The discography of American musician Ray Charles consists of 54 studio albums, 7 live albums, 39 compilations albums, and 127 singles.
Overview Ray Charles first appeared on a Billboard chart in 1949, when — as part of the Maxin Trio with G.D. McKee and Milton Garred — he charted his first single with "Confession Blues." It reached No. 2 on the R&B chart, then called the Most-Played Juke Box Race Records. In 1952, Charles signed with Atlantic Records and went on to top Billboards pop, country, R&B, jazz, and dance charts.
In the early 1960s, after leaving Atlantic Records to sign with ABC–Paramount, he negotiated for ownership of his own master recordings. He also established his own labels. Tangerine came first, which evolved into CrossOver Records. As a songwriter, Charles penned nearly 200 songs. He also operated his own publishing companies, Tangerine Music and Racer Music.
On the Billboard Hot 100, Charles had 80 hits between 1958 (the year the chart began) and 1990, when "I'll Be Good to You" became his last Hot 100 single, reaching No. 18. His biggest hit, "I Can't Stop Loving You", spent five weeks at No. 1 in 1962. He also topped the Hot 100 with the singles "Hit the Road Jack" and "Georgia on My Mind". Among all acts, he charted the third-most singles on the Hot 100; only Elvis Presley (with 108) and James Brown (91) had more.
On Billboards R&B chart, Charles had 86 hits, including 11 chart-toppers such as "I've Got a Woman", "What'd I Say (Part 1)", "Hit the Road Jack", and "You Are My Sunshine."
Charles also reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1985 with "Seven Spanish Angels", a duet with Willie Nelson. The single appears on Charles' duets album, Friendship, which reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums. His 1962 album, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, became his first album to top the Billboard 200.
In 1990, Charles had a No. 1 on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart with "I'll Be Good to You", a collaboration with Quincy Jones and Chaka Khan.
Studio albums
The Atlantic years Year Album Peak positions Label US 1957 Ray Charles 35 Atlantic The Great Ray Charles 681958 Soul Brothers (with Milt Jackson) — Yes Indeed! 32 1959 What'd I Say 20 The Genius of Ray Charles 17 1961 Soul Meeting (with Milt Jackson) — The Genius After Hours 49 The Genius Sings the Blues 73 "—" denotes a releases that did not chart.
The ABC years Year Album Peak positionsCertifications US Label US USR&B UK 1960 The Genius Hits the Road 9 — — ABC 1961 Dedicated to You 11 — —Genius + Soul = Jazz 4 — — Ray Charles and Betty Carter 52 — —1962 Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music 1 — 6 RIAA: Gold Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Volume Two 2 — 15 RIAA: Gold 1963 Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul 2 — — 1964 Sweet & Sour Tears 9 — — Have a Smile with Me 36 — —1965 Together Again 116 — — 1966 Crying Time 15 1 — Ray's Moods 52 7 — ABC / Tangerine 1967 Ray Charles Invites You to Listen 76 9 — 1968 A Portrait of Ray 51 5 — 1969 I'm All Yours Baby! 167 25 — Doing His Thing 172 34 — 1970 My Kind of Jazz 155 37 — Tangerine Love Country Style 155 34 — ABC / Tangerine 1971 Volcanic Action of My Soul 52 16 — 1972 A Message from the People 52 22 — Through the Eyes of Love 186 43 — 1973 Jazz Number II 194 48 — Tangerine "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
1973–2004 Year Album Peak positions Certifications Label US USR&B US Country AUS CAN UK 1975 Renaissance 175 34 — — — —CrossOver My Kind of Jazz Part 3 — 55 — — — — 1976 Porgy and Bess (with Cleo Laine) 138 30 — 63 — — RCA 1977 True to Life 78 23 — — — — Atlantic 1978 Love & Peace — 35 — — — — 1979 Ain't It So — 59 — — — — 1980 Brother Ray Is at It Again 203 52 — — — — 1983 Wish You Were Here Tonight — — 29 — — — Columbia 1984 Do I Ever Cross Your Mind — — 55 — — — Friendship 75 — 1 87 81 — The Spirit of Christmas — — 42 — — — 1986 From the Pages of My Mind — — 16 — — — 1988 Just Between Us — 68 — — — — 1990 Would You Believe? — 61 — — — — Qwest/Warner Bros. 1993 My World 145 53 — — — — 1996 Strong Love Affair — 85 — — — — 2002 Thanks for Bringing Love Around Again 178 30 — — — — E-Nate/Welk Music Group; XIII Bis 2004 Genius Loves Company 1 4 — 4 1 18 RIAA: 3× Platinum ARIA: Platinum BPI: Gold Concord "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Posthumous albums Year Album Peak positions Label US USR&B US Jazz CAN UK 2005 Genius & Friends 36 14 2 72 142 Rhino2025No One Does It Like.. Ray Charles !Tangerine "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Compilations Hundreds of Ray Charles compilations and "Greatest Hits/Best Of" albums have been released and continue to be produced and released by various labels around the world. Some of the more notable compilations include:
1958: Ray Charles (Coronet) 1959: The Original Ray Charles (Hollywood) 1959: The Fabulous Ray Charles (Hollywood) 1961: Do the Twist! with Ray Charles (Atlantic) [reissued as The Greatest Ray Charles] 1962: The Ray Charles Story, Volume One (Atlantic) (#12 US) 1962: The Ray Charles Story, Volume Two (Atlantic) 1962: Ray Charles' Greatest Hits(ABC-Paramount) (#5 US) 1963: The Ray Charles Story, Volume Three (Atlantic) 1964: The Ray Charles Story, Volume Four (Atlantic) 1967: A Man And His Soul (ABC) 1970: The Best of Ray Charles (Atlantic) (BPI: Silver) 1971: A 25th Anniversary in Show Business Salute to Ray Charles (ABC) (#152 US) 1973: Ray Charles Live (Atlantic) 1978: The Tender Side of Ray Charles (Suffolk Marketing, Inc.) 1980: Heart to Heart (Endeavour) (AUS #46) 1982: A Life in Music (Atlantic/Deluxe) 1987: Ray Charles – His Greatest Hits, Volume 1/Volume 2 (DCC Compact Classics) 1988: Ray Charles Anthology (Rhino) [1960–1972 ABC material] 1989: Seven Spanish Angels and Other Hits (Columbia) 1990: The Collection (Castle Communications) (AUS #34) 1991: The Classic Years (Castle Communications) (AUS #19) 1991: The Birth of Soul: The Complete Atlantic R&B Recordings 1952–1959 (Atlantic) 1992: The Collection Volume 2 (Castle Communications) 1993: Ray Charles – Blues + Jazz (Rhino) 1994: The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years (Rhino) 1995: Jazz & Blues Collection, Vol. 3 (Charly/Editions Atlas) 1996: The Complete Swing Time & Down Beat Recordings 1949–1952 (Night Train International) 1997: Genius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection (Rhino) 1998: The Complete Country & Western Recordings, 1959–1986 (Rhino) 1999: Ultimate Hits Collection (Rhino/WEA) 2000: The Very Best of Ray Charles, Volume 1/Volume 2 (Rhino/WEA) 2001: The Definitive Ray Charles (Rhino/WEA) (BPI: Gold) 2002: Ray Charles Sings for America (Rhino) 2003: Ray Charles in Concert (Rhino Handmade) 2004: RAY (Rhino/WEA) (AUS #7) (BPI: Gold) 2004: The Best of Ray Charles Live (Essentials) 2005: Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952–1959) (Atlantic) 2009: Genius! The Ultimate Ray Charles Collection (Concord) 2011: Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles (Concord) 2011: The Complete Early Recordings 1949–1952 (JSP Records) 2017: An Introduction to Ray Charles (Atlantic) 2020: One Two Three Songs 2021: True Genius (Tangerine) 6-CD 'limited edition' boxed set
Singles Down Beat, Swing Beat, Swing Time releases 1949: The McSon Trio ( Maxin Trio and Maxim Trio):Ray Charles, The Way I Feel liner notes (link) "I Love You, I Love You (I Will Never Let You Go)" / "Confession Blues" "Confession Blues" reached No. 2 on the U.S. R&B charts. "Blues Before Sunrise" / "How Long Blues" "A Sentimental Blues" / "You'll Never Miss the Water (Until the Well's Gone Dry)" "Alone in the City" / "Can Anyone Ask for More?" "Rockin' Chair Blues" / "Let's Have a Ball" (a.k.a. "Here I Am") "If I Give You My Love" / "This Love of Mine" (a.k.a. "The Honey Bee") "Ain't That Fine" / "Don't Put All Your Dreams in One Basket"
1949–1953: Ray Charles, The Ray Charles Trio: "I've Had My Fun (Going Down Slow)" / "Sitting on Top of the World (Now She's Gone)" (1949) "See See Rider" / "What Have I Done?" (1950) "She's on the Ball" / "Honey, Honey" (1950) "Th' Ego Song" ("Sweet as Can Be") / "Late in the Evening" (1950) "Some Day" (a.k.a. "Worried Life Blues"/"Someday Baby") / "I'll Do Anything but Work" (1950) "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" / "All to Myself" (1951) "Lonely Boy" / "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand" (1951) "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand" reached No. 5 on the U.S. R&B charts. "I'm Glad for Your Sake" / "Kissa Me Baby" (1952) "Kissa Me Baby" reached No. 8 on the U.S. R&B charts. "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" / "Hey Now" (1952) "Baby Let Me Hear You Call My Name" / "Guitar Blues" (B-side by Rufus Beacham Orchestra) (1952) "I Can't Do No More" / "Roly Poly" (a.k.a. "Back Home") (B-side by Rufus Beacham Orchestra) (1952) "Walkin' and Talkin' to Myself" / "I'm Wonderin' and Wonderin'" (1952) "Misery in My Heart" / "The Snow Is Falling (Snowfall)" (1953)
Atlantic releases The list of singles below are songs Ray Charles released while on the Atlantic label between 1952 and 1980.