Muppet discography

Ever since the early days of *Sam and Friends*, music has been an integral part of Muppet performances. However, during the early years, the Muppets were only lip-syncing to other artists' records. It was not until the advent of *Sesame Street*, and the release of records of music from the show, that the full potential of writing, performing, and recording original Muppet-related music began to be realized.

During the years that Columbia Records was making *Sesame Street* records, the soundtracks from *The Frog Prince* and *The Muppet Musicians of Bremen* were released. These were packaged in a similar format, with gatefold covers and pictures of scenes from the specials on the inside. The two albums were reissued in 1976 on Sesame Street Records with non-gatefold covers, and slightly different artwork.

Unlike the Sesame Street recordings, which were kept in print for up to ten years at a time on whichever label currently held their license, other Muppet recordings have been under very short-term agreements, sometimes only for one or two albums from a TV show or other production. As a result, many labels have released Muppet music. In 1976, when *The Muppet Show* began, a deal was struck with Pye Records in the UK, and Arista Records in the US, to release records of music from the program. The Pye records are very desirable for collectors, since some of the artwork is different, some titles have extra songs, and some titles were never released in the United States (see below for details).

A similar deal was struck with Atlantic Records in the US to release the soundtrack albums from the first two Muppet theatrical movies. However, in the UK and various other countries, *The Muppet Movie's* album was released by CBS Records. Then for *The Great Muppet Caper*, UK distribution had changed to Warner Bros. Records.

By 1982, US Muppet recordings had moved from Atlantic to Warner, and they put out everything from movie soundtracks (including *The Dark Crystal*) to an exercise album by Miss Piggy. This recording showcased how much her character had grown since she had begun on *The Muppet Show*, to the point that she could carry an entire album by herself. Also during this period, RCA Records released two albums from specials that had featured *Muppet Show* guest star John Denver.

Concurrently with the Warner material, in the early 1980s, an actual record label called Muppet Music was formed, to be distributed by I.J.E., a record company that was releasing records by Strawberry Shortcake, Schoolhouse Rock, and other children's properties. This label released soundtracks to various Muppet projects, including the first *Fraggle Rock* album, another album of songs from *The Muppet Show*, as well as nine 7" book and record/tape sets. However, this arrangement, similar to what had been done with the Sesame Street records from 1974 to 1983, only lasted for about two years, and by 1986, other than some reissues of earlier material, there would be no more original Muppet records released during Jim Henson's lifetime.

Other than *A Christmas Together* being reissued on CD for the first time in 1990, Muppet music was dormant until 1992, when a new deal was struck to form a label called Jim Henson Records, to be distributed by BMG, the parent of RCA. This turned out to be the most prolific period for Muppet music since Henson's death, with new and reissued movie soundtracks, compilations of *Muppet Show* songs (including some tracks never released in the US before), original albums of country and pop music, and even an album performed by Rowlf the Dog, which had been recorded back in 1984, but never released until now.

Unfortunately, after only two years, the Muppets again found themselves without a label, and during the next ten years they would bounce from label to label for various movie soundtracks, reissues and compilations.

With the purchase of the Muppets by The Walt Disney Company in 2004, the Muppets finally found some stability. Their soundtracks and original albums would now be released by Walt Disney Records, the music division of the studio.

See also: International Muppet Singles and Muppet Singles.

*The Frog Prince*1971
Columbia Records*The Muppet Musicians of Bremen*1972
Columbia Records*The Frog Prince*1976
reissue
Sesame Street Records*The Muppet Musicians of Bremen*1976
reissue
Sesame Street Records*The Muppet Show*1977
Arista Records*The Muppet Show Music Hall*1977
EP (Not released in US)
Pye Records*The Muppet Show 2*1978
Arista Records*The Muppet Show Music Album*1979
(Not released in US)
Pye Records*The Muppet Movie*1979
Atlantic Records*A Christmas Together*1979
RCA Records*The Great Muppet Caper*1981
Atlantic Records*Miss Piggy's Aerobique Exercise Workout Album*1982
Warner Bros. Records*Rocky Mountain Holiday*1983
RCA Records*The Muppets Take Manhattan*1984
Warner Bros. Records*Silly Songs*1984
Muppet Music*Favorite Songs From Jim Henson's Muppets*1986
Magic Video Publishing Company*A Christmas Together*1990
reissue
Windstar Records*The Muppet Christmas Carol*1992
Jim Henson Records*Muppet Hits*1993
Jim Henson Records*Ol' Brown Ears is Back*1993
Jim Henson Records*Muppet Beach Party*1993
Jim Henson Records*The Muppet Movie*1993
reissue
Jim Henson Records*The Great Muppet Caper*1993
reissue
Jim Henson Records*Muppet Music Sampler*1993
UK Promotional Cassette
BMG Kidz/Jim Henson Records
MUPPET 1*Muppet Hits Take 2*1994
Jim Henson Records*Put Some Zing in Your Spring*1994
Jim Henson Records*Kermit Unpigged*1994
Jim Henson Records*Muppet Music Mix*1994
Jim Henson Records*Muppet Treasure Island*1996
Angel Records*A Christmas Together*1996
reissue
Laserlight Digital*Muppets from Space (soundtrack)*1999
Sony Wonder/Epic*Muppets from Space (score)*1999
Varèse Sarabande*A Christmas Together*2000
reissue
Laserlight Digital*Music, Mayhem and More!*2002
Rhino Records*Best of the Muppets*2005
Walt Disney Records*The Muppet Christmas Carol*2005
reissue
Walt Disney Records*A Christmas Together*2006
reissue
Laserlight Digital*A Green and Red Christmas*2006
Walt Disney Records*A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa*2009
Walt Disney Records
(Digital Download only)*The Green Album*2011
Walt Disney Records*A Green and Red Christmas*2011
reissue
Walt Disney Records*The Muppets (soundtrack)*2011
Walt Disney Records*The Muppet Movie*2013
reissue
Walt Disney Records*Muppets Most Wanted*2014
Walt Disney Records*Muppets Most Wanted (score)*2014
Intrada/Walt Disney Records