American singer Bette Midler has released 13 studio albums, four soundtrack albums, five live albums, one spoken word album, seven greatest hits compilations, four video albums, 39 official singles, nine promotional singles, and 11 music videos.
Midler released her debut single "Do You Want to Dance?" in 1972, which peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her first album was released the same year, and it managed to sell over 1 million copies in United States being certified platinum by RIAA. After that she released 10 studio albums with Warner Records, the most successful is Some People's Lives, which received gold and platinum certifications in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
After nearly three decades of erratic record sales, Midler was dropped from the Warner Music Group in 2001. Following a reported long-standing feud with Barry Manilow, the two joined forces after many years in 2003 to record Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook. Now signed to Columbia Records, the album was an instant success, being certified gold by RIAA. One of the Clooney Songbook selections, "This Ole House", became Midler's first Christian radio single shipped by Rick Hendrix and his positive music movement. The album was nominated for a Grammy the following year. After that she released two more albums with Columbia Records, and in 2014 returned to Warner to release her fourteenth studio album, It's the Girls!.
As of 2010, Midler has sold over 30 million records worldwide.
Albums
Studio albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertificationsUSAUSAustralian chart peaks: Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks to June 12, 1988: N.B. The Kent Music Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and June 12, 1988. Top 50 (ARIA) peaks from June 12, 1988: Top 100 (ARIA) peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: "I Know You by Heart" (ARIA) peak: AUTFor peak chart positions of Midler's albums in Austria, use her austriancharts.at-link:CANFor peak chart positions of Midler's albums in Canada, use her collectionscanada.gc.ca-links depending on a release:GERFor peak chart positions of Midler's albums in Germany, use her charts.de-links depending on a release:JPNFor peak chart positions of Midler's albums in Japan, use her oricon.co.jp-links depending on a release: The Divine Miss M: NLDNZSWEUKUK chart peaks: Other than specified: "In This Life" and "To Deserve You": The Divine Miss MReleased: November 7, 1972 Label: Atlantic (#SD7238) Format: LP, CD (1995)97—5—58————RIAA: Platinum AUS: Platinum MC: PlatinumBette MidlerReleased: November 16, 1973 Label: Atlantic (#SD7270) Format: LP, CD (1995)614—3——————RIAA: GoldSongs for the New DepressionReleased: January 8, 1976 Label: Atlantic (#SD18155) Format: LP, CD (1995)2750————————Broken BlossomReleased: November 17, 1977 Label: Atlantic (#SD19151) Format: LP, CD (1995)5147—46——————Thighs and WhispersReleased: October 1979 Label: Atlantic (#SD16004) Format: LP, CD (1995)6528——————28—No FrillsReleased: August 1, 1983 Label: Atlantic (#80070) Format: LP, CD (1995)6043—7146—41—1—Some People's LivesReleased: September 4, 1990 Label: Atlantic (#82129) Format: LP, CD672771566—10—5RIAA: 2× Platinum ARIA: 2× Platinum BPI: Gold MC: 2× PlatinumBette of RosesReleased: July 27, 1995 Label: Atlantic (#82823) Format: CD4551—697445———55RIAA: Platinum BPI: SilverBathhouse BettyReleased: September 15, 1998 Label: Warner Bros (#47078) Format: CD3255—886889————RIAA: GoldBetteReleased: October 10, 2000 Label: Warner Bros (#47843) Format: CD69—————————Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney SongbookReleased: September 30, 2003 Label: Columbia (#CK90350) Format: CD1428————————RIAA: GoldBette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee SongbookReleased: October 25, 2005 Label: Columbia (#CN97758) Format: DD (CD, DVD)10————————41Cool Yule (holiday album)Released: October 10, 2006 Label: Columbia (#82876 86266) Format: CD33————————— It's the Girls! Released: November 4, 2014 Label: Warner/Rhino (#545542) Format: CD310382462—64——6 BPI: Gold "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that region.
Soundtracks TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertificationsUSAUSAUTCANJPNNLDNZNORSWEUKThe Rose: The Original Soundtrack RecordingReleased: December 3, 1979 Label: Atlantic (#SD16010) Format: LP, CS, CD (1995)123———161918468RIAA: 2× Platinum ARIA: 3× PlatinumBeaches: Original Soundtrack RecordingReleased: November 22, 1988 Label: Atlantic (#81933) Format: LP, CS, CD21————2——21RIAA: 3× Platinum ARIA: 4× Platinum BPI: GoldFor the Boys: Music from the Motion PictureReleased: November 12, 1991 Label: Atlantic (#82329) Format: LP, CS, CD2244342852————75RIAA: Gold MC: GoldGypsyReleased: November 23, 1993 Label: Atlantic (#82551) Format: CD175————————— "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that region.
Live albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsUSAUSNZLive at LastReleased: June 1977 Label: Atlantic (#SD29000) Format: 2LP, 2CD (N/A)4939—Divine MadnessReleased: November 7, 1980 Label: Atlantic (#SD16022) Format: LP342012
Spoken word albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsUSAUSMud Will Be Flung TonightReleased: 1985 Label: Atlantic (#81291) Format: LP, CD18394
Compilations TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertificationsUSAUSAUTCANGERJPNNLDNZSWEUKThe Best of BetteReleased: 1978 Label: Atlantic (#50530) Format: LP, CD (1987)—18——————32— ARIA: PlatinumThe Best of Bette (1981)Released: 1981 Label: K-tel (# N/A) Format: LP—40————————Just HitsReleased: 1987 Label: Atlantic (# N/A) Format: LP—97————————Experience the Divine: Greatest HitsReleased: June 22, 1993 Label: Atlantic (#82497) Format: CS, CD (CD, re-issue 1996)5033527675813—3RIAA: Platinum ARIA: 4× Platinum BPI: Platinum MC: GoldJackpot! The Best BetteReleased: September 23, 2008 Label: Atlantic / Rhino (#R2515881) Format: CD (CD/DVD, UK Limited edition)66———————106BPI: 2× PlatinumMemories of YouReleased: November 22, 2010 Label: Warner / Rhino (#77186) Format: CD (only UK)—————————45BPI: SilverA Gift of LoveReleased: December 4, 2015 Label: Warner / Rhino Format: CD, digital download—46———————25 BPI: Silver "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that region.
Box sets TitleAlbum detailsNotesBette Midler: 3 for OneReleased: April 4, 2000 Label: Atlantic (#CD BOX SET) Format: 3CDImport release issued in Australia, featuring two studio albums: The Divine Miss M (1972) and Some People's Lives (1990), along with the soundtrack of Beaches (1988). Original Album SeriesReleased: October 14, 2011 Label: Atlantic (#97547) Format: 5CDImport release, featuring her first four albums — The Divine Miss M (1972), Bette Midler (1973), Songs for the New Depression (1976), Broken Blossom (1977) — and initial OST The Rose (1979); each in a card sleeve with original LP artwork on front and back.
Singles
As lead artist + List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions and certificationsTitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbumUSFor peak chart positions of Midler's singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, use the billboard-link:USACFor peak chart positions of Midler's singles on the US Adult Contemporary chart, use her billboard.com-links and/or allmusic.com-links depending on a release:USDCAUSCANACFor peak chart positions of Midler's singles on RPM 100 Chart in Canada, use a link depending on a release:CANFor peak chart positions of Midler's singles on RPM Adult Contemporary Chart in Canada, use a link depending on a release:GERFor peak chart positions of Midler's singles in Germany, use her charts.de-links depending on a release:NLDFor peak chart positions of Midler's singles in Dutch Singles Top 100, use her dutchcharts.nl-link:NZUK"Do You Want to Dance?"1972178—10118————The Divine Miss M"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"197381—738——17—"Friends"409——1757————"In the Mood"5118—962928————Bette Midler"Strangers in the Night"1976—457———————Songs for the New Depression"Old Cape Cod"—36————————"Samedi et vendredi"——————————"You're Movin' Out Today"19774211—751067————Live at Last"Storybook Children (Daybreak)"5737——3956————Broken Blossom"Buckets of Rain" 1978——————————The Best of Bette"Married Men"197940—3237—81————Thighs and Whispers"Hang on in There Baby"——70———————"My Knight in Black Leather"——29——————"When a Man Loves a Woman"198035—————————The Rose: The Original Soundtrack Recording"The Rose"31—612——24—RIAA: Gold BPI: Silver RMNZ: Platinum"My Mother's Eyes" (live)398—59————34—Divine Madness"Chapel of Love" (live) ——————————"All I Need to Know"19837739——5—————No Frills"Favorite Waste of Time"78——44——————"Beast of Burden"198471——12——15114—"Under the Boardwalk"1988———26——————Beaches: Original Soundtrack Recording"Wind Beneath My Wings"198912—1—3——45RIAA: Platinum ARIA: Platinum BPI: Platinum RMNZ: Gold"I Know You by Heart"———118——————"From a Distance"199021—81714336RIAA: Platinum ARIA: GoldSome People's Lives"Night and Day"19916215—84668——50—"The Gift of Love"—19——340————"Moonlight Dancing"——————————"Every Road Leads Back to You"7815—741066————For the Boys: Music from the Motion Picture"In My Life"1992—20—10732—————"To Deserve You"1995——2—18——7—173Bette of Roses"In This Life"————26————146"God Help the Outcasts"1996——————————The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack "You Don't Own Me"——————————The First Wives Club: Music from the Motion Picture...And Then Some"My One True Friend"1998—16——49——87—58Bathhouse Betty"I'm Beautiful"1999——1———————"In These Shoes"2001——8———————Bette"White Christmas"2003—15————————Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook"Fever"2005——4———————Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook"From a Distance" 2006—13————————Cool Yule"Wind Beneath My Wings" 2008—————————70The Best Bette"Be My Baby"2014——————————It's the Girls! "—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that region.
As featured artist + List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions and certificationsTitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbumAUCANCANACGERNLD40NLD100NZUKUSUSAC"We Are the World"19851112111111RIAA: 4× Platinum BPI: Silver MC: 3× PlatinumWe Are the World
Promotional singles + List of promotional singles, with selected chart positions and notesTitleYearPeak chart positionsNotesUSDC"Old Cape Cod"1976—Two-track SP featuring a stereo and mono version of the song from Songs for the New Depression album, released in the US."Paradise"1977—Two-track SP featuring a stereo and mono version of the song from Broken Blossom album, released in the US."Big Noise from Winnetka"197998Originally a song from Thighs and Whispers, released in the US and Canada. In Canada, the single included the album version of "Rain" on the B-side."Small World" 1993—One-track US promotional CD single, taken from the original soundtrack recording of Gypsy."That's How Love Moves"1996—One-track single issued in Germany, almost two years prior to its official release on the album Bathhouse Betty."La vie en rose"1999—Japanese 3" CD release including "The Rose", featured in the Japanese Nissan TV advertisement. "Nobody Else But You"2000—One-track US release issued in support of the TV Bette series, featuring the original version of the song from her 2000 album of the same name."Bless You Child"—Two-track promo CD single released in Japan, featuring also "Nobody Else But You", both from her album Bette."Love T.K.O."2001—One-track promotional picture CD issued in the US, also from the Bette set.
Other appearances