The discography of the English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) consists of 15 studio albums, seven live albums, 40 compilation albums, 13 video albums, 33 music videos, one extended play, 50 singles, one soundtrack album and eight box sets. ELO have also sold over 50 million records worldwide.
Albums Studio albums Below is a table outlining ELO's studio album output.
Notes: The peak chart listings are accurate but incomplete because of the limited availability of past chart information regarding other countries. All of the RIAA and BPI certifications and/or re-certifications listed are out of date, the majority being decades old. The fact that some albums are listed as non-certified does not necessarily mean those albums have not reached certification sales levels. Record companies that own the manufacturing and distribution rights to a particular record have to pay the RIAA, BPI and related bodies to research, audit and certify that record, whether it be an album, single or compilation.
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications UK AUS Note: This reference gives Australian albums and singles information. It is used for chart peak positions as the early albums were released before ARIA regulated the Australian charts itself in 1989 AUT GER JPN Note: Reference indicates chart positions from 1988 onwards, and part of the information are currently unavailable NLD NOR SWE SWI US The Electric Light OrchestraNo Answer (US) (as The Electric Light Orchestra) Released: December 1971 Label: Harvest (UK) · United Artists (US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · CD+DVD-V · 8-trk · digital download 32 54 — — — — — — — 196 ELO 2Electric Light Orchestra II (US) (as The Electric Light Orchestra) Released: March 1973 Label: Harvest (UK) · United Artists (US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · 8-trk · digital download 35 — — — — — — — — 62 On the Third Day Released: November 1973 Label: Warner Bros. (UK) · UnitedArtists (US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · 8-trk · digital download — 10 — — — — — — — 52 Eldorado Released: September 1974 Label: Warner Bros. (UK) · UnitedArtists (US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · 8-trk · digital download — 40 — — — 4 — — — 16CAN: Platinum US: Gold Face the Music Released: September 1975 Label: Jet (UK) · United Artists (US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · 8-trk · digital download — 30 — — — 11 — 41 — 8CAN: Gold US: Gold A New World Record Released: 15 October 1976 Label: Jet (UK) · United Artists (US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · 8-trk · digital download 6 1 9 7 60 2 9 1 — 5UK: Platinum CAN: 2× Platinum NLD: GoldNote: User needs to enter "Electric Light Orchestra" in the "Artiest" field and click below "zoek" button. US: Platinum Out of the Blue Released: 24 October 1977 Label: Jet (UK and US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · 8-trk · digital download 4 3 — 6 32 3 3 2 — 4UK: Platinum CAN: Platinum GER: Gold NLD: Gold US: Platinum Discovery Released: 1 June 1979 Label: Jet (UK and US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · 8-trk · digital download 1 1 3 7 31 6 1 2 — 5UK: Platinum AUS: 4× Platinum CAN: 3× Platinum GER: Gold US: 2× Platinum Xanadu (with Olivia Newton-John) Released: 11 July 1980 Label: Jet (UK) · MCA (US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · 8-trk 2 1 1 1 — 1 1 1 — 4UK: Gold Note: User needs to enter "Xanadu" in the "Search" field. AUS: Platinum CAN: 2× Platinum GER: Gold US: 2× Platinum Time (as ELO) Released: 31 July 1981 Label: Jet (UK and US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · 8-trk · digital download 1 2 2 1 36 2 2 1 — 16UK: Platinum CAN: Gold GER: Gold US: Gold Secret Messages Released: 24 June 1983 Label: Jet (UK and US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · digital download 4 19 11 6 35 7 5 11 — 36UK: Gold CAN: Gold Balance of Power Released: 3 March 1986 Label: Jet (various early pressings) · Epic (UK) · CBS Associated (US) Formats: LP · cassette · CD · digital download 9 49 29 18 22 20 4 3 10 49UK: Silver Zoom Released: 12 June 2001 Label: Epic Formats: LP · cassette · CD · digital download 34 — 51 16 36 46 18 35 26 94[B]AUS: Platinum Alone in the Universe (as Jeff Lynne's ELO) Released: 13 November 2015 Label: RCA (UK) · Columbia (US) Formats: LP · CD · digital download 4 15 14 7 27 5 9 5 7 23[C]UK: Platinum From Out of Nowhere (as Jeff Lynne's ELO) Released: 1 November 2019 Label: Columbia Formats: LP · CD · digital download 1 12 10 14 34 29 26 13 14 47[D]UK: Silver
Notes B ^ Also peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Top Internet Albums chart. C ^ Also peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. D ^ Also peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Top Rock Albums and Top Album Sales charts.
Live albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications UK AUT GER NLD SWE SWI US The Night the Light Went On in Long BeachReleased: May 1974 Label: Warner Bros. — — — — — — — Live at Wembley '78Released: 28 March 1998 Label: Eagle — — — — — — — Live at Winterland '76Released: 30 March 1998 Label: Eagle — — — — — — — The BBC SessionsReleased: 1999 Label: Eagle — — — — — — — Live at the BBCReleased: 28 June 1999 Label: Eagle — — — — — — — Electric Light Orchestra LiveReleased: 19 April 2013 Label: Frontiers — — — — — — — Wembley or Bust(as Jeff Lynne's ELO)Released: 17 November 2017 Label: Big Trilby 9 20 12 17 21 54 90UK: Silver
Compilation albums Charted or certified compilations Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications UK AUS AUT GER NLD NOR NZ SWE SWI US Showdown Released: November 1974 Label: Harvest (UK) — — — — — — — — — — Olé ELO Released: June 1976 Label: Jet (UK) — — — — — — — — — 32CAN: Platinum US: Gold The Light Shines On Released: April 1977 Label: Harvest — — — — — — — — — —UK: Silver Three Light Years Released: December 1978 Label: Jet 38 — — — — — — — — —UK: Gold The Light Shines On Vol 2 Released: April 1979 Label: Harvest — — — — — — — — — — ELO's Greatest Hits Released: 23 November 1979 Label: Jet (UK) · CBS (US) 7 1 17 — — 13 2 — — 30 UK: Platinum AUS: Platinum CAN: Platinum US: 4× Platinum A Perfect World of Music Released: 1985 Label: Jet — — — 53 — — — — — — All Over the World Released: 1987 Label: Arcade — 50 — — 29 — — — — — The Greatest Hits Released: 1989 Label: Telstar 23 — — — — — — 22 — —UK: Gold ELO's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 Released: 5 October 1992 Label: Epic — — — — — — 11 — — — The Very Best of the ElectricLight Orchestra Released: 20 June 1994 Label: Dino 4 15 — — — — — — — —UK: Gold Light Years, The Very Best ofElectric Light Orchestra Released: 27 October 1997 Label: Epic 60 — — — — 10 — 7 — —UK: Gold NOR: Gold Simply the Best of Electric Light Orchestra Released: 1998 (Germany) Label: Epic (450377) — — — — — — — — — — The Ultimate Collection Released: 8 May 2001 Label: Columbia 18 — — 63 — — — — 92 —UK: Gold All Over the World: The VeryBest of Electric Light Orchestra Released: 6 June 2005 Label: Epic 1 35 — — 71 29 18 6 89 72[E]UK: 5× Platinum AUS: Platinum GER: Gold US: Gold The Collection Released 9 March 2009 Label: Camden — — — — — — — — — —UK: Silver The Essential Electric Light Orchestra Released: 10 October 2011 Label: Epic — — — — — — — — 58 —UK: Silver US: Gold Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best ofElectric Light Orchestra Released: 8 October 2012 Label: Frontiers 8 — — — 78 — — — — 118[F]UK: Gold
Notes E ^ First charted at #128 week of 1 September 2012 after the London Olympics opening and closing ceremonies featured "Mr. Blue Sky", peaked at #72 week of Nov 27, 2021. F ^ Charted at #46 on the US Billboard Top Rock Albums and at #29 on the US Billboard Top Independent Albums charts.
Complete list Showdown (1974) Olé ELO (1976) Joyride (soundtrack) (1977) The Light Shines On (1977) The Light Shines On Vol 2 (1979) ELO's Greatest Hits (1979) The Best of ELO (Tellydisc, 1981) Eldorado/Electric Light Orchestra II (cassette only reissue) (1983) A Perfect World of Music (1985) First Movement (1986) All Over the World (1987) The Very Best of The Electric Light Orchestra (Telstar, 1989) The Very Best of The Electric Light Orchestra (Epic, 1990) ELO Classics (1990) The Very Best of ELO (Arcade, 1990) The Very Best of ELO 1 (1990) The Very Best of ELO 2 (1990) Early ELO: 1971–1973 (1991) ELO's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1992) Burning Bright (1992) The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra (Dino, 1994) Strange Magic: The Best of Electric Light Orchestra 2 CD (1995) The Gold Collection (EMI Gold, 1996) The Best of Electric Light Orchestra (Disky, 1996) Light Years, The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra 2 CD (1997) The Danish Collection, The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra (1997) The Swedish Collection, The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra (2000) Friends & Relatives (1999) Definitive Collection (1999) World Ballads: Electric Light Orchestra (1999) The Ultimate Collection 2 CD (2001) The Essential Electric Light Orchestra (2003) Early Years (2004) All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra (2005) Harvest Showdown (2005) The Collection (2006) The Harvest Years: 1970–1973 (2006) Ticket to the Moon: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra Volume 2 (2007) ELO: Los Monstruos del Rock (2008) Playlist: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra (2008) The Collection (2009) The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra (2011) The Essential Electric Light Orchestra 2 CD (2011) Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra - Jeff Lynne (2012)
Box sets Title Album detailsNotes Three Light YearsReleased: December 1978 Label: Jet Format: 3 LPsThe box set compiles On the Third Day, Eldorado and Face the Music in their entirety. Four Light YearsReleased: 1980 Label: Jet Format: 4 LPsThe box set compiles A New World Record, Out of the Blue and Discovery in their entirety. A Box of Their BestReleased: 7 August 1980 Label: Jet • Epic (PZX 36966) Formats: 4 LPs/1 7-inch singleThe box set compiles A New World Record, Out of the Blue and Discovery in their entirety along with Lynne's first ever solo single "Doin' That Crazy Thing". This single, a single-sided single that was marked as a promo, was not in all releases of the box. AfterglowReleased: 15 June 1990 Label: Epic (E3K 46090) Formats: 3 CDs and cassettesThe box set features songs from all Electric Light Orchestra albums with the exception of Xanadu, as well as rare b-sides and unreleased tracks from Time, Secret Messages originally intended double album and Balance of Power. 3-PakReleased: 24 October 1995 Label: Sony Music Entertainment Formats: 3 CDsThe box set compiles Face the Music, A New World Record and Discovery in their entirety. FlashbackReleased: 21 November 2000 Label: Epic/Legacy Formats: 3 CDsThe box set features songs from all Electric Light Orchestra albums with previously unreleased tracks. Original Album ClassicsReleased: 25 October 2010 Label: Epic/Legacy/Sony Music Formats: 5 CDs US: GoldThe box set compiles On the Third Day, Face the Music, A New World Record, Discovery, and Time in their entirety, including bonus tracks. The Classic Albums CollectionReleased: 22 November 2011 Label: Sony Music/Epic/Legacy/EMI Formats: 11 CDsThe box set compiles all Electric Light Orchestra studio albums from The Electric Light Orchestra to Balance of Power (excluding Xanadu) in their entirety, including bonus tracks from 2006 reissues. The UK Singles Volume One 1972–1978Released: 21 September 2018 Label: Sony Music/Epic/Legacy Formats: 16 7-inchThe box set compiles fifteen Electric Light Orchestra 7-inch singles and one 7-inch EP originally released between 1972 and 1978.
Extended plays Title EP details Peak chart positions UK IRE The ELO EPReleased: 9 December 1978 (UK) Label: Jet 34 15
Singles Note: Entry boxes containing "—" may pertain to any of the following: A single not being released in the territory Various charts listed had ceased to exist before particular singles were released Accurate but incomplete information Failure to chart