English glam rock singer Gary Glitter (born Paul Francis Gadd) released seven studio albums, four live albums, 13 compilation albums, one extended play (EP) and 42 singles, including three UK number-one singles. He became known for his energetic live performances and extremely glam rock image of glitter suits, make-up, and platform boots.
In the early 1970s, Glitter had a sustained solo UK chart run of hits including "Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)", "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)", "Do You Wanna Touch Me", "I Love You Love Me Love", "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)", "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again", "Remember Me This Way", "Always Yours", "Oh Yes! You're Beautiful", and "Doing Alright with the Boys". During his long career as a singer, Glitter undertook many tours to various venues around the world.
Glitter's popularity waned in the late 1970s, followed by a successful comeback as a solo artist from the 1980s; his 1984 song "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" became one of the most played Christmas songs of all time. Glitter spent the next decade mostly as an in-demand live performer, and mainly toured Britain.
Glitter sold over 20 million records and had 26 hit singles which spent a total of 180 weeks in the UK singles chart, with 12 reaching the top 10 and three of those charting at number one. Touch Me (1973) is Glitter's bestselling album, peaking at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. Glitter was an influence on a number of musicians and genres from the 1970s onwards, especially British punk, post-punk, new wave, gothic rock, Britpop and glam metal.
Glitter's live music career ended after he was imprisoned for downloading child pornography in 1999. He was also convicted of child sexual abuse in 2006 and of a series of sexual offences (including attempted rape) in 2015. In 2006 his back catalogue was made available via the Internet from sites such as iTunes and eMusic.
Albums
Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications UK AUS FIN GER US Glitter Released: October 1972 Label: Bell (UK) Formats: LP 8 8 23 36 186 BPI: Silver AUS: Gold Touch Me Released: 1 June 1973 Label: Bell (UK) Formats: LP 2 11 1 21 — BPI: Silver AUS: Gold IFPI FIN: Gold G. G. Released: 1975 Label: Bell (UK) Formats: LP — — — — — Silver Star Released: 5 April 1977 Label: Arista (UK) Formats: LP — — — — — Boys Will Be Boys Released: 1984 Label: Arista (UK) Formats: LP, cassette — — — — — Leader II Released: 1991 Label: Edel Music (UK) Formats: LP, CD — — — — — On Released: September 2001 Label: Machmain Ltd. (UK) Formats: CD — — — — — "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.
Live albums Title Album details Peak chart positions UK AUS Remember Me This Way Released: June 1974 Label: Bell Formats: LP, cassette 5 12 Live and Kicking Released: 1985 Label: American Phonograph Formats: LP — — Live and Alive Released: 1988 Label: Imtrat Formats: CD — — Gary Glitter's Gangshow: The Gang, the Band, the Leader Released: 1989 Label: Castle Communications (UK) Formats: LP, CD — — Live in Concert Released: 2005 Formats: CD — — "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.
Compilation albums Title Album details Peak chart positions UK NZ Always Yours Released: 1975 Label: Sounds Superb, Music for Pleasure, Bell Formats: LP — — Greatest Hits Released: 1975 Formats: LP 33 4 I Love You Love Me Love Released: 1977 Label: Pickwick Formats: LP, 8-Trk — — Golden Greats Released: 1977 Label: GTO Formats: LP — — Leader Released: 1984 Label: Epic Formats: LP, cassette — — C'mon... C'mon – The Gary Glitter Party Album Released: 1987 Label: Telstar Formats: LP, CD, cassette — — Rock and Roll: Gary Glitter's Greatest Hits Released: 1991 Label: Rhino Formats: CD, cassette — — Many Happy Returns – The Hits Released: 1992 Label: EMI Formats: LP, CD, cassette 35 — 20 Greatest Hits Released: 1993 Label: Repertoire Formats: CD — — The Ultimate Gary Glitter – 25 Years of Hits Released: 24 November 1997 Label: Snapper Music Formats: CD 112 — All That Glitters: The Best of Gary Glitter Released: 2011 Label: Repertoire Formats: CD — — The Hey Song (Rock & Roll Part 2): The Greatest Hits Released: 2011 Label: Snapper Music Formats: CD — — "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.
Singles
1970s Year A-side B-side Peak chart positions Certifications UK AUS FRA GER AUT NLD IRE BEL SPA US 1972 "Rock and RollPart 1" "Rock and Roll Part 2" 2 1 1 4 — 6 4 4 5 7 "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)" "Hard on Me" (UK)"Shakey Sue" (US) 4 27 3 12 — 15 7 18 14 35 1973 "Do You Wanna Touch Me" "I Would If I Could But I Can't" 2 3 7 16 — 4 9 6 15 — "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again" "I.O.U" 2 6 8 10 — 19 2 13 16 — BPI: Silver "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am!)" "Just Fancy That" 1 2 9 6 8 10 2 9 12 — BPI: Gold "I Love You Love Me Love" "Hands Up! It's a Stick Up" 1 2 9 8 6 10 2 19 11 — BPI: Platinum 1974 "Remember Me This Way" "It's Not a Lot (But It's All I Got)" 3 31 — 50 — — 9 — — — BPI: Silver "Always Yours" "I'm Right, You're Wrong, I Win!" 1 11 — 14 — — 1 — — — "Oh Yes! You're Beautiful" "Thank You, Baby, For Myself" 2 10 — 28 — — 1 — — — 1975 "Love Like You and Me" "I'll Carry Your Picture (Everywhere)" 10 99 — — — — 11 — — — "Doing Alright with the Boys" "Good for No Good" 6 — — — — — 3 — — — "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" "She-cat, Alley Cat" 38 — 9 — — — 20 — — — 1976 "You Belong to Me" "Rock and Roll (Part 1)" 40 — — — — — — — — — "It Takes All Night Long (Part I)" "It Takes All Night Long (Part II)" 25 — — — — 19 28 — — — 1977 "A Little Boogie Woogie in the Back of My Mind" "The Treat of 42nd Street" 31 — — — — — — — — — "I Dare You to Lay One on Me" "Hooked on Hollywood" — — — — — — — — — — 1978 "Oh What a Fool I've Been" "365 Days (Hurry on Home)" — — — — — — — — — — 1979 "Superhero" "Sleeping Beauty" — — — — — — — — — —
1980s Year A-side B-side Peak chart positionsCertifications UK AUS IRE 1980 "I'm the Leader of the Gang" (EP) "Rock and Roll" 57 — — 1980 "What Your Mama Don't See (Your Mama Don't Know)" "I'm Not Just a Pretty Face" UK/indie 23 — — 1981 "All That Glitters" "Reach for the Sky" 48 — — "When I'm On, I'm On" "Wild Horses" 76 — — "And Then She Kissed Me" "I Love How You Love Me" 39 — — 1982 "Be My Baby" "Is This What Dreams Are Made For?" — — — "Suspicious Minds" "Ball of Confusion" — — — 1984 "Dance Me Up" "Too Young to Dance" 25 — 25 "Shout, Shout, Shout" "Hair of the Dog" 108 — — "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" (Instrumental Remix) 7 — 14 BPI: Silver 1985 "Love Comes" "Boys Will Be Boys" 91 — — "Rock 'n' Roll" "Oh No" "I'm Not Just a Pretty Face" UK/indie 31 — — 1986 "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" "Never Too Late" 102 — — 1987 "Rock and Roll (Part 3)" "Rock and Roll (Part 4)" (Instrumental) 107 — — "Rock and Roll (Part 5)" "Rock and Roll (Part 3)" "Rock and Roll (Part 6)" (Instrumental) — — — 1988 "Frontiers of Style" "The Only Way To Survive" 160 — — 1988 "Doctorin' the Tardis" "Doctorin' the Tardis (Minimal / Instrumental)" 1 2 4
1990s
Year A-side B-side Peak chart positions UK SCO 1990 "Red Hot (Reputation)" "Beats Being by Yourself" 87 — 1991 "Ready to Rock" "The Only Way to Survive" — — 1992 "Through the Years" "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" 49 — "And the Leader Rocks On" (Megamix/Medley 12" Version) "Let's Go Party" "And the Leader Rocks On" (Megamix/Medley 7" Version) 58 — 1995 "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again (Again!)" (Extended Re-Mix) by Public Demand "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again (Again!)" (Single Mix) 50 — "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again (Again!)" "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" ('95) "I'm The Leader of the Gang (I Am!)" ('95) "Lover Man" — 50 1996 "House of the Rising Sun" "Rock Hard Men (Need The Power) - 1996 mix""Rock and Roll Part 2" 77 78
2000s Year Title Notes 2001 "You" mail order only (recorded 1996–97, included on the On studio album) 2004 "Control" mail order only (recorded 1996–97, outtakes from the Lost on Life Street sessions) 2005 "Field of Dreams"
2010s Year A-side B-side Peak chart positions UKDown. USRock SCO 2019 "Rock and Roll Part 2" "Rock and Roll Part 1" 51 16 42
Covers/samples
1974 "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" by Brownsville Station – No. 48 US 1980 Holiday '80 EP by the Human League (includes cover of "Rock and Roll" as part of a medley with Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing") 1980 "Doing Alright with the Boys" by Joan Jett 1980 "Do You Wanna Touch Me" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – No. 20 US 1982 "Rock and Roll Part 2" covered by hardcore punk band D.I. 1983 "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)" by Rock Goddess – No. 57 UK 1983 "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)" by Planet Patrol – R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart No. 62 US 1984 "I Love You Love Me Love" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – No. 105 US 1987 "A Little Boogie Woogie (In the Back of My Mind)" Shakin' Stevens – No. 12 UK 1988 "KLF – Doctorin' the Tardis" by The Timelords featuring Gary Glitter – No. 1 UK (features samples of "Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)") 1989 "Let's Party" Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers – UK No. 1 (features a sample of Glitter's "Another Rock and Roll Christmas") 1989 "Rock and Roll" by the Undertones, cover of "Rock and' Roll (Part 1)", The Peel Sessions Album (Undertones) 1993 "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" Green Jellÿ featuring Hulk Hogan – No. 25 UK 1995 "Hello" by Oasis (uses elements of and quotes the chorus of "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again") 2021 "Boris Johnson Is Still a Fucking Cunt" by The Kunts samples "Rock And Roll (Part 2)" for its instrumental – No. 5 UK
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