl, cassette, CD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| State of the Heart | Released: June 13, 1989 Label: Columbia Formats: Vinyl, cassette, CD | 183 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | RIAA: Gold |
| Shooting Straight in the Dark | Released: October 9, 1990 Label: Columbia Formats: Cassette, CD | 70 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | MC: Gold RIAA: Platinum |
| Come On Come On | Released: June 30, 1992 Label: Columbia Formats: Cassette, CD | 31 | 6 | — | — | — | 4 | — | BPI: Silver MC: 2× Platinum RIAA: 4× Platinum |
| Stones in the Road | Released: October 4, 1994 Label: Columbia Formats: Cassette, CD | 10 | 1 | — | 81 | 29 | 1 | 26 | BPI: Silver MC: Platinum RIAA: 2× Platinum |
| A Place in the World | Released: October 22, 1996 Label: Columbia Formats: Cassette, CD | 20 | 3 | — | — | — | 13 | 36 | MC: Gold RIAA: Gold |
| Time* Sex* Love* | Released: May 29, 2001 Label: Columbia Formats: Cassette, CD | 52 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 57 | |
| Between Here and Gone | Released: April 27, 2004 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, music download | 50 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 92 | |
| The Calling | Released: March 6, 2007 Label: Zoë Formats: CD, music download | 59 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 95 | |
| Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas | Released: September 30, 2008 Label: Zoë Formats: CD, music download | 155 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The Age of Miracles | Released: April 27, 2010 Label: Zoë Formats: CD, music download | 28 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 101 | |
| Ashes and Roses | Released: June 12, 2012 Label: Zoë Formats: CD, music download | 72 | 16 | 7 | — | — | — | 26 | |
| Songs from the Movie | Released: January 14, 2014 Label: Zoë Formats: CD, music download | 75 | — | 6 | — | — | — | 95 | |
| The Things That We Are Made Of | Released: May 6, 2016 Label: Lambent Light Records Formats: CD, music download, vinyl | 102 | 8 | 3 | — | — | — | 47 | |
| Sometimes Just the Sky | Released: March 30, 2018 Label: Lambent Light Records Formats: CD, music download | — | 29 | 13 | — | — | — | 74 | |
| The Dirt and the Stars | Released: August 7, 2020 Label: Lambent Light Records Formats: CD, music download | — | 35 | 6 | — | — | — | — | |
| Looking for the Thread (with Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart) | Released: January 24, 2025 Label: Lambent Light Records Formats: CD, music download | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. ||||||||||

### Compilation albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing other relevant details :
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
| Title | Album details | US | US Country | Certifications |
| Party Doll and Other Favorites | Released: May 25, 1999 Label: Columbia Formats: Cassette, CD, music download | 43 | 4 | RIAA: Gold |
| The Essential Mary Chapin Carpenter | Released: November 4, 2003 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, music download | — | 60 | |
| Super Hits | Released: May 22, 2007 Label: Columbia/Legacy Formats: CD, music download | — | — | |
| Playlist: The Very Best of Mary Chapin Carpenter | Released: August 19, 2008 Label: Columbia/Legacy Formats: CD, music download | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |||||

### Live albums

List of albums, with other relevant details :
| Title | Album details |
| Jubilee: Live at Wolf Trap | Released: January 9, 1996 Label: Columbia Records Formats: VHS, DVD |
| One Night Lonely | Released: August 13, 2021 Label: Lambent Light Formats: CD, music download, vinyl |

## Singles
### As lead artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing other relevant details :
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | US | US Cou. | US AC | CAN | CAN Cou. | CAN AC | UK | Album |
| "A Lot Like Me" | 1987 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hometown Girl |
| "Just Because" | 1988 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hometown Girl |
| "How Do" | 1989 | — | 19 | — | — | 44 | — | — | State of the Heart |
| "Never Had It So Good" | 1989 | — | 8 | — | — | 6 | — | — | State of the Heart |
| "Quittin' Time" | 1990 | — | 7 | — | — | 8 | — | — | State of the Heart |
| "Something of a Dreamer" | 1990 | — | 14 | — | — | 8 | — | — | State of the Heart |
| "You Win Again" | 1990 | — | 16 | — | — | 6 | — | — | Shooting Straight in the Dark |
| "Right Now" | 1991 | — | 15 | — | — | 14 | — | — | Shooting Straight in the Dark |
| "Down at the Twist and Shout" | 1991 | — | 2 | — | — | 7 | — | — | Shooting Straight in the Dark |
| "Going Out Tonight" | 1991 | — | 14 | — | — | 13 | — | — | Shooting Straight in the Dark |
| "I Feel Lucky" | 1992 | — | 4 | — | — | 3 | 16 | — | Come On Come On |
| "Not Too Much to Ask" (with Joe Diffie) | 1992 | — | 15 | — | — | 12 | — | — | Come On Come On |
| "Passionate Kisses" | 1993 | 57 | 4 | 11 | 39 | 5 | 17 | 78 | Come On Come On |
| "The Hard Way" | 1993 | — | 11 | — | — | 11 | — | — | Come On Come On |
| "The Bug" | 1993 | — | 16 | — | — | 24 | — | — | Come On Come On |
| "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" | 1993 | — | 2 | — | — | 6 | — | 71 | Come On Come On |
| "I Take My Chances" | 1994 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | Come On Come On |
| "Shut Up and Kiss Me" | 1994 | 90 | 1 | — | — | 5 | — | 35 | Stones in the Road |
| "Tender When I Want to Be" | 1994 | — | 6 | — | — | 2 | — | — | Stones in the Road |
| "House of Cards" | 1995 | — | 21 | — | — | 22 | — | — | Stones in the Road |
| "Why Walk When You Can Fly" | 1995 | — | 45 | — | — | 43 | — | — | Stones in the Road |
| "Grow Old with Me" | 1996 | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon |
| "Let Me into Your Heart" | 1996 | — | 11 | — | — | 5 | — | — | A Place in the World |
| "I Want to Be Your Girlfriend" | 1997 | — | 35 | — | — | 33 | — | — | A Place in the World |
| "The Better to Dream of You" | 1997 | — | 64 | — | — | 85 | — | — | A Place in the World |
| "Keeping the Faith" | 1997 | — | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | A Place in the World |
| "Almost Home" | 1999 | 85 | 22 | — | — | 45 | — | — | Party Doll and Other Favorites |
| "Wherever You Are" | 1999 | — | 55 | — | — | 74 | — | — | Party Doll and Other Favorites |
| "Simple Life" | 2001 | — | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | Time* Sex* Love* |
| "This Is Me Leaving You" | 2001 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Time* Sex* Love* |
| "Beautiful Racket" | 2004 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Between Here and Gone |
| "What Would You Say to Me" | 2004 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Between Here and Gone |
| "On with the Song" | 2007 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Calling |
| "It Must Have Happened" | 2007 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Calling |
| "Christmas Time in the City" | 2008 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas |
| "I Put My Ring Back On" | 2010 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Age of Miracles |
| "The Way I Feel" | 2010 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Age of Miracles |
| "Soul Companion" (featuring James Taylor) | 2012 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ashes and Roses |
| "Ideas Are Like Stars" | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Songs from the Movie |
| "Something Tamed Something Wild" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Things That We Are Made Of |
| "Heroes and Heroines" | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sometimes Just the Sky |
| "Our Man Walter Cronkite" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Dirt and the Stars |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. ||||||||||

### As featured artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing other relevant details :
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | US | US Cou. | CAN Cou. | UK | Album |
| "Romeo" (credited as Dolly Parton and Friends) | 1993 | 50 | 27 | 33 | — | Slow Dancing with the Moon |
| "One Cool Remove" (Shawn Colvin with Mary Chapin Carpenter) | 1995 | — | — | — | 40 | Cover Girl |
| "It's Only Love" (Randy Scruggs with Mary Chapin Carpenter) | 1998 | — | 67 | — | — | Crown of Jewels |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |||||||

## Videography
### Video albums

List of video albums, showing all relevant details :
| Title | Album details |
| My Record Company Made Me Do This | Released: November 1, 1994 Label: Columbia Formats: VHS |
| Jubilee: Live at Wolf Trap | Released: January 9, 1996 Label: Sony Formats: DVD, VHS |
| Musical Tribute to the Red Cross (with Kevin Pollak and Sawyer Brown) | Released: October 27, 2006 Label: Unicorn Formats: DVD |

### Music videos

List of music videos, showing year released and director :
| Title | Year | Director(s) |
| "Never Had It So Good" | 1989 | Ken Ross |
| "This Shirt" | 1990 | Bill Pope |
| "You Win Again" | 1990 | Bill Pope |
| "Down at the Twist and Shout" | 1991 | Jack Cole |
| "I Feel Lucky" | 1992 | Jack Cole |
| "Passionate Kisses" | 1993 | Markus Blunder |
| "Romeo" (as Dolly Parton and Friends) | 1993 | Randee St. Nicholas |
| "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" | 1994 | Bud Schaetzle |
| "Shut Up and Kiss Me" | 1994 | Michael Salomon |
| "Tender When I Want to Be" | 1995 | Michael Salomon |
| "House of Cards" | 1995 | Michael Salomon |
| "One Cool Remove" (with Shawn Colvin) | 1995 | David Hogan |
| "Let Me Into Your Heart" | 1996 | Steven Goldmann |
| "The Better to Dream of You" | 1997 | Steven Goldmann |
| "Almost Home" | 1999 | Randy Spear |
| "Wherever You Are" | 1999 | Steven Goldmann |

## Other appearances

List of guest appearances, along with other performing artists, showing year released and album name :
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
| "Happy Trails" | 1987 | Cathy Fink | When the Rain Comes Down |
| "I Will Stand Fast" | 1988 | Fred Small | I Will Stand Fast |
| "Honeydripper" | 1989 | Tom Principato | I Know What You're Thinkin'... |
| "Hammer and a Nail" | 1990 | Indigo Girls | Nomads Indians Saints |
| "Last Chance Waltz" | 1991 | David Wilcox | Home Again |
| "Climb On (A Back That's Strong)" | 1992 | Shawn Colvin | Fat City |
| "Nobody Wins" | 1992 | Radney Foster | Del Rio, TX 1959 |
| "Jenny Dreamed of Trains" | 1992 | none | Disney's Country Kids |
| "Dreamland" | 1992 | none | 'Til Their Eyes Shine (The Lullaby Album) |
| "The Wheel" | 1993 | Rosanne Cash | The Wheel |
| "Talking to a Stranger" | 1993 | Rodney Crowell | Greatest Hits |
| "Ain't That as Good" | 1993 | Patty Larkin | Angels Running |
| "I Told Him That My Dog Wouldn't Run" | 1993 | Patty Larkin | Angels Running |
| "You Ain't Going Nowhere" | 1993 | Rosanne Cash, Shawn Colvin | The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration |
| "Romeo" (credited as "Dolly Parton and Friends") | 1993 | Dolly Parton | Slow Dancing with the Moon |
| "The Moon and St. Christopher" | 1994 | none | 1992 Telluride Bluegrass Festival: Incredibly Live |
| "One Cool Remove" | 1994 | Shawn Colvin | Cover Girl |
| "When You Walk in the Room" (featuring Mary Chapin Carpenter and Kim Richey) | 1994 | Pam Tillis | Sweetheart's Dance |
| "Out of the Valley" | 1994 | John Gorka | Out of the Valley |
| "Flying Red Horse" | 1994 | John Gorka | Out of the Valley |
| "It Don't Bring You" | 1994 | none | Shelter: Best of Contemporary Singer-Songwriters |
| "Diamonds and Rust" | 1995 | Joan Baez | Ring Them Bells |
| "Never Say Die" | 1995 | Radney Foster | Labor of Love |
| "We All Get Lucky Sometimes" | 1995 | Lee Roy Parnell | We All Get Lucky Sometimes |
| "Where Is a Woman to Go" (featuring Mary Chapin Carpenter K.T. Oslin) | 1995 | Dusty Springfield | A Very Fine Love |
| "Grow Old with Me" | 1995 | none | Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon |
| "O Mexico" | 1995 | Trisha Yearwood | Thinkin' About You |
| "You Didn't Mind" | 1996 | Rory Block | Tornado |
| "Wishing" | 1996 | Kevin Montgomery | Not Fade Away (Remembering Buddy Holly) |
| "Endless Seasons" | 1996 | The Rankin Family | Endless Seasons |
| "Round of Blues" (Live) | 1996 | Shawn Colvin | Columbia Records Radio Hour, Vol. 2 |
| "Sugar for Sugar" | 1996 | Robin and Linda Williams | Sugar for Sugar |
| "Streets of Gold" | 1996 | Robin and Linda Williams | Sugar for Sugar |
| "Dead Man Walking (A Dream Like This)" | 1997 | none | Dead Man Walking: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture |
| "Somewhere Down Below the Mason Dixon Line" | 1997 | none | Songs of Jimmie Rodgers: A Tribute |
| "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" | 1997 | none | My Best Friend's Wedding: Music from the Motion Picture |
| "That's Exactly What I Mean" | 1997 | Patty Loveless | Long Stretch of Lonesome |
| "I Belong to You" | 1998 | John Jennings | I Belong to You |
| "The Next in Line" | 1998 | John Jennings | I Belong to You |
| "It's Only Love" | 1998 | Randy Scruggs | Crown of Jewels |
| "Oh Lonesome Me" | 1998 | none | A Tribute to Tradition |
| "Bells Are Ringing" | 1999 | none | And So This Is Christmas |
| "Deserted Soldier" | 1999 | The Chieftains | Tears of Stone |
| "Pretty Polly" | 1999 | Darol Anger | Heritage |
| "Roses" | 1999 | Catie Curtis | A Crash Course in Roses |
| "Rumble" | 2000 | Robin and Linda Williams | In the Company of Strangers |
| "So Long, See You Tomorrow" | 2000 | Robin and Linda Williams | In the Company of Strangers |
| "Where Are You Now" | 2000 | Trisha Yearwood | Real Live Woman |
| "Alone But Not Lonely" | 2000 | Mary Ann Redmond | Here I Am |
| "Blue Night" | 2000 | Ricky Skaggs | Big Mon: The Songs of Bill Monroe |
| "The Moon and St. Christopher" (Live) | 2001 | Mary Black | The Best of Mary Black 1991–2001 and Hidden Harvest |
| "This Shirt" (Live) | 2001 | none | Concerts for a Landmine-Free World |
| "Silent Night" | 2002 | Garrison Starr | Songs from Take Off to Landing |
| "Hardest Part of Living" | 2002 | Garrison Starr | Songs from Take Off to Landing |
| "Spring and All" | 2002 | none | Going Driftless: An Artist's Tribute to Greg Brown |
| "Flesh and Blood" | 2002 | Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris | Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash |
| "Empty Rooms" | 2003 | Caitlin Cary | I'm Staying Out |
| "The Next One" | 2003 | Caitlin Cary | I'm Staying Out |
| "Lorraine Today" | 2003 | Caitlin Cary | I'm Staying Out |
| "Home #235" | 2004 | Robin and Linda Williams | Deeper Waters |
| "Old Plank Road" | 2004 | Robin and Linda Williams | Deeper Waters |
| "Peace Call" | 2004 | Eliza Gilkyson | Land of Milk and Honey |
| "Laughlin Boy" | 2005 | Tracy Grammer | Flower of Avalon |
| "Mother, I Climbed" | 2005 | Tracy Grammer | Flower of Avalon |
| "Any Way I Do" | 2005 | Tracy Grammer | Flower of Avalon |
| "Unchained Melody" (Live) | 2005 | The Boomchicks John Cowan | Telluride Bluegrass Festival: 30 Years |
| "Water and Stone" | 2006 | Catie Curtis | Long Night Moon |
| "One More Time" | 2007 | Donna Hughes | Gaining Wisdom |
| "Father Time" | 2007 | Donna Hughes | Gaining Wisdom |
| "Scattered to the Wind" | 2007 | Donna Hughes | Gaining Wisdom |
| "Not Anymore" | 2007 | Donna Hughes | Gaining Wisdom |
| "Hold On" | 2007 | Donna Hughes | Gaining Wisdom |
| "The Weeping Willow" | 2007 | Devon Sproule | Keep Your Silver Shined |
| "Violets of Dawn" | 2009 | none | The Village (429) |
| "Before and After" | 2010 | Carrie Newcomer | Before and After |
| "Chained to Those Lovin' Arms" | 2010 | Patty Larkin | 25 |
| "Let It Last" | 2011 | Catie Curtis | Stretch Limousine on Fire |
| "Traveling Shoes" (featuring Mary Chapin Carpenter and Aoife O'Donovan) | 2012 | Caroline Herring | Camilia |
| "White Dress" | 2012 | Caroline Herring | Camilia |
| "Home" | 2012 | Kate Rusby | 20 |
| "I Have a Need for Solitude" (with various artists) | 2013 | none | Transatlantic Sessions 6, Vol. 1 |
| "A Quiet Line" | 2013 | Lucy Wainwright Roche | There's a Last Time for Everything |
| "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado" | 2013 | none | The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver |
| "It Don't Bring You" | 2014 | Aly Bain | Transatlantic Sessions: Series 6, Vol.3 |
| "Transcendental Reunion" (with various artists) | 2014 | none | Transatlantic Sessions: Series 6, Vol. 2 |
| "Oh Mama" (with various artists) | 2014 | none | Transatlantic Sessions: Series 6, Vol. 2 |
| "Catch the Wind" | 2016 | Joan Baez | 75th Birthday Celebration |
| "All the Roadrunning" | 2016 | Vince Gill | The Life & Songs of Emmylou Harris: An All-Star Concert Celebration |