The discography of Nick Drake, an English folk musician and singer-songwriter, consists of three studio albums, five singles, seven compilation albums, two box sets, one video album and various soundtrack and compilation appearances.
Drake was born on 19 June 1948 in Yangon, Burma, returning with his family to England in 1950. He was encouraged by his mother to learn piano and later learned clarinet and saxophone while attending Marlborough College. In 1965, Drake purchased his first guitar and began experimenting with open tunings and fingerpicking, techniques that later became a signature in his music. While Drake was attending the University of Cambridge in 1968, he was introduced to the American record producer Joe Boyd and signed a contract to Island Records.
Drake released his debut studio album, Five Leaves Left, in July 1969. The recording sessions and post-production of the album were difficult due to creative differences between Drake and production personnel. Five Leaves Left also received poor marketing from Island and mixed reviews from critics. In March 1971, Drake released his second studio album, Bryter Layter, which featured a more up-tempo and jazz influenced sound. Joe Boyd described that the album had "more of a pop sound" and "imagined it as more commercial". The album sold fewer than 3,000 copies upon its release and received mixed reviews.
Drake suffered from depression following the commercial failure of his first two releases. However, in October 1971 Drake began recording with producer John Wood, who had been the engineer on Drake's first two albums. Recorded at two midnight sessions at Sound Techniques in London, the sessions resulted in Drake's third and final studio album, Pink Moon. It was released in February 1972 and despite poor sales, received positive critical acclaim. Drake attempted to record a fourth studio album in early 1974, just months prior to his death on 25 November.
Drake failed to reach a wide audience during his lifetime but has since gained wider recognition. Compilations of his music have charted worldwide—including the United Kingdom, Belgium, Ireland and the United States—and rereleases of his singles have entered into the UK Singles Chart. All three of Drake's studio albums, and the compilation album Way to Blue: An Introduction to Nick Drake, have been certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry.
Albums Studio albums + List of studio albums, with certificationsTitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications UK FRA ITA Five Leaves Left Released: July 1969Drake, Gabrielle, Nick Drake: Remembered For A While, Little, Brown and Company, 2014. Label: Island Formats: CD, digital download, LP85—— UK: Platinum Bryter Layter Released: 5 March 1971 Label: Island Formats: CD, digital download, LP——— UK: Gold Pink Moon Released: 25 February 1972 Label: Island Formats: CD, digital download, LP—17881
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Compilation albums + List of compilation albums, with peak chart positions and certifications Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications(sales thresholds) Nick Drake Released: August 1971 Label: Island Formats: LP — — — Heaven in a Wild Flower: An Exploration of Nick Drake Released: 28 May 1985 Label: Island Formats: Cassette, LP, CD — — — Time of No Reply Released: March 1987 Label: Hannibal Formats: Cassette, CD, LP — — — Way to Blue: An Introduction to Nick Drake Released: 31 May 1994 Label: Island Formats: CD — — — UK: Gold Made to Love Magic Released: 24 May 2004 Label: Island Formats: CD, digital download, LP 27 59 — UK: Silver A Treasury Released: 26 October 2004 Label: Island Formats: CD, digital download, LP, SACD — — — UK: Gold Family Tree Released: 10 July 2007 Label: Island , Sunbeam , Tsunami Label Group Formats: 2×LP, CD, digital download — — 35 The Making of Five Leaves Left Released: 25 July 2025 Label: Universal Music Formats: 4×LP, 4×CD, streaming — — — "—" denotes a release that did not chart.
Live albums +List of live albumsTitleAlbum detailsThe John Peel Session Released: 17 November 2014 Label: Universal Music Catalogue Formats: Digital download, LP
Box sets Title Album details Peak chart positions Fruit Tree Released: 9 March 1979 Label: Island Formats: 3×LP, 4×CD, 4×LP 92 Tuck Box Released: 9 December 2013 Label: Island Formats: 5×CD — "—" denotes a release that did not chart.
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Singles Retail singles + List of retail singles, with peak chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions Album "Magic" 2004 32 Made to Love Magic "River Man" 48
Promotional singles + List of promotional singles Title Year Album Ref "Northern Sky" 1993 Way to Blue: – An Introduction to Nick Drake "Pink Moon" 2000 Pink Moon "Plaisir d'amour" 2012 Non-album single
Video albums + List of video albums Title Album details A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake Released: 4 December 2007 Label: Island Format: DVD
Compilation appearances + List of appearances on various artist compilation albums Song Year Album Notes Ref "Time Has Told Me" 1969 Nice Enough to Eat From Five Leaves Left "Hazey Jane I" 1970 Bumpers From Bryter Layter "One of These Things First" 1971 El Pea "Road" 1994 Folk Routes From Pink Moon "Three Hours" 1995 Troubadours of British Folk, Vol.2: Folk into Rock From Five Leaves Left "Pink Moon" 2001 As Seen on TV: Songs from Commercials From Pink Moon "Northern Sky" 2005 Anthems in Eden: An Anthology of British & Irish Folk 1955–1978 From Bryter Layter "River Man" Late Night Tales: The Flaming Lips From Five Leaves Left "Hazey Jane II" Acoustic 05 From Bryter Layter "Time Has Told Me" 2006 The Acoustic Album From Five Leaves Left "One of These Things First" 2007 Four Decades of Folk Rock From Bryter Layter
Soundtrack appearances + List of appearances on film and television soundtrack albums Song Year Appears in Notes Ref "River Man" 1997 Dream with the Fishes From Five Leaves Left "Horn" Star Maps From Pink Moon "Road" 1998 Hideous Kinky "Black Eyed Dog" Practical Magic From Time of No Reply "Northern Sky" 2001 Serendipity From Bryter Layter "Fly" The Royal Tenenbaums "Cello Song" Me Without You From Five Leaves Left "One of These Things First" 2004 Garden State From Bryter Layter "Northern Sky" 2005 Fever Pitch "Time Has Told Me" 2006 The Lake House From Five Leaves Left "Pink Moon" 2006 The Lake House From Pink Moon "Pink Moon" 2007 Driving Lessons From Pink Moon "Poor Boy" 2008 What Just Happened From Bryter Layter "One of These Things First" Seven Pounds "Road" 2009 Bandslam From Pink Moon "Pink Moon" 2011 The Way "Time of No Reply" 2016 This Is Us From Time of No Reply "Northern Sky" 2019 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood From Bryter Layter
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