# James Taylor discography

The discography of James Taylor, an American singer-songwriter, consists of 20 studio albums, six compilation albums, at least five live albums, one tribute album, nine video albums, one extended play, and 42 singles.
Taylor signed his first recording contract with Apple Records, where he released his self-titled debut album in 1968. Prior to signing with Apple, Taylor released the single "Night Owl" with the group The Flying Machine. An album of their recordings, James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine was released in 1971 and reached No. 74 on the US pop charts. Taylor released his second studio album Sweet Baby James on Warner Bros. Records in 1970. Its lead single "Fire and Rain" became a significant international hit and gained Taylor his first major exposure as an artist. In April 1971, Taylor released his third studio album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, which became his second album to certify multi-platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America and featured his first number one single "You've Got a Friend". In 1972 and 1973, he released his fourth studio album, One Man Dog and his fifth, Walking Man; both peaked within the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 albums list.
After releasing more albums between 1974 and 1976, Taylor signed with Columbia Records and issued JT in 1977, which peaked in the Top 5 and sold over two million copies in the United States, certifying two times multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 1979 and 1981, Taylor released Flag and Dad Loves His Work, respectively, which both certified platinum in the United States and produced Top 40 singles. Nearly four years later, Taylor's next studio album That's Why I'm Here was released and spawned a cover of Buddy Holly's "Everyday", which became a minor hit in the United States. This was followed by Never Die Young three years later and then by New Moon Shine in 1991, both of which sold over one million copies. After recording a two-disc live album in 1993, Taylor returned in 1997 with a fourteenth studio album titled Hourglass. The album not only peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, but also received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Album the following year. His fifteenth studio release October Road was issued on August 13, 2002, on Sony BMG and certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. After recording a limited release holiday album in 2004, Taylor released his first major-release holiday album, James Taylor at Christmas on October 10, 2006.
One Man Band was released in 2007 and certified gold in the United States. This was followed by Taylor's first cover album in 2008 on the Hear Music label. There was also an extended play sequel, Other Covers in 2009. In 2015, Taylor released another live album, Georgia on My Mind: Live in Atlanta, 1981, and another studio album, Before This World, which became his first album to peak at No.1 in the United States.

## Studio albums
### 1960s

| Title | Album details | Peak positions | Peak positions |
| Title | Album details | US | AUS |
| James Taylor | Release date: December 6, 1968 Label: Apple Formats: LP, 8-track | 62 | 12 |

### 1970s

| 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 (sales threshold) |
| Title | Album details | US | AUS | CAN | NOR | NLD | NZ | UK | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| Sweet Baby James | Release date: February 1970 Label: Warner Bros. Formats: LP, 8-track | 3 | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | 6 | RIAA: 3× Platinum BPI: Silver |
| Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon | Release date: March 16, 1971 Label: Warner Bros. Formats: LP, 8-track | 2 | 12 | 4 | 17 | — | — | 4 | RIAA: 2× Platinum |
| One Man Dog | Release date: November 1, 1972 Label: Warner Bros. Formats: LP, 8-track | 4 | 13 | 7 | — | — | — | 27 | RIAA: Gold |
| Walking Man | Release date: June 1, 1974 Label: Warner Bros. Formats: LP, 8-track | 13 | 50 | 11 | — | — | — | — | |
| Gorilla | Release date: May 1, 1975 Label: Warner Bros. Formats: LP, 8-track | 6 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | RIAA: Gold |
| In the Pocket | Release date: June 1976 Label: Warner Bros. Formats: LP, 8-track | 16 | 65 | 17 | 14 | — | — | — | RIAA: Gold |
| JT | Release date: June 1977 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, 8-track | 4 | 10 | 2 | — | — | 31 | — | RIAA: 3× Platinum MC: Platinum |
| Flag | Release date: May 1979 Label: Columbia Formats: LP, 8-track | 10 | 18 | 9 | 17 | 17 | 50 | — | RIAA: Platinum |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart ||||||||||

### 1980s

| 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 (sales threshold) |
| Title | Album details | US | AUS | CAN | NOR | NLD | NZ | UK | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| Dad Loves His Work | Release date: March 1981 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, LP, 8-track | 10 | 23 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 29 | — | RIAA: Platinum |
| That's Why I'm Here | Release date: October 1985 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, LP, cassette | 34 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | RIAA: Platinum |
| Never Die Young | Release date: January 1988 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, LP, cassette | 25 | 26 | 37 | — | — | — | — | RIAA: Platinum |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart ||||||||||

### 1990s

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| Title | Album details | US | AUS | CAN | NOR | NLD | UK | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| New Moon Shine | Release date: September 24, 1991 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, LP, cassette | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | RIAA: Platinum |
| Hourglass | Release date: May 20, 1997 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, LP, cassette, SACD | 9 | 68 | 52 | 38 | 38 | 52 | RIAA: Platinum BPI: Silver |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |||||||||

### 2000s–2020s

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| Title | Album details | US | AUS | CAN | NOR | NLD | UK | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| October Road | Release date: August 13, 2002 Label: Sony BMG Formats: CD, LP | 4 | 48 | — | 33 | 40 | 39 | RIAA: Platinum |
| A Christmas Album | Release date: November 1, 2004 Label: Hallmark Formats: CD, music download | 122 | — | — | — | — | — | RIAA: Platinum |
| A Christmas Album | Reissued as James Taylor at Christmas: October 10, 2006 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, LP, music download | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | RIAA: Gold |
| Covers | Release date: September 30, 2008 Label: Hear Music Formats: CD, LP, music download | 4 | — | 21 | — | 85 | 23 | BPI: Silver |
| Before This World | Release date: June 16, 2015 Label: Concord Music Formats: CD, LP, music download | 1 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 4 | |
| American Standard | Release date: February 28, 2020 Label: Fantasy Formats: CD, LP, music download | 4 | 23 | 1 | — | 55 | 11 | |

## Live albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| Title | Album details | US | CAN | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| Live | Release date: August 10, 1993 Label: Columbia Records Formats: CD, LP, cassette | 20 | 71 | RIAA: 2× Platinum |
| Best Live | Release date: June 21, 1994 Label: Sony Music Entertainment Formats: CD, cassette | — | — | |
| One Man Band | Release date: November 13, 2007 Label: Hear Music Formats: CD, LP, music download | 17 | — | RIAA: Gold |
| Amchitka (with Joni Mitchell and Phil Ochs) | Release date: November 2009 Label: Greenpeace Formats: CD, music download | — | — | |
| Live at the Troubadour (with Carole King) | Release date: May 4, 2010 Label: Concord Records Formats: CD, music download | 4 | 21 | RIAA: Gold |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |||||

## Compilation albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| Title | Album details | US | AUS | CAN | UK | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| Greatest Hits | Release date: November 1, 1976 Label: Warner Bros. Formats: LP, 8-track | 15 | 67 | 27 | — | RIAA: 11× Platinum ARIA: 3× Platinum BPI: Platinum |
| Classic Songs | Release date: April 1987 Label: Warner Bros. Formats: LP, cassette | — | 48 | — | 53 | BPI: Silver |
| Greatest Hits Volume 2 | Release date: November 7, 2000 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, cassette | 97 | — | — | — | RIAA: Gold |
| The Best of James Taylor | Release date: April 8, 2003 Label: Warner Bros. Formats: CD | 11 | 54 | — | 4 | RIAA: Platinum ARIA: Platinum BPI: Gold |
| The Essential James Taylor | Release date: October 29, 2013 Label: Columbia/Sony Music Legacy Formats: CD, digital download | — | — | — | 50 | |
| The Warner Bros Albums 1970–1976 | Release date: July 19, 2019 Label: Warner Bros./Rhino Formats: CD, digital download | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |||||||

## Extended plays

| Title | Album details | Peak positions |
| Title | Album details | US |
| Other Covers | Release date: April 7, 2009 Label: Hear Music Formats: CD, music download | 122 |
| Over the Rainbow: The American Standard EP | Release date: November 20, 2020 Label: Fantasy Formats: CD, music download | — |

## Singles

| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certification | Album |
| Year | Single | US | US AC | US Country | AUS | CAN | CAN AC | NLD | NZ | UK | Certification | Album |
| 1969 | "Carolina in My Mind" | 118 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | James Taylor |
| 1969 | "Knocking 'Round the Zoo" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | James Taylor |
| 1970 | "Sweet Baby James" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Sweet Baby James |
| 1970 | "Fire and Rain" | 3 | 7 | — | 6 | 2 | — | 18 | — | 42 | BPI: Gold | Sweet Baby James |
| 1970 | "Carolina in My Mind" (re-release) | 67 | — | — | — | 64 | — | — | — | — | | James Taylor |
| 1971 | "Country Road" | 37 | 9 | — | 95 | 19 | 3 | — | — | — | | Sweet Baby James |
| 1971 | "You've Got a Friend" | 1 | 1 | — | 25 | 2 | 12 | 14 | — | 4 | RIAA: Gold BPI: Silver | Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon |
| 1971 | "Long Ago and Far Away" | 31 | 4 | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | | Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon |
| 1972 | "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" | 14 | 3 | — | — | 18 | 7 | — | — | — | | One Man Dog |
| 1973 | "One Man Parade" | 67 | — | — | — | — | 55 | — | — | — | | One Man Dog |
| 1973 | "Hymn" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | One Man Dog |
| 1974 | "Let It All Fall Down" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Walking Man |
| 1974 | "Walking Man" | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Walking Man |
| 1975 | "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" | 5 | 1 | — | 35 | 1 | 1 | — | 30 | — | | Gorilla |
| 1975 | "Mexico" | 49 | 5 | — | — | 83 | 8 | — | — | — | | Gorilla |
| 1976 | "Shower the People" | 22 | 1 | — | — | 54 | 1 | — | — | — | | In the Pocket |
| 1976 | "Everybody Has the Blues" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | In the Pocket |
| 1977 | "Woman's Gotta Have It" | — | 20 | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | | In the Pocket |
| 1977 | "Handy Man" / "Bartender's Blues" | 4 — | 1 — | — 88 | 13 — | 1 — | 4 — | — — | 24 — | — — | | JT |
| 1977 | "Your Smiling Face" | 20 | 6 | — | — | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | | JT |
| 1978 | "Honey Don't Leave L.A." | 61 | — | — | — | 63 | — | — | — | — | | JT |
| 1979 | "Up on the Roof" | 28 | 7 | — | 70 | 36 | — | — | — | — | | Flag |
| 1981 | "Her Town Too" (with JD Souther) | 11 | 5 | — | 54 | 19 | 5 | — | 29 | — | | Dad Loves His Work |
| 1981 | "Hard Times" | 72 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Dad Loves His Work |
| 1981 | "Summer's Here" | — | 25 | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | | Dad Loves His Work |
| 1985 | "Everyday" | 61 | 3 | 26 | — | 93 | 1 | — | — | — | | That's Why I'm Here |
| 1986 | "Only One" | — | 6 | 80 | 62 | — | 3 | — | — | — | | That's Why I'm Here |
| 1986 | "That's Why I'm Here" | — | 8 | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | | That's Why I'm Here |
| 1988 | "Never Die Young" | 80 | 3 | — | 79 | 80 | — | — | — | — | | Never Die Young |
| 1988 | "Baby Boom Baby" | — | 16 | — | — | 24 | 16 | — | — | — | | Never Die Young |
| 1991 | "Copperline" | — | 13 | — | — | 43 | 10 | — | — | — | | New Moon Shine |
| 1992 | "(I've Got To) Stop Thinkin' 'Bout That" | — | 28 | — | — | 71 | 19 | — | — | — | | New Moon Shine |
| 1992 | "Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha" | — | 19 | — | — | 70 | — | — | — | — | | New Moon Shine |
| 1992 | "Like Everyone She Knows" | — | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | New Moon Shine |
| 1997 | "Little More Time with You" | — | 3 | — | — | 68 | 13 | — | — | — | | Hourglass |
| 2002 | "On the 4th of July" | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | October Road |
| 2002 | "Whenever You're Ready" | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | October Road |
| 2003 | "September Grass" | — | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | October Road |
| 2008 | "It's Growing" | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Covers |
| 2015 | "Today Today Today" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Before This World |
| 2015 | "Angels of Fenway" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Before This World |
| 2015 | "Montana" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Before This World |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |||||||||||||
* A^ "Everyday" also peaked at No. 21 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

### Guest singles

| Year | Single | Artist | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Certification | Album |
| Year | Single | Artist | US | US AC | US Country | US Christian | AUS | CAN | CAN AC | CAN Country | UK | Certification | Album |
| 1974 | "Mockingbird" | Carly Simon | 5 | 10 | — | — | 8 | 3 | — | — | 34 | RIAA: Gold | Hotcakes |
| 1978 | "(What a) Wonderful World" | Art Garfunkel (with Paul Simon) | 17 | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 1 | — | — | | Watermark |
| 1978 | "Bartender's Blues" (re-recording) | George Jones | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | | Bartender's Blues |
| 1978 | "Devoted to You" | Carly Simon | 36 | 2 | 33 | — | — | 50 | 2 | 39 | — | | Boys in the Trees |
| 1986 | "Back in the High Life Again" | Steve Winwood | 13 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 53 | | Back in the High Life |
| 1994 | "Crying in the Rain" | Art Garfunkel | — | — | — | — | — | 61 | 25 | — | — | | Up 'til Now |
| 2001 | "Sailing to Philadelphia" | Mark Knopfler | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Sailing to Philadelphia |
| 2012 | "Soul Companion" | Mary Chapin Carpenter | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Ashes and Roses |
| 2013 | "Don't Try So Hard" | Amy Grant | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | | How Mercy Looks from Here |
| 2018 | "Change" | Charlie Puth | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Voicenotes |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart ||||||||||||||

## Other charted songs

| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
| Year | Single | US AC | Album |
| 2001 | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | 4 | October Road |
| 2004 | "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" | 12 | James Taylor: A Christmas Album |
| 2004 | "Deck the Halls" | 5 | James Taylor: A Christmas Album |
| 2004 | "Winter Wonderland" | 8 | James Taylor: A Christmas Album |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart ||||

## Other appearances

| Year | Song | Album |
| 1980 | "Jelly Man Kelly" | In Harmony |
| 1988 | "Second Star to the Right" | Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films |
| 1991 | "Getting to Know You" | For Our Children |
| 1992 | "It's Only a Paper Moon" and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" | A League of Their Own: Music from the Motion Picture |
| 2003 | "How's the World Treating You" (with Alison Krauss) | Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers |
| 2006 | "Our Town" | Cars: Original Soundtrack |
| 2012 | "Payday" | Quiet About It: A Tribute to Jesse Winchester |
| 2022 | "Coming Back to You" | Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen |

### Guest and session appearances

| Year | Album | Artist | Role |
| 1970 | Writer | Carole King | Acoustic guitar; backing vocals on "Goin' Back" |
| 1971 | Tapestry | Carole King | Acoustic guitar, backing vocals |
| 1971 | Music | Carole King | Acoustic guitar on "Some Kind of Wonderful", "Song of Long Ago" and "Too Much Rain", backing vocals refrain on "Some Kind of Wonderful" |
| 1971 | Blue | Joni Mitchell | Guitar on various tracks |
| 1972 | Harvest | Neil Young | Banjo and backing vocals on various tracks |
| 1978 | Kate Taylor | Kate Taylor | Guitar, horn, backing vocals, and arrangements on various tracks |
| 1978 | Bartender's Blues | George Jones | Backing vocals on "Bartender 's Blues" |
| 1979 | Restless Nights | Karla Bonoff | Backing vocals (with JD Souther) on "The Water is Wide" |
| 1986 | Back in the High Life | Steve Winwood | Backing vocals on "Back in the High Life Again" |
| 1988 | Life Is Good | Livingston Taylor | Duet partner on "City Lights" |
| 1991 | Marc Cohn | Marc Cohn | Vocals on "Perfect Love" |
| 1992 | Harvest Moon | Neil Young | Background vocals on various tracks |
| 1994 | Angelus | Milton Nascimento | Vocals on "Only a Dream in Rio" |
| 1995 | Faust | Randy Newman | Role of "Lord" |
| 1996 | Eat the Phikis | Elio e le Storie Tese | Vocals on "First Me, Second Me" |
| 1999 | The Prayer Cycle | Jonathan Elias | Vocals on "Grace" |
| 1999 | Brand New Day | Sting | Featured artist on "Fill Her Up" |
| 2000 | Sailing to Philadelphia | Mark Knopfler | Featured artist on "Sailing to Philadelphia" |
| 2001 | Nearness of You: The Ballad Book | Michael Brecker | Vocals on "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" and "The Nearness of you" |
| 2006 | Duets: An American Classic | Tony Bennett | Duet partner on "Put on a Happy Face" |
| 2007 | Shine | Joni Mitchell | Guitar on "Shine" |
| 2008 | Songs of Joy & Peace | Yo-Yo Ma | Featured artist on "Here Comes the Sun" |
| 2010 | The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Concerts | Crosby, Stills & Nash | Featured artist on "Love the One You're With" |
| 2018 | Voicenotes | Charlie Puth | Featured artist on "Change" |
| 2018 | Honey Don't Leave L.A. | Danny Kortchmar and Immediate Family | Guitar and backing vocals on "Machine Gun Kelly" |

## Video albums

| Year | Video details | Certifications (sales threshold) |
| 1979 | James Taylor: In Concert Released: 1979 Label: Sony Music Distribution | |
| 1986 | James Taylor Live in Rio Released: 1986 Label: Columbia | |
| 1988 | James Taylor in Concert in Boston Released: 1988 Label: Sony | |
| 1993 | Squibnocket Released: 1993 Label: Sony | |
| 1998 | Live at the Beacon Theatre Released: October 7, 1998 Label: Columbia | RIAA: Platinum |
| 2002 | Pull Over Released: November 19, 2002 Label: Sony | RIAA: Gold ARIA: 2× Platinum |
| 2006 | A Musicares Person of the Year Tribute Released: September 12, 2006 Label: Rhino | |
| 2010 | Live at the Troubadour Released: May 4, 2010 Label: Hear Music | RIAA: 6× Platinum ARIA: Gold |

## Music videos

| Year | Song | Director(s) |
| 1981 | "Her Town Too" | |
| 1985 | "Everyday" | Stuart Orme |
| 1986 | "Only a Dream in Rio" | |
| 1986 | "Only One" | |
| 1988 | "Baby Boom Baby" | |
| 1988 | "Never Die Young" | |
| 1991 | "(I've Got To) Stop Thinkin' 'Bout That" | |
| 1991 | "Shed a Little Light" | |
| 1992 | "Copperline" | |
| 1994 | "Secret of Life" | |
| 1997 | "A Little More Time" | |
| 1997 | "Enough to Be on Your Way" | David Mirkin |
| 1997 | "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier" (with Mark O'Connor) | |
| 2003 | "How's the World Treating You" (with Alison Krauss) | Lawrence Draper |
| 2015 | "Angels of Fenway" | |