The

discography Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ...

of the American rock musician

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

spans five decades. It consists of 17

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

s, 3

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

s, 7

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

s, 23

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

, 2

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

s and 1 box set. Waits has also released one video album and 16

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

s. Waits's debut release was the 1973 single "

Ol' '55 "Ol' '55" is a song by American musician Tom Waits. It is the opening track and lead single from Waits' debut studio album, '' Closing Time'', released in March 1973 on Asylum Records. Written by Waits and produced by Jerry Yester, "Ol' '55" was ...

", which was the lead single for his debut album '' Closing Time'' (1973). He began recording in 1971, but these first sessions would not be released until the beginning of the 1990s. For most of the 1970s he recorded for

Asylum Records Asylum Records is an American record label, founded in 1971 by David Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts. It was taken over by Warner Communications (now the Warner Music Group) in 1972, and later merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/As ...

. After cutting his first soundtrack album for the

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...

musical film ''

One from the Heart ''One from the Heart'' is a 1982 American musical romantic drama film co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, Raul Julia, Nastassja Kinski, Lainie Kazan, and Harry Dean Stanton. The story is set e ...

'', Waits signed with Island Records for the 1980s. The release of ''

Bone Machine ''Bone Machine'' is the eleventh studio album by American singer and musician Tom Waits, released by Island Records on September 8, 1992. It won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and features guest appearances by David Hidalgo, Les ...

'' in 1992 brought him a Grammy Award, after a less prolific decade. After Island Records, Waits moved to Anti/

Epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

for ''

Mule Variations ''Mule Variations'' is the thirteenth studio album by American musician Tom Waits, released on April 16, 1999, on the ANTI- record label, label. It was Waits' first studio album in six years, following ''The Black Rider (album), The Black Rider'' ...

'', an album that won him a second Grammy. Since the mid-1980s, he has collaborated with his wife

Kathleen Brennan Kathleen Patricia Brennan (born 1955) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and artist. She is known for her work as a co-writer, producer, and influence on the work of her husband Tom Waits. Biography Brennan was born in Cork, ...

. His latest studio album, titled ''

Bad as Me ''Bad as Me'' is the seventeenth and most recent studio album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, released on October 21, 2011 by Anti- Records. The album is known to have been recorded as early as February 2011 and was officially announced ...

'', was released in 2011. As of 2011, according to

Nielsen Soundscan Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...

, Waits has sold 4.6 million albums in the United States.

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Soundtrack albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Box sets

Singles

Retail singles

Promotional singles

Other appearances

Studio

Live

Featured artist and guest spots

Other

*1987 ''

Smack My Crack Smack(s) may refer to: * Slapping (strike), a broad stroke made with the open hand * Spanking, a form of corporal punishment * Heroin, a narcotic drug * Smack (ship), a small decked or half-decked vessel * Smack talk, the use of threatening or in ...

'': "The Pontiac", spoken-word piece *1993 ''Born to Choose'': "Filipino Box Spring Hog", earlier release of ''

'' song *2007 ''People Take Warning! Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs 1913–1938'', by various artists: Waits wrote the introduction for this 3 CD reissue anthology produced by Christopher King and Henry "Hank" Sapoznik *2011 '' Hard Ground'' by Michael O'Brien: contributed poems to accompany photographs of homeless people in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

taken by Michael O'Brien

Music videos

Video albums

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waits, Tom

Discography Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ...

Discographies of American artists Rock music discographies