Buddy Holly discography explained

Artist:Buddy Holly
Studio:3
Compilation:29
Singles:28

Buddy Holly recorded under several names and with several different backing bands. The Crickets played on almost all of his singles in 1957 and 1958.

Holly recorded prolifically before his death in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. He released three albums in his lifetime. Coral Records was able to release archival new albums and singles for 10 years after his death, but their technical quality was mixed, some being studio recordings and others home recordings.

Holly's records were promoted after his death and had a loyal following, especially in Europe. The demand for unissued recordings by Holly was so great that his producer, Norman Petty, resorted to overdubbing whatever he could find: alternate takes of studio recordings, originally rejected masters, "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" and the other five 1959 tracks (adding new surf-guitar arrangements), and even Holly's amateur demos from 1954 (in which the low-fidelity vocals are often muffled behind added orchestrations). The last new Holly album was Giant (featuring the single "Love Is Strange"), issued in 1969. Between the 1959–1960 overdubs produced by Jack Hansen (with vocal backings imitating the Crickets' sound), the 1960s overdubs produced by Petty, various alternate takes, and Holly's undubbed originals, multiple versions of the same songs are available. There are also many different versions of Holly's Greatest Hits as well as covers and compilation albums of his songs performed by various artists. Many singles and albums of his material have been released posthumously, beginning with "Peggy Sue Got Married" in July 1959 and the successful 6-disc collectors box set Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings, 50 years later in 2009.

Albums

Studio albums

YearTitleArtistAlbum detailsPeak chart
positions
UK
[1] [2]
1957The "Chirping" CricketsThe Crickets 5
1958Buddy HollyBuddy Holly
  • Released: March 1958
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57210) (mono)
  • Format: Vinyl
That'll Be the DayBuddy Holly and the Three Tunes
  • Released: April 1958
  • Label: Decca (DL 8707) (mono)
  • Format: Vinyl
5
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Compilation albums

DecadeTitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
US
[3]
NZ
[4]
UK
1950sThe Buddy Holly Story
  • Released: February 28, 1959
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57279) (mono)
  • Format: Vinyl
112US: Gold[5]
1960sThe Buddy Holly Story, Vol. 2
  • Released: April 1960
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57326) (mono)
  • Format: Vinyl
41
[6]
7
Reminiscing
  • Released: February 1963
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57426/757426) (mono/stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
402
Showcase
  • Released: May 1964
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57450/757450) (mono/stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
3
Holly in the Hills
  • Released: January 1965
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57463/757463) (mono/stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
13
The Best of Buddy Holly
  • Released: April 1966
  • Label: Coral (CXB-8, mono)/(7CXSB-8, stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl (2 LPs)
UK: Gold[7]
Buddy Holly's Greatest Hits
  • Released: March 1967
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57492/757492) (mono/stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
9
Giant
  • Released: March 1969
  • Label: Coral (CRL 757504) (stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
13
1970sBuddy Holly: A Rock & Roll Collection
  • Released: August 1972
  • Label: Decca (DSXE7-207) (stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
Buddy Holly: Legend
  • Released: 1974
  • Label: MCA
  • Format: Vinyl (2 LPs)
TBDTBDTBD
20 Golden Greats
also known as Buddy Holly Lives
  • Released: February 17, 1978
  • Label: EMI (EMTV 8)
  • Format: Vinyl
551US: Gold
UK: Platinum
The Complete Buddy Holly
  • Released: 1979
  • Label: MCA (6-80000)
  • Format: Vinyl (box set)
1980sLove Songs
20 Love Song (US title)
  • Released: 1981
  • Label: MCA
  • Format: Vinyl
UK: Gold
The Great Buddy Holly
  • Released: November 1982
  • Label: MCA (31037)
  • Format: Vinyl
For the First Time Anywhere
  • Released: February 1983
  • Label: MCA (MCA-27059)
  • Format: Vinyl
From the Original Master Tapes
  • Released: 1985
  • Label: MCA (MCAD-5540)
  • Format: CD
True Love Ways
  • Released: February 1989
  • Label: Telstar (STAR 2339)
  • Format: Vinyl
248UK: Gold
1990sWords of Love
  • Released: February 8, 1993
  • Label: PolyGram (TV 5144872)
  • Format: CD
201UK: Gold
The Buddy Holly Collection
  • Released: September 28, 1993
  • Label: MCA (B000002OPE)
  • Format: CD (2 discs)
Greatest Hits
  • Released: September 24, 1996
  • Label: MCA (MCAD-11536)
  • Format: CD
The Very Best of Buddy Holly
  • Released: November 25, 1996
  • Label: Dino (DINCD 133)
  • Format: CD
24UK: Gold
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Buddy Holly
  • Released: April 20, 1999
  • Label: MCA (B00000I9CN)
  • Format: CD
The Very Best of Buddy Holly & the Crickets
  • Released: August 1999
  • Label: Universal Music TV (112 046-2/4)
  • Format: CD/Cassette
1213
2000sBuddy Holly Gold
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: Geffen/Decca (B000ATJZ4S)
  • Format: CD (2 discs)
Not Fade Away
  • Released: 2008
  • Label: Universal Music Special Markets (B009424-02)
  • Format: CD
101
  • Released: January 27, 2009
  • Label: Decca/Geffen (B0011675-02)
  • Format: CD (2 discs)
Memorial Collection
  • Released: February 10, 2009
  • Label: Decca/Geffen (B0011337-02)
  • Format: CD (3 discs)
Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings And More
  • Released: October 30, 2009
  • Label: Hip-O Select (B0011337-02)
  • Format: CD (6 discs)
2010sThe Very Best of Buddy Holly and the Crickets
  • Released: April 28, 2014
  • Label: Not Now (B00J90AD36)
  • Format: CD (3 discs)
True Love Ways
(with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
  • Released: November 16, 2018[8]
  • Label: Decca Records
  • Format: CD, digital download
10
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Singles

1.Charted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

Billboard Year-End performances

The Crickets

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Buddy Holly . The Official Charts Company . November 24, 2018.
  2. Web site: Buddy Holly & the Crickets . The Official Charts Company . January 28, 2011.
  3. Web site: [{{Allmusic|id=p4502/charts-awards/billboard-albums|pure_url=yes}} Buddy Holly: Charts & Awards - ''Billboard'' Albums ]. . United States . December 31, 2010.
  4. Web site: Buddy Holly . New Zealand Charts . Hung Medien . ASP . June 21, 2011.
  5. Web site: Gold & Platinum Searchable Database . . PHP.
  6. September 8, 1962 . Top LP's: 150 Best Selling Monaural LP's . . 74 . 36 . Cover . May 27, 2011 .
  7. Web site: Certified Awards Search . . ASPX . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130115055129/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx . 2013-01-15 .
  8. Web site: Buddy Holly With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra TRUE LOVE WAYS Out On Decca Records Next Month . . 18 November 2018 . 22 October 2018.
  9. "Buddy Holly Discography" at hotshotdigital.com. Accessed 2011 August 7.