Roy Orbison discography
Encyclopedia
This is a discography
for Roy Orbison
(April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), a singer-songwriter who found the most success in early rock and roll from 1957 to 1964. During that time, 22 of Orbison's songs placed on the Billboard Top Forty.
Born and raised in Texas, Orbison got his start in a rockabilly
band in high school. He broke into professional music under Sam Phillips
at Sun Records
, but found only marginal success there. After a couple years writing for other musicians, Orbison recorded several songs at Monument Records
under producer Fred Foster
. With Foster, Orbison and songwriter Joe Melson tailored many of Orbison's songs for his unique voice; his most popular songs were dramatic ballads ending with emotional crescendos that showcased his powerful vocals. After his biggest hit in 1964, "Oh, Pretty Woman
", Orbison continued to record, but not until 1987 did he find the success he had once known when his single "In Dreams
" was used in David Lynch's film Blue Velvet. The next year, Orbison recorded with the supergroup Traveling Wilburys
alongside Bob Dylan
, Tom Petty
, Jeff Lynne
, and George Harrison
. Lynne produced Orbison's final album Mystery Girl
, which was rising up the charts when Orbison died.
Discography
Discography is the study and listing of the details concerning sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified musical genres...
for Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
(April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), a singer-songwriter who found the most success in early rock and roll from 1957 to 1964. During that time, 22 of Orbison's songs placed on the Billboard Top Forty.
Born and raised in Texas, Orbison got his start in a rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
band in high school. He broke into professional music under Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
at Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
, but found only marginal success there. After a couple years writing for other musicians, Orbison recorded several songs at Monument Records
Monument Records
Monument Records was an American record label, Washington, D.C. named for the Washington Monument, founded in 1958, by Fred Foster and Buddy Deane . Buddy Deane soon left the company, and in the early 60's bought KOTN in Pine Bluff, Arkansas where he retired to until his death...
under producer Fred Foster
Fred Foster
Fred Foster is an American songwriter, record producer, and founder of Monument Records.-Biography:...
. With Foster, Orbison and songwriter Joe Melson tailored many of Orbison's songs for his unique voice; his most popular songs were dramatic ballads ending with emotional crescendos that showcased his powerful vocals. After his biggest hit in 1964, "Oh, Pretty Woman
Oh, Pretty Woman
"Oh, Pretty Woman" is a song, released in August 1964, which was a worldwide success for Roy Orbison. Recorded on the Monument Records label in Nashville, Tennessee, it was written by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees. The song spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100...
", Orbison continued to record, but not until 1987 did he find the success he had once known when his single "In Dreams
In Dreams (song)
Recorded in Monument's Nashville studios in early 1963, "In Dreams" peaked at number 7 on Billboards Hot 100 and spent 13 weeks on the charts in the U.S. During the five months the song was on the charts, Orbison replaced guitarist Duane Eddy on a tour of England. He was immensely popular in...
" was used in David Lynch's film Blue Velvet. The next year, Orbison recorded with the supergroup Traveling Wilburys
Traveling Wilburys
The Traveling Wilburys were an English–American supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, accompanied by drummer Jim Keltner...
alongside Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, Jeff Lynne
Jeff Lynne
Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...
, and George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
. Lynne produced Orbison's final album Mystery Girl
Mystery Girl
-Core:*Roy Orbison – vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, guitar*Jeff Lynne – guitars on 1 5, acoustic guitar on 4, keyboards on 1 4 5, piano on 1, bass on 1 4 5, backing vocals on 1 4 5 9*Tom Petty – acoustic guitar on 1 5, backing vocals on 1 2 5...
, which was rising up the charts when Orbison died.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Certifications | Label | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Country | CAN | CAN Country | US Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
CAN Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
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| 1961 | Roy Orbison at the Rock House Roy Orbison at the Rock House Roy Orbison at the Rock House is the first album by Roy Orbison. It was released in 1961 by Sun Records at a time when Orbison had already moved to the Monument label but had not yet put out an album. Sun Records owner Sam Phillips had a collection of songs Orbison had recorded at Sun between 1956... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | Sun |
| Lonely and Blue Lonely and Blue Lonely and Blue is the first music album recorded by Roy Orbison for Monument Records, released in 1961.The track entitled "Come Back to Me " features an almost identical intro to "Only the Lonely"... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | Monument | |
| 1962 | Crying Crying (album) Crying is an album released in 1962 by Roy Orbison. It was his second album on the Monument Record label. The album name comes from the 1961 hit song of the same name that in 2002 was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award... |
21 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1963 | In Dreams | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1965 | There Is Only One Roy Orbison There Is Only One Roy Orbison There Is Only One Roy Orbison is the first album recorded by Roy Orbison for MGM Records. The album was released in July 1965.The album features Orbison's studio recording of "Claudette", an Orbison-penned song which had become a hit for The Everly Brothers in 1958... |
55 | — | — | — | — | — | MGM |
| Orbisongs Orbisongs Orbisongs is the last album recorded by Roy Orbison for the Monument label before he signed with MGM Records. The album was released in 1965.-Track listing:Side one# "Oh, Pretty Woman" - # "Dance" -... |
136 | — | — | — | — | — | Monument | |
| 1966 | The Orbison Way The Orbison Way The Orbison Way is an album recorded by Roy Orbison for MGM Records. The album was released in January 1966.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees, except where indicatedSide one#"Crawling Back"#"It Ain't No Big Thing"... |
128 | — | — | — | — | — | MGM |
| The Classic Roy Orbison The Classic Roy Orbison The Classic Roy Orbison is an album recorded by Roy Orbison on the MGM Records label and released in July 1966.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees, except where indicatedSide one# "You'll Never Be Sixteen Again"... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967 | Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson is a tribute album recorded by Roy Orbison for MGM Records. It is a collection of songs written by Country Music Hall of Fame singer/songwriter Don Gibson who, like Orbison, often wrote about the loneness and sorrow that love can bring.The album was released in January... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The Fastest Guitar Alive Original Soundtrack | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Cry Softly Lonely One Cry Softly Lonely One Cry Softly Lonely One is a music album recorded by Roy Orbison for MGM Records. The album was released in October 1967.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees, except where indicatedSide one#"She"#"Communication Breakdown"... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969 | Roy Orbison's Many Moods Roy Orbison's Many Moods Roy Orbison's Many Moods, also known as The Many Moods of Roy Orbison, is a music album recorded by Roy Orbison on the MGM Records label and released in May 1969.-Track listing:Side One#"Truly, Truly True"... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1970 | Hank Williams the Roy Orbison Way Hank Williams the Roy Orbison Way Hank Williams The Roy Orbison Way is a music album recorded by Roy Orbison for MGM Records that was released in August 1970. It is a tribute album to the songs of Country Music Hall of Fame honky tonk singer Hank Williams.-Tracks listing:... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The Big O The Big O (album) 'The Big O' is a music album recorded by Roy Orbison for London Records in the United Kingdom, with the music and backing vocals provided by English group, the Art Movement on all tracks except for "Penny Arcade", which was a studio recording and released as a single in the UK in 1969, where it... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | London | |
| 1972 | Roy Orbison Sings Roy Orbison Sings Roy Orbison Sings is a music album recorded by Roy Orbison on the MGM Record label and released in May 1972.-Track listing:Side one#"God Love You" #"Beaujolais"... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | MGM |
| Memphis Memphis (album) Memphis is an album recorded by Roy Orbison for MGM Records. The album was released in November 1972 .-Track listing:Side one#"Memphis, Tennessee" – #"Why A Woman Cries" –... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973 | Milestones Milestones (Roy Orbison album) Milestones is an album by Roy Orbison released on September 24, 1973 on MGM Records and his last album for that label. The album was arranged by Joe Tanner, Rex North and Randy Goodrum. "The Morning After" was from the film The Poseidon Adventure.... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1974 | I'm Still in Love with You I'm Still in Love with You (Roy Orbison album) I'm Still in Love With You is an album by Roy Orbison recorded for Mercury Records and released in 1974.-Track listing:Side One#"Pledging My Love" - #"Spanish Nights" -... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | Mercury |
| 1977 | Regeneration | — | — | — | — | — | — | Monument |
| 1979 | Laminar Flow Laminar Flow (album) Laminar Flow is an album by Roy Orbison recorded at Wishbone Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and released in 1979 on the Asylum Records label... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | Asylum |
| 1985 | Class of '55 Class of '55 Class of '55 is a 1986 album by Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins.While the album was in part a tribute to Elvis Presley, it was mainly a commemoration of those young performing hopefuls, the four album participants included, who came to Sun Records in 1955 to make music in... (with Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The... , Johnny Cash Johnny Cash John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century... and Carl Perkins Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954... ) |
— | 15 | — | — | — | — | PolyGram |
| 1989 | Mystery Girl Mystery Girl -Core:*Roy Orbison – vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, guitar*Jeff Lynne – guitars on 1 5, acoustic guitar on 4, keyboards on 1 4 5, piano on 1, bass on 1 4 5, backing vocals on 1 4 5 9*Tom Petty – acoustic guitar on 1 5, backing vocals on 1 2 5... |
5 | 17 | 4 | 20 | Platinum | 3× Platinum | Virgin |
| 1992 | King of Hearts | 179 | — | 61 | — | — | — |
Live albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
CAN | |||
| 1989 | A Black & White Night Live A Black & White Night Live A Black & White Night Live is a Roy Orbison music album made posthumously by Virgin Records from the HBO television broadcast, Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night. The album was released in 1989 and included the songs "Blue Bayou" and "Claudette" that because of time constraints had... |
123 | 63 | Virgin |
| 1998 | Combo Concert: 1965 Holland | — | — | Orbison |
| 1998 | Live at the BBC | — | — | Master Tone/BBC |
| 2010 | The Last Concert (December 4, 1988) | — | — | Eagle |
Compilations
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Certifications | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Country | CAN | US Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
CAN Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
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| 1962 | Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits is a Roy Orbison 33 record album from Monument Records recorded at their studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee and released in 1962... |
13 | — | — | Gold | — | Monument |
| 1964 | More of Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits More of Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits More of Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits is a Roy Orbison album from Monument Records recorded at their studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee and released in 1964.-Track listing:Side One#"It's Over" #"Blue Bayou"... |
19 | — | — | — | — | |
| Early Orbison Early Orbison Early Orbison is a record album recorded by Roy Orbison on the Monument Records label at their studios in Hendersonville, Tennessee and released in 1964... |
101 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966 | The Very Best of Roy Orbison | 94 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1970 | The Great Songs of Roy Orbison The Great Songs of Roy Orbison The Great Songs of Roy Orbison is an album recorded by Roy Orbison for MGM Records that was released in the United States in February 1970.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees, except where indicatedSide one... |
— | — | — | — | — | MGM |
| 1975 | The Living Legend of Roy Orbison | — | — | — | — | — | Columbia |
| 1977 | All-Time Greatest Hits | 205 | 23 | — | Platinum | — | Monument |
| 1987 | In Dreams: The Greatest Hits In Dreams: The Greatest Hits In Dreams: The Greatest Hits is a music album of Roy Orbison songs released in 1987 on Virgin Records. The two-record set was produced by Roy Orbison and Mike Utley except for the song "In Dreams" which was produced by Orbison with T Bone Burnett and film director, David Lynch... |
95 | — | — | Gold | — | Virgin |
| 1988 | For the Lonely: 18 Greatest Hits | 110 | — | — | — | — | Rhino |
| 1989 | The Legendary Roy Orbison 20 Original Hits/Original Recordings |
— | — | 53 | — | Platinum | PolyGram |
| 1989 | Best Loved Standards | — | — | — | — | — | Monument |
| 1990 | The Legendary Roy Orbison (box set) | — | — | — | — | — | CBS |
| 1995 | Super Hits | 104 | 54 | — | Gold | — | Epic |
| 1996 | The Very Best of Roy Orbison | 186 | 29 | — | — | — | Virgin |
| 1998 | Oh, Pretty Woman: The Greatest Hits | — | — | — | — | — | Madacy |
| 1999 | 16 Biggest Hits 16 Biggest Hits (Roy Orbison album) 16 Biggest Hits is a 1999 Roy Orbison compilation album. It is part of a series of similar 16 Biggest Hits albums released by Legacy Recordings.The album was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies.-Track listing:... |
— | 47 | — | Gold | — | Monument |
| 2000 | 20 Golden Hits | — | 69 | — | — | — | TeeVee |
| 2003 | The Best of Roy Orbison | — | — | — | — | — | EMI |
| 2006 | The Essential Roy Orbison | — | 62 | — | — | — | Monument |
| The Very Best of Roy Orbison | — | — | 33 | — | — | Virgin | |
| 2008 | Playlist: The Very Best of Roy Orbison | — | 50 | — | — | — | Legacy |
| 2011 | The Monument Singles — A-Sides (1960–1964) | — | 50 | — | — | — | |
| The Monument Singles Collection (1960–1964) | — | 55 | — | — | — | ||
| Opus Collection | 65 | 12 | — | — | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Label | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
CAN Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
CAN AC | CAN Country | NOR VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
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| 1956 | "Trying to Get to You Trying to Get To You “Trying To Get To You” is a song performed by Elvis Presley in 1955 on his Sun recordings.It was written by Rose Marie McCoy and Charles Singleton, also known as Charlie Singleton. It was originally recorded by the rhythm and blues outfit The Eagles in 1954 and released in mid-1954 on Mercury... " |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Je-Wel |
| "Ooby Dooby" | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sun | |
| "Rock House" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1957 | "Sweet and Easy to Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Chicken Hearted" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958 | "Seems to Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RCA |
| "Almost 18" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1959 | "Paper Boy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Monument |
| "Up Town" | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1960 | "Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel) Only the Lonely "Only the Lonely " is a 1960 song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson. Recorded by Orbison, it became his first major hit. As an operatic rock ballad, it was a sound unheard of at the time, described by the New York Times as expressing "a clenched, driven urgency". It is seen as a seminal event... " |
2 | — | — | 5 | 2 | — | — | 4 | 1 | |
| "Blue Angel" | 9 | — | — | 28 | 14 | — | — | — | 11 | ||
| "I'm Hurtin'" | 27 | — | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1961 | "Running Scared Running Scared (song) "Running Scared" is a 1961 American pop song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and sung by Orbison. An operatic rock ballad, the song was released as a 45rpm single by Monument Records in March 1961 and went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Running Scared" also reached #9 in the... " |
1 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | |
| "Love Hurts Love Hurts "Love Hurts" is the name of a song, written and composed by Boudleaux Bryant. First recorded by The Everly Brothers in July 1960, the song is also well known from a 1975 international hit version by the rock band Nazareth and in the UK by a top 5 hit in 1975 by Jim Capaldi.The song was introduced... " |
— | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Crying" | 2 | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | 25 | ||
| "Candy Man" | 25 | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1962 | "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) "Dream Baby " is the title of a song written by Cindy Walker which was first recorded and released by Roy Orbison in 1962.... " |
4 | — | — | 2 | 8 | — | — | 5 | 2 | |
| "The Crowd" | 26 | — | — | 25 | 25 | — | — | — | 40 | ||
| "Evergreen" | — | — | — | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Working for the Man" | 33 | — | — | 1 | 19 | — | — | — | 50 | ||
| "Leah" | 25 | — | — | 1 | 19 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1963 | "In Dreams In Dreams (song) Recorded in Monument's Nashville studios in early 1963, "In Dreams" peaked at number 7 on Billboards Hot 100 and spent 13 weeks on the charts in the U.S. During the five months the song was on the charts, Orbison replaced guitarist Duane Eddy on a tour of England. He was immensely popular in... " |
7 | 3 | — | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | 6 | |
| "Falling" | 22 | 7 | — | 3 | 29 | — | — | — | 9 | ||
| " Distant Drums Distant Drums (song) "Distant Drums" is the title of a song which provided US singer Jim Reeves with his only UK number one hit – albeit posthumously – in the United Kingdom in 1966, some two years after his death in a plane crash on 31 July 1964. The song remained in the UK charts for 45 weeks... " |
— | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Blue Bayou Blue Bayou "Blue Bayou" is the title of a song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and sung by Orbison.-Roy Orbison version:A plaintive ballad, it was originally released by Orbison as a 45rpm single on the Monument Records label in August 1963 ."Blue Bayou" also appears on Orbison's 1963 album, In Dreams... " |
29 | — | — | 1 | 14 | — | — | 10 | 3 | ||
| "Mean Woman Blues Mean Woman Blues "Mean Woman Blues" is a 12-bar blues song written by Claude Demetrius. It was recorded by Elvis Presley as part of the soundtrack for his 1957 motion picture, Loving You. Presley also released the song on Side 2 of a four-song EP record... " |
5 | — | — | 1 | 14 | — | — | — | 3 | ||
| "Pretty Paper" | 15 | 10 | — | 4 | 9 | — | — | — | 6 | ||
| "Beautiful Dreamer" | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964 | "Borne on the Wind" | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | 15 | |
| "What'd I Say" | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "It's Over" | 9 | 1 | — | 9 | 29 | — | — | 10 | 1 | ||
| "Indian Wedding" | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Oh, Pretty Woman Oh, Pretty Woman "Oh, Pretty Woman" is a song, released in August 1964, which was a worldwide success for Roy Orbison. Recorded on the Monument Records label in Nashville, Tennessee, it was written by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees. The song spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100... " |
1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| "She Wears My Ring" | — | — | — | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1965 | "Goodnight" | 21 | — | — | 6 | 5 | — | — | — | 14 | |
| "(Say) You're My Girl" | 39 | — | — | 8 | 17 | — | — | — | 23 | ||
| "Ride Away" | 25 | — | — | 15 | 1 | — | — | — | 34 | MGM | |
| "Crawling Back" | 46 | — | — | 14 | 2 | — | — | — | 19 | ||
| "Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart" | 31 | — | — | 19 | 2 | — | — | — | 22 | ||
| 1966 | "Let the Good Times Roll" | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Monument |
| "Twinkle Toes" | 39 | — | — | 13 | 25 | — | — | — | 29 | MGM | |
| "Lana" | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | 15 | Monument | |
| "Too Soon to Know" | 68 | — | — | 20 | 71 | — | — | — | 3 | MGM | |
| "There Won't Be Many Coming Home" | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | 12 | ||
| "Communication Breakdown" | 60 | — | — | 8 | 75 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967 | "So Good" | 132 | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | 32 | |
| "Cry Softly Lonely One" | 52 | — | — | 10 | 29 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "She" | 119 | — | — | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1968 | "Born to Be Loved by You" | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Shy Away" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Walk On" | 121 | — | — | 53 | 93 | — | — | — | 39 | ||
| "Flowers" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Heartache" | 104 | — | — | 57 | 89 | — | — | — | 44 | ||
| "Sugar Man" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969 | "My Friend" | — | — | — | 99 | — | — | — | — | 35 | |
| "Southbound Jericho Parkway" | — | — | — | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Penny Arcade" | 133 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 27 | ||
| "Tennessee Owns My Soul" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Break My Mind" | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970 | "She Cheats on Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "How Do You Start Over Again" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "So Young" | 122 | — | — | 82 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "If I Had A Woman Like You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971 | "(Love Me Like You Did) Last Night" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Close Again" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972 | "God Love You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Changes" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Remember the Good" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Harlem Woman" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Memphis, Tennessee" | — | — | — | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Can Read Between The Lines" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973 | "Blue Rain (Coming Down)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Sooner or Later" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Wanna Live" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974 | "Sweet Mama Blue" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Mercury |
| 1975 | "Hung Up on You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Still" | — | — | — | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976 | "Belinda" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Monument |
| "I'm a Southern Man" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977 | "Drifting Away" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1979 | "Easy Way Out" | 109 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Asylum |
| "Poor Baby" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980 | "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again" (with Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including... ) |
55 | 10 | 6 | 97 | — | 31 | 3 | — | — | Warner |
| 1985 | "Wild Hearts" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 76 | ZTT/Island |
| 1987 | "In Dreams" | — | — | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Virgin |
| "Crying" (with k.d. lang K.D. Lang Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress... ) |
— | 28 | 42 | — | 2 | 10 | 25 | — | — | ||
| 1988 | "Handle with Care Handle with Care (song) "Handle with Care" is the first track from the Traveling Wilburys 1988 album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, and the group's biggest hit. Writing credits are shared by all five band members, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan.... " (Traveling Wilburys Traveling Wilburys The Traveling Wilburys were an English–American supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, accompanied by drummer Jim Keltner... ) |
45 | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 21 | Wilbury/WB |
| 1989 | "You Got It You Got It "You Got It" is a song from Roy Orbison's album, Mystery Girl . The song reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the adult contemporary chart , returning Orbison to the Top 40 for the first time in 24 years. It also hit number three on the UK Singles Chart in the spring of 1989... " |
9 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | Virgin |
| "End of the Line" (Traveling Wilburys) | 63 | — | — | 12 | 11 | — | — | — | — | Wilbury/WB | |
| "California Blue" | — | 44 | 51 | 61 | 75 | — | 58 | — | 77 | Virgin | |
| "She's a Mystery to Me She's a Mystery to Me "She's a Mystery to Me" is the sixth track and the lead single from Roy Orbison's 1989 album, Mystery Girl. The track was written for Orbison by Bono and The Edge of U2. The album Mystery Girl received its name from the song... " |
— | 23 | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | 27 | ||
| 1990 | "Oh Pretty Woman" (live) | — | 48 | 89 | — | — | — | 80 | — | — | |
| 1992 | "I Drove All Night I Drove All Night "I Drove All Night" is a song written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and made famous by Cyndi Lauper. The song was originally written for Roy Orbison, who recorded it in 1987, but his rendition was not released until 1992, after the song had become a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic for... " |
— | — | — | — | 22 | 31 | — | — | 7 | MCA |
| "Crying" (re-issue with k.d. lang) | — | 40 | — | 71 | — | — | — | — | 13 | Virgin | |
| "Heartbreak Radio" | — | — | — | — | 31 | 37 | — | — | 36 | MCA | |
Collaborations and guest appearances
- "Find My Baby for Me" - Sonny BurgessSonny BurgessAlbert Austin "Sonny" Burgess is an American rockabilly guitarist and singer....
- "I Was a Fool" - Ken Cook
- "Jenny" - Ken Cook
- "I Fell in Love" - Ken Cook
- "Rockabilly Gal" - Hayden Thompson
- "Greenback Dollar", "Watch and Chain" - Ray HarrisRay HarrisRay Harris was an American rockabilly musician and songwriter. He formed a band with Wayne Powers, and wrote the songs "Come On, Little Mama" and "Greenback Dollar, Watch and Chain". He eventually recorded these at Sun Records with Sam Phillips. He has also produced artists at Hi Records...
- "Cast Iron Arm" - Johnny Wilson
- "You've Got Love" - Johnny Wilson
- "Don't Do Me This Way" - Ricky Tucker (reportedly with Buddy HollyBuddy HollyCharles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
) - "Patty Baby" - Ricky Tucker (reportedly with Buddy Holly)
- "Fools Like Me" - Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
- "Shook Up" - Joe MelsonJoe MelsonJoe Melson , is an American singer and a BMI Award–winning songwriter.Melson was born in Bonham, the seat of Fannin County in northeast Texas. He was reared on a farm until he was sixteen. He attended high school in Gore, Oklahoma, and in Chicago before he returned to Texas to study at the two-year...
- "Dance" - Joe Melson
- "I'm in a Blue Mood" - Conway TwittyConway TwittyConway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
- "Tennessee Owns My Soul" - Bill DeesBill DeesWilliam "Bill" Dees is an American musician most famous for his song writing collaborations with singer Roy Orbison.-Career:...
- "I Belong to Him" - Jessi ColterJessi ColterJessi Colter is an American country music artist who is best known for her collaboration with her husband, country singer and songwriter Waylon Jennings and for her 1975 country-pop crossover hit "I'm Not Lisa"....
with Waylon JenningsWaylon JenningsWaylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL... - "Indian Summer" - Gatlin Brothers & Barry GibbBarry GibbBarry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major...
- "Leah" - Bertie HigginsBertie HigginsElbert Joseph "Bertie" Higgins is an American singer-songwriter. In 1982, he had his only Top 40 album with Just Another Day in Paradise. It spawned the Top 10 romantic ballad "Key Largo", which referenced the Humphrey Bogart movie of the same name and reached #8 in the U.S...
- "Beyond The End" - Jimmy BuffettJimmy BuffettJames William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
- "Zombie Zoo" - Tom PettyTom PettyThomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
- "Life Fades Away" - Written by Glenn DanzigGlenn DanzigGlenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
- "Crying" - k.d. langK.D. LangKathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress...
- "I'd Be a Legend In My Time - Don GibsonDon GibsonDonald Eugene "Don" Gibson was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson penned such country standards as "Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoyed a string of country hits from 1957 into the early 1970s.-Biography:Don Gibson was...