| Artist: | John Mayall |
| Studio: | 36 |
| Live: | 34 |
| Compilation: | 24 |
| Video: | 4 |
| Ep: | 4 |
| Singles: | 44 |
The discography of English blues rock musician John Mayall, including the band John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, consists of 35 studio albums, 34 live albums, 24 compilation albums, four extended plays (EPs), 44 singles and four video albums. Mayall's 38th studio album was released in 2022.
Mayall began his recording career in 1963 with the formation of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. After several early lineup changes and live debut John Mayall Plays John Mayall, the band released their self-titled debut studio album Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton in 1966, which featured guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist John McVie and drummer Hughie Flint.[1] The album reached number 6 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry.[2] [3] With new guitarist Peter Green and drummer Aynsley Dunbar, A Hard Road followed in 1967.[4] It reached the UK Albums Chart top ten.[2] Crusade, featuring Mick Taylor on guitar and Keef Hartley on drums,[5] was released later in the year and peaked at number 8.[2] It was also the group's first release to chart in the US, reaching number 136 on the Billboard 200.[6]
Mayall's third release of 1967 was his debut solo studio album, The Blues Alone,[7] which managed only to reach number 24 in the UK and number 128 in the US.[2] [6] The band's second and third live albums, The Diary of a Band, followed in January 1968 (by which time McVie had left),[8] [9] both of which reached the UK top 30 and the US top 100.[2] [6] A fourth studio album, Bare Wires, was the band's most successful to date, peaking at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart and number 59 on the US Billboard 200.[2] [6] Shortly after the album's release, however, the Bluesbreakers fell apart as several members left, and the group was disbanded.[10] [11] Relocating to the US with Taylor, Mayall released Blues from Laurel Canyon later in 1968,[12] which reached number 33 on the UK Albums Chart and number 68 on the US Billboard 200.[2] [6]
Taylor left Mayall in June 1969 to join The Rolling Stones.[13] The frontman replaced him with Jon Mark and released the live album The Turning Point later in the year,[14] which was his first release to reach the US top 40 when it peaked at number 32.[6] It was also certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.[15] Compilation Looking Back was released around the same time, reaching number 14 in the UK and number 79 in the US.[2] [6] Empty Rooms followed in 1970,[16] which saw Mayall return to the UK top ten.[2] USA Union was released in the summer, featuring former Canned Heat members Harvey Mandel on guitar and Larry Taylor on bass,[17] which reached a career record number 22 on the US Billboard 200.[6] 1971's Back to the Roots peaked at number 31 in the UK and number 52 in the US.[2] [6]
Mayall continued to restructure his band and release new studio and live material throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with limited commercial success. In 1982 he returned to using the Bluesbreakers moniker,[18] and in 1993 he registered on the UK Albums Chart for the first time in more than 20 years when Wake Up Call reached number 61.[2] Since 2009, Mayall has been recording and touring under his own name, after retiring the Bluesbreaker name in late 2008.[19]
| Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS [20] | BEL Fla. [21] | BEL Wal. [22] | CAN [23] | FRA [24] | GER [25] | NED [26] | NOR [27] | SWI [28] | US | ||||
| Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Gold | |
| A Hard Road (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Crusade (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | 136 | ||
| The Blues Alone |
| 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 128 | ||
| Bare Wires (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 59 | ||
| Blues from Laurel Canyon |
| 33 | — | — | — | 38 | — | 33 | — | — | — | 68 | ||
| Empty Rooms |
| 9 | 6 | — | — | 18 | — | 21 | — | 10 | — | 33 | ||
| USA Union |
| 50 | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | 20 | — | 22 | ||
| Back to the Roots |
| 31 | 44 | — | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | 52 | ||
| Memories |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 179 | ||
| Ten Years Are Gone |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 157 | ||
| The Latest Edition |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| New Year, New Band, New Company |
| — | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 140 | ||
| Notice to Appear |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| A Banquet in Blues |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| A Hard Core Package |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Bottom Line |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| No More Interviews |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Road Show Blues |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Return of the Bluesbreakers (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Chicago Line (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| A Sense of Place (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | — | — | 170 | ||
| Cross Country Blues (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | — | — | 170 | ||
| Wake Up Call (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| 61 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 73 | — | — | — | ||
| Spinning Coin (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Blues for the Lost Days (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| 185 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Padlock on the Blues (with the Bluesbreakers and John Lee Hooker) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Along for the Ride (John Mayall & Friends) |
| 143 | — | — | — | — | — | 88 | — | — | 90 | — | ||
| Stories (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Road Dogs (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | 187 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| In the Palace of the King (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | 168 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Tough |
| — | — | — | — | — | 140 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| A Special Life |
| — | — | 185 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Find a Way to Care |
| — | — | 82 | 125 | — | — | — | 41 | — | 86 | — | ||
| Talk About That |
| — | — | 74 | 166 | — | — | — | — | — | 84 | — | ||
| Nobody Told Me |
| — | — | 69 | 76 | — | 195 | 28 | 88 | — | 16 | — | ||
| The Sun Is Shining Down |
| — | — | — | 159 | — | — | 84 | — | — | 28 | — | ||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not issued in that region. | ||||||||||||||
| Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | [29] | [30] | UK Indie [31] | CAN [32] | GER | NOR | US | US Blues [33] | ||||
| John Mayall Plays John Mayall (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| The Diary of a Band, Vol. 1 |
| 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 93 | — | ||
| The Diary of a Band, Vol. 2 |
| 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| The Turning Point |
| 11 | — | — | — | — | 48 | 18 | 17 | 32 | — |
Gold | |
| Live in Europe |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 146 | — | ||
| Jazz Blues Fusion |
| — | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 64 | — | ||
| Moving On |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 116 | — | ||
| Lots of People |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Primal Solos |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| The Last of the British Blues |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Behind the Iron Curtain (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| The Power of the Blues (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| The 1982 Reunion Concert (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Rock the Blues Tonight |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Live at the Marquee 1969 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Time Capsule |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| UK Tour 2K |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Boogie Woogie Man |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Rolling with the Blues |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| No Days Off (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 70th Birthday Concert (with the Bluesbreakers and Friends (Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Chris Barber)) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | ||
| Live: 1969 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | — | — | — | ||
| Live from Austin, TX (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| In the Shadow of Legends (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Live in London |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Historic Live Shows, Vol. 1 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Historic Live Shows, Vol. 2 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Historic Live Shows, Vol. 3 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Blues Alive NYC 1976 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Live in 1967 (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | 32 | — | — | — | — | 4 | ||
| Live in 1967, Vol. 2 (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | ||
| Three for the Road |
| — | — | 24 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | ||
| Live in 1967, Vol. 3 (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | ||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not issued in that region. | |||||||||||||
| Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | [34] | GER | NOR | US | US Blues | |||
| Looking Back |
| 14 | — | 12 | 13 | 79 | — | |
| The World of John Mayall, Vol. 1 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The World of John Mayall, Vol. 2 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Thru the Years |
| — | — | — | — | 164 | — | |
| Beyond the Turning Point |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Down the Line |
| — | — | — | — | 158 | — | |
| The Best of John Mayall |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| So Many Roads |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Blues Roots |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The John Mayall Story, Vol. 1 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The John Mayall Story, Vol. 2 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The Collection |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Archives to Eighties (featuring Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1966–1972 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| London Blues: 1964–1969 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Room to Move: 1969–1974 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Stormy Monday |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| As It All Began: 1964–69 (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | 12 | — | — | — | — | |
| Drivin' On: The ABC Years (1975–1982) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Silver Tones: The Best of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The Masters: Soundtrack to the Film Turning Point |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Steppin' Out: An Introduction to John Mayall |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Rockin' the Roadshow |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Essentially John Mayall |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Live at the BBC (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| So Many Roads: An Anthology (1964–1974) |
| — | — | — | — | — | 15 | |
| The First Generation 1965–1974 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not issued in that region. | ||||||||
| EP details | ||
| All My Life (with the Bluesbreakers and Paul Butterfield) |
| |
|---|---|---|
| The John Mayall E.P. |
| |
| Broadcast 65 EP (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| |
| The Blues Breaker EP |
|
| Year | Chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUT [36] | CAN [37] | NLD [38] | US [39] | |||
| "Crawling Up a Hill" (with the Bluesbreakers) | 1964 | — | — | — | — | rowspan="4" |
| "Crocodile Walk" (with the Bluesbreakers) | 1965 | — | — | — | — | |
| "I'm Your Witchdoctor" (with the Bluesbreakers) | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Lonely Years" (with Eric Clapton) | 1966 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Key to Love" (with the Bluesbreakers) | — | — | — | — | Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton | |
| "On Top Of The World" (with the Bluesbreakers) | — | — | — | — | Not issued | |
| "Looking Back" (with the Bluesbreakers) | — | — | — | — | rowspan="2" | |
| "Sitting in the Rain" (with the Bluesbreakers) | 1967 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Suspicions" (with the Bluesbreakers) | — | — | — | — | Looking Back | |
| "Jenny" | 1968 | — | — | — | — | |
| "No Reply" (with the Bluesbreakers) | — | — | — | — | Bare Wires | |
| "Broken Wings" (with the Bluesbreakers) | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Bear" | — | — | — | — | Blues from Laurel Canyon | |
| "Walking On Sunset" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Don't Waste My Time" | 1969 | — | 54 | 37 | 81 | Empty Rooms |
| "Don't Pick A Flower" | 18 | — | — | — | ||
| "Room to Move" | 14 | 92 | 5 | 102 | The Turning Point | |
| "Thinking of My Woman" | 1970 | — | — | — | — | Empty Rooms |
| "Nature's Disappearing" | — | — | — | — | USA Union | |
| "Took the Car" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Dream with Me" | 1971 | — | — | — | — | Back to the Roots |
| "Prisons on the Road" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Play the Harp" | 1972 | — | — | — | — | Memories |
| "Moving On" | — | — | — | — | Moving On | |
| "Gasoline Blues" | 1974 | — | — | — | — | The Latest Edition |
| "Let Me Give" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Step in the Sun" | 1975 | — | — | — | — | New Year, New Band, New Company |
| "Sunshine" | 1976 | — | — | — | — | A Banquet in Blues |
| "Bottom Line" | 1979 | — | — | — | — | Bottom Line |
| "Falling" | — | — | — | — | No More Interviews | |
| "The Last Time" (with the Bluesbreakers) | 1989 | — | — | — | — | Chicago Line |
| "Fascinatin' Lover" (with the Bluesbreakers) | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Sensitive Kind" (with the Bluesbreakers) | 1990 | — | — | — | — | A Sense of Place |
| "Jacksonboro Highway" (with the Bluesbreakers) | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Congo Square" (with the Bluesbreakers) | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Mail Order Mystics" (with the Bluesbreakers) | 1993 | — | — | — | — | Wake Up Call |
| "Ain't No Brakeman" (with the Bluesbreakers) | 1995 | — | — | — | — | Spinning Coin |
| "Dead City" (with the Bluesbreakers) | 1997 | — | — | — | — | Blues for the Lost Days |
| "Pride & Faith" (with the Bluesbreakers) | 2002 | — | — | — | — | Stories |
| "World Gone Crazy" (split with Walter Trout) | 2014 | — | — | — | — | A Special Life |
| "The Sum of Something" (live) | 2018 | — | — | — | — | Three for the Road |
| "Big Town Playboy" (live) | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Distant Lonesome Train" | — | — | — | — | Nobody Told Me | |
| "What Have I Done Wrong" (featuring Joe Bonamassa) | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not issued in that region. | ||||||
| Album details | ||
| Blues Alive (with the Bluesbreakers) |
| |
|---|---|---|
| Purely Music |
| |
| 70th Birthday Concert (with the Bluesbreakers and Friends) |
| |
| The Godfather of British Blues/ The Turning Point |
|
. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 195.