This is a list of albums by

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

, including all those credited to

the Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as The Mothers) was an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an R&B band ...

. During his lifetime, Zappa released 62 albums. Since 1994, the Zappa Family Trust has released 63 posthumous albums as of March 2023, making a total of 125 albums/album sets. In 2012 the distribution of Zappa's recorded output moved to Universal Music Enterprises. In June 2022 the Zappa Trust announced that it had sold Zappa's entire catalog to Universal Music, including master tapes, song copyrights and trademarks. A list of albums of Zappa's music by other artists is also included here.

Official albums

Posthumous official albums

Miscellaneous

Compilation albums

Singles

As sideman

* The Penguins - "

Memories of El Monte "Memories of El Monte" is a doo-wop metasong released in 1963 by the Penguins featuring Cleve Duncan. It was written by Frank Zappa and Ray Collins before they were in the Mothers of Invention. The song was first released as Original Sound 27. C ...

" ( Original Sound, 1963) * Bob Guy - "Dear Jeepers", B-side "Letter from Jeepers" (

Del-Fi Del-Fi Records was an American record label based in Hollywood, California and owned by Bob Keane. The label's first single released was "Caravan" by Henri Rose released in 1958, but the label was most famous for signing Ritchie Valens. Valens' fi ...

, 1963) * The Heartbreakers - "Every Time I See You", B-side "Cradle Rock" (Del-Fi, 1964) *

Bobby Jameson Robert Parker Jameson (April 20, 1945 – May 12, 2015) was an American singer-songwriter who was briefly promoted as a major star in the early 1960s and later attracted a cult following with his 1965 album ''Songs of Protest and Anti-Protest (alb ...

- "Gotta Find My Roogalator", B-side "Reconsider Baby" (Penthouse, 1966), uncredited * The Animals - '' Animalism'' (

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

, 1966) * Burt Ward - ''Boy Wonder I Love You'' (MGM, 1966) * Barry Goldberg - ''Carry On'' (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

/ Folkways, 1967) * Wild Man Fischer - ''

An Evening with Wild Man Fischer ''An Evening with Wild Man Fischer'' is a 1969 double LP album by Wild Man Fischer. It was produced by Frank Zappa and released on his Bizarre Records, Bizarre record label. The album is split into four different areas on each record side for t ...

'' (Bizarre/Reprise, 1968) *

The GTOs ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

- ''Permanent Damage'' ( Straight, 1969) * Jeff Simmons - ''

Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up ''Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up'' is the debut album of American musician Jeff Simmons (musician), Jeff Simmons. Released in 1969, the album was produced by Frank Zappa, who wrote two songs for the album under the pseudonym "La Marr Bruister". T ...

'' (Straight, 1970) *

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

- '' Some Time in New York City'' (

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

, 1972) *

Ruben and the Jets Ruben and the Jets was an American rock and roll band from Los Angeles, California. The band originated as an alias for The Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa's band, to release '' Cruising with Ruben & the Jets'' (1968). Later, musician Rubén G ...

- '' For Real!'' (

Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

, 1973) *

George Duke George M. Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as a pr ...

- '' Feel'' (Verve, 1974), credited as Obdewl'l X * Grand Funk Railroad - ''

Good Singin', Good Playin' ''Good Singin' Good Playin is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Grand Funk Railroad. The album was released on August 2, 1976, by MCA Records. The band had actually broken up, but after Frank Zappa expressed interest in producing a ...

'' (

MCA MCA may refer to: Astronomy * Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars Aviation * Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways * Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gene ...

, 1976) * Robert Charlebois - ''Swing Charlebois Swing'' (Solution/ RCA France, 1977), on "Petroleum" * Flint - ''Flint'' ( Columbia, 1978) *

L. Shankar Lakshminarayana Shankar (born 26 April 1950), better known as L. Shankar, Shankar and Shenkar, is an Indian violinist, singer and composer. Early life, family and education Shankar was born in Madras, India, and raised in Ceylon (current- ...

- ''

Touch Me There ''Touch Me There'' is an album by L. Shankar, released in 1979 on Zappa Records. Shankar performed acoustic and 5-string Barcus Berry electric violin. Production The album was produced by Frank Zappa. He also served as the album's lyricist and ...

'' ( Zappa, 1979), credited as Stucco Homes *

Pražský výběr Pražský výběr is Czech rock band formed in 1976 in Prague by keyboardist and singer Michael Kocáb. The band initially played jazz fusion in the 1970s, which was popular at the time. At the beginning of the 1980s, they changed their style an ...

- ''Adieu C. A.'' (Art Production K, 1992)

Albums by other artists

* Jean-Luc Ponty - '' King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa'' (1970) * Plastic Ono Band - '' Some Time in New York City'' (1972) * BRT Big Band - ''The BRT Big Band Plays Frank Zappa'' (1990) * Yahonza - ''Yahozna Plays Zappa'' (1992) *

Joel Thome Joel Thome (born in Detroit, Michigan) is the conductor and artistic director of Orchestra of Our Time. A Grammy Award recipient, Thome has been acclaimed internationally as an accomplished conductor and composer of classical and contemporary o ...

/Orchestra of Our Time - ''

Zappa's Universe ''Zappa’s Universe'' is a 1993 Frank Zappa tribute album featuring alumni from many of Zappa's bands. The music was compiled from a series of concerts from four consecutive nights of concerts at The Ritz in New York City, and filmed for a conce ...

—A Celebration of 25 Years of Frank Zappa's Music''(1993) *

Meridian Arts Ensemble The Meridian Arts Ensemble is an American chamber music ensemble based in New York City, specializing in the performance of new works for brass and percussion. History The Meridian Arts Ensemble was founded in 1987. The original members of the gr ...

- ''Smart Went Crazy'' (1993) *

Harmonia Ensemble The Harmonia Ensemble is an Italian chamber music group started in 1991 under the direction of Giampiero Bigazzi. Beginning as a trio (Orio Odori, clarinet; Damiano Puliti, cello; Alessandra Garosi, keyboards) they have worked with many other musi ...

- ''Harmonia Meets Zappa'' (1994) *

Jon Poole Jonathan Charles Poole (born 16 October 1969), also known by his stage name Random Jon Poole, is an English multi-instrumentalist singer and songwriter. He is best known for his work as guitarist for Cardiacs and as bass player for the Wildhea ...

- ''What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?'' (1994) * Omnibus Wind Ensemble - ''Music by Frank Zappa'' (1995) * Warren Cuccurullo - ''Thanks to Frank'' (1995) *

- ''Prime Meridian'' (1995) * Meridian Arts Ensemble - ''Anxiety of Influence'' (1996) *

Muffin Men The Muffin Men are a British band, based in Liverpool, England, which primarily plays the music of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. The group formed in 1990, originally to play a one-off concert to celebrate Zappa's fiftieth birthday ...

- ''Frankincense: The Muffin Men Play Zappa'' (1997) * The Ed Palermo Big Band - ''Plays the Music of Frank Zappa'' (1997) * CoCö Anderson - ''Dischordancies Abundant'' (1997) * Pierre-Jean Gaucher - ''Zappe Zappa'' (1998) * Meridian Arts Ensemble - ''Ear Mind I'' (1998) * Ossi Duri - ''Sta Chitarra Ammazzera 'Tua Madre'' (1998) *

The Persuasions The Persuasions are an American a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid-1960s. The Persuasions were formed in Brooklyn in 1962, singing a cappella under corner streetlights and in subway corridors. Their ...

- '' Frankly a Cappella'' (2000) * Ensemble Ambrosius - ''The Zappa Album'' (2000) *

Bohuslän Big Band The Bohuslän Big Band is a modern jazz ensemble from Sweden which started as a military band in the 19th century. They play original music as well as compositions by Lars Jansson, Maria Schneider, Frank Zappa and others. The Bohuslän Big Band c ...

- ''Bohuslän Big Band plays Frank Zappa'' (2000) * Nasal Retentive Orchestra - ''Fric Out !'' (2001) * Nasal Retentive Orchestra - ''Have a Bun'' (2002) * Le Concert Impromptu & Bossini - ''Prophetic Attitude'' (2002) * Ensemble Modern - ''Ensemble Modern Plays Frank Zappa: Greggery Peccary & Other Persuasions'' (2003) * UMO Jazz Orchestra - ''UMO plays Frank Zappa feat. Marzi Nyman'' (2003) * Nasal Retentive Orchestra - ''Tales of Brave Flegmar'' (2003) * LeBocal - ''Oh No!... Just Another Frank Zappa Memorial Barbecue!'' (2003) * Prząśniczki & Tymon Tymański - ''Zapparcie, czyli uboczne skutki jedzenia żółtego śniegu'' (2003) * BRTN Philharmonic Orchestra & Zucchini Rocking Teenage Combo - ''The Purple Cucumber - A Zappa Tribute'' (2003 and 2008) * Nasal Retentive Orchestra - ''NRO Live'' (2004) * ''Lemme Take You to the Beach: Surf Instrumental Bands Playing the Music of Zappa'' (Cordelia, 2005) * Colin Towns and the

NDR NDR may refer to: Computing * Non delivery report, a return email message to a sender indicating failed message delivery * Network Data Representation, an implementation of the OSI model presentation layer Science and technology * Negative differ ...

bigband - ''Frank Zappa's Hot Licks (and Funny Smells)'' (rent a dog, 2005) * Marc Guillermont - ''Zappostrophe'' (2005) * The Ed Palermo Big Band - '' Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance'' (2006) * Nasal Retentive Orchestra - ''Music for Hungry People'' (2007) * Struber Z'Tett - ''Struber Z'Tett Plays Zappa Live : Les Noces de Dada'' (2007) * Pierre-Jean Gaucher & Christophe Godin - ''2G'' (2007) * Dweezil Zappa - ''

Zappa Plays Zappa Zappa Plays Zappa is an American tribute act led by Dweezil Zappa, the elder son of late American composer and musician Frank Zappa, devoted to performing the music of Frank Zappa. History The band debuted in 2006 with shows in Europe, Canada ...

'' (2008) * The Ed Palermo Big Band - ''Eddy Loves Frank'' (2009) * The Norwegian Wind Ensemble - ''The Brass from Utopia (A Frank Zappa Tribute)'' (2013) *

The Norwegian Radio Orchestra The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Norwegian, ''Kringkastingsorkestret'', abbreviated as KORK) is a radio orchestra affiliated with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (''Norsk rikskringkasting AS'', or NRK). Its principal base is the ''Store Stud ...

- ''Perfect Strangers (Heiner Goebbels, Frank Zappa)'' (2014) *

Stefano Bollani Stefano Bollani (born 5 December 1972) is an Italian composer, pianist and singer, also active as a writer and a television presenter. He has worked with such musicians as Gato Barbieri, Chick Corea, Bill Frisell, Sol Gabetta, Richard Gallian ...

- ''Sheik Yer Zappa'' (2014) *

Quintorigo Quintorigo is an Italian band founded in 1996 by John de Leo, who left the band in 2005. Their genre vary from experimental, jazz, reggae, pop and rock music. Although the musical ensemble is composed only by acoustic instruments, the band ofte ...

con

Roberto Gatto Roberto Gatto is an Italian jazz drummer, born October 6, 1958 in Rome. He has performed with Lee Konitz, Chet Baker, Bob Berg, Tommy Flanagan, Joe Zawinul, and Joe Lovano. He has composed film music, is the leader of his own jazz group and a ...

- ''Around Zappa (Live at Blue Note Milano)'' (DVD, 2015) * Marco Pacassoni Group - ''Frank & Ruth'' (2018)

Sales awards

* (70,000 sales) ** January 1976: Gold record for "Just Another Band From LA" ** January 1976: Gold record for "Fillmore East" * (50,000 sales) ** November 1991: Gold record for "Bobby Brown" * (100,000 sales) ** September 1979: Gold record for "Sheik Yerbouti" ** November 1979: Gold record for "Joe's Garage" * (1,000,000 sales) ** 1991: Gold record for European releases * (100,000 sales) ** December 1979: Gold record for "Sheik Yerbouti" * (500,000 sales) ** January 1980: Gold record for "Sheik Yerbouti" ** January 1980: Gold record for "Bobby Brown" * (50,000 sales) ** January 1980: Gold record for "Bobby Brown" * (50,000 sales) ** October 1993: Gold record for "Bobby Brown" * (50,000 sales) ** December 1980: Gold record for "Bobby Brown" * (60,000 sales) ** March 1979: Silver record for "Zoot Allures" * (1,100,000 sales) ** April 1976: Gold record for "Apostrophe (')" ** November 1976: Gold record for "Over-Nite Sensation" ** June 2006: Gold record for "Does Humor Belong in Music?" ** February 2015: Gold record for "Baby Snakes"

Notes

References

External links

Official Frank Zappa website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zappa, Frank Rock music discographies Jazz discographies Discographies of American artists