Ricky Nelson discography

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Ricky Nelson discography
Decca Records Rick Nelson 1966.jpg
Rick Nelson, circa 1965
Studio albums36
Singles91

Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985), known professionally as Ricky Nelson until his 21st birthday when he officially dropped the "y" and simply became Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter. His discography comprises 36 albums and 91 singles.

Albums[]

Year Album Peak positions
US US Country AUS[1] CAN
1957 Ricky 1 — N/A —
1958 Ricky Nelson
  • features "Don't Leave Me This Way," Nelson's earliest released evidence of songwriting
 7 — N/A —
1959 Ricky Sings Again 14 — N/A —
Songs By Ricky 22 — N/A —
1960 More Songs By Ricky 18 — N/A —
1961 Rick Is 21 8 — N/A —
1962 Album Seven By Rick
  • Nelson's seventh studio album and the final comprising new material on Imperial Records
 27 — N/A —
Best Sellers By Rick Nelson
  • Imperial compilation
  • 1957 single "Stood Up" b/w "Waitin' in School" makes its LP debut
 112 — N/A —
1963 It's Up to You
  • Imperial compilation
  • 1962 single "It's Up to You" b/w "I Need You" makes its album debut
 128 — N/A —
Million Sellers
  • Imperial compilation
  • "Young World," "Everlovin'", and "I Wanna Be Loved" make their LP debut
 — — N/A —
A Long Vacation
  • Imperial compilation
 — — N/A —
For Your Sweet Love
  • Nelson's Decca Records debut and eighth studio album
 20 — N/A —
Rick Nelson Sings "For You"
  • Nelson's sophomore Decca album
 14 — N/A —
1964 Rick Nelson Sings for You
  • Imperial compilation crassly[citation needed] released on the coattails of Nelson's Decca hit "For You"
 — — N/A —
The Very Thought of You — — N/A —
Spotlight on Rick — — N/A —
1965 Best Always — — N/A —
Love and Kisses — — N/A —
1966 Bright Lights and Country Music
  • Nelson's critically acclaimed exploration of the nascent country rock genre
  • "You Just Can't Quit" was penned by Nelson
  • featuring guitarists James Burton, Clarence White, and Glen Campbell
 — — N/A —
On the Flip Side
  • a Burt Bacharach and Hal David-scored soundtrack for the rare 60-minute ABC special
  • Nelson is heard on only four songs—"It Doesn't Matter Anymore," "They Don't Give Medals [To Yesterday's Heroes]," "Take a Broken Heart," and a duet with costar Joannie Sommers on "Try to See It My Way"
 — — N/A —
1967 Country Fever
  • the sequel to Bright Lights and Country Music
  • "Alone" was composed by Nelson
  • James Burton, Clarence White, and Glen Campbell are among the players
 — — N/A —
Another Side of Rick Nelson
  • a failed experiment[citation needed] of orchestrated psychedelic pop
  • "Marshmallow Skies" and "Promenade in Green" were co-written with James Burton and John Boylan, respectively
 — — N/A —
1968 Perspective
  • more orchestrated psychedelic pop with Nelson creatively floundering[citation needed]
  • "Hello to the Wind" was co-written alongside producer John Boylan
 — — N/A —
1970 In Concert
  • Nelson regains his footing as a country rocker
  • the debut of the Stone Canyon Band
  • the sole live album issued during Nelson's lifetime
  • "Come on In," "Who Cares About Tomorrow," "Promises," and "Easy to Be Free" were Nelson compositions
 54 — — 66
Rick Sings Nelson
  • all 10 songs composed by Nelson including "Down Along the Bayou Country," "California," and "How Long"
 196 — 33 —
1971 Rudy The Fifth
  • seven tunes written by Nelson including "This Train," "Life," and "Gypsy Pilot"
 204 — 38 —
1972 Garden Party
  • six songs penned by Nelson including the career-defining title cut, "So Long, Mama," and "A Flower Opens Gently By"
 32 26 67 39
1974 Windfall
  • Nelson's final Decca / MCA album
  • "Someone to Love," "Lifestream," and "Windfall" were composed by Nelson
 190 — 61 97
1977 Intakes
  • Nelson's only released Epic Records LP
  • the final appearance of the Stone Canyon Band
  • "It's Another Day" and "Something You Can't Buy" were Nelson's songwriting contributions
 — — — —
1978 Back to Vienna
  • Epic scuttled the 10-song studio LP produced by keyboardist Al Kooper
 n/a n/a n/a n/a
1979 Rockabilly Renaissance
  • Epic canned the Larry Rogers-helmed record, belatedly released as "The Memphis Sessions" after Nelson's passing
  • "That Ain't the Way Love's Supposed to Be" was co-written by John Beland and Nelson
 n/a n/a n/a n/a
1981 Playing to Win
  • Nelson's sole Capitol Records album
  • "The Loser Babe Is You" and "Call It What You Want" were his final instances of songwriting
 153 — — —
1985 All My Best
  • studio re-recordings of 21 of Nelson's greatest hits plus "Do You Know What I Mean" overseen by longtime arranger Jimmie Haskell
  • later reissues eliminated various songs
 — — 58 —
1986 Untitled Curb Records Studio Album
  • Haskell continued his reunition with Nelson, laying down instrumental tracks and guide vocals in the fall of 1985 at Baby-O Recorders and Conway Studios in North Hollywood for 10 new songs, albeit none penned by Nelson.
  • If the entertainer had not perished on New Year's Eve, the rockabilly-themed project was poised for a 1986 release with Mike Curb's Nashville-based Curb Records.
  • These are the only Nelson songs still relegated to the vaults although unauthorized, unfinished versions have leaked.
 n/a n/a n/a n/a
The Memphis Sessions
  • originally dubbed "Rockabilly Renaissance"
 — 62 — —
1989 Ricky Nelson Live [1983-1985]
  • issued by Rhino Records
  • Nelson's second live album
 — — — —
Lonesome Town [All-Time Greatest Hits] — — — —
1991 Live at the Aladdin
  • Nelson was booked at the Las Vegas hotel on three occasions—March 7-20, June 6-20, and August 25-September 5, 1978; it is unclear which show the 12 songs come from
  • featuring steel guitarist Tom Brumley, lead guitarist John Beland, and the Sweet Inspirations on backing vocals
  • produced by Beland
  • issued on the British Magnum Force label
  • Nelson's third live album
 — — — —
1993 Stay Young: The Epic Recordings
  • the first compilation to unearth four of the 1978 "Back to Vienna" outtakes
 — — — —
1999 A Night to Remember
  • an audio document of Nelson's August 22, 1985, televised concert at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles
  • released by Fuel 2000 Records in cooperation with Varèse Sarabande
  • Nelson's fourth live album
 — — — —
2000 Legacy
  • notable as the first Nelson box set
  • a four-CD career-encompassing project distributed by Capitol
 — — — —
2001 The American Dream: The Complete Imperial and Verve Recordings [1957-1963]
  • the first installment of a chronological archival series released by Bear Family, a German indie label specializing in vintage country and pop
 — — — —
2003 The Lost '60s Recordings
  • for a couple of years Nelson, Glen Campbell, Jerry "Travelin' Man" Fuller, and Dave Burgess collaborated vocally in two studio groups—the Trophies and the Fleas
  • issued by Varèse Sarabande
 — — — —
2004 Rick's Rarities [1964-1974]
  • an essential[citation needed] Ace Records compilation that excavated a selection of Nelson's unreleased Decca tunes prior to Bear Family
 — — — —
2005 Greatest Hits 56 — — —
2007 Ricky Rocks
  • Bear Family compilation
 — — — —
For You: The Decca Years [1963-1969]
  • the second Bear Family box set devoted to Nelson
 — — — —
2008 Greatest Love Songs
  • Capitol compilation cherry-picking romantic highlights from Nelson's tenures on Imperial and Epic
 — — — —
2010 The Last Time Around [1970-1982]
  • the third and ultimate Bear Family box set revisits Nelson's Stone Canyon Band tenure
 — — — —
2012 The Complete Epic Recordings
  • a two-CD compilation from Real Gone Music houses Nelson's 1976-1979 Epic sessions that yielded "Intakes," "Back to Vienna," and "Rockabilly Renaissance"
 — — — —

Singles[]

Year Single (A-side / B-side)
Non-charting B-sides from same album as A-sides except as indicated 		Peak chart positions Label and catalog no. Album
US US
Cashbox 		US
Country 		US
AC 		CA[citation needed] CA
Country[citation needed] 		CA
AC 		UK[2] AU[citation needed]
1957 "A Teenager's Romance" /[3] 8 8 — — — — — — 34 Verve 10047 Teen Time (Various artists)
"I'm Walkin'" 17 12 — — — — — — 10
"You're My One and Only Love"
b/w "Honey Rock" (by Barney Kessel) 		16 23 — — — — — — — Verve 10070
"Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" / 29 21 — — — — — — — Imperial 5463 Ricky
"Be-Bop Baby" 5 6 — — — — — — 33
1958 "Stood Up" / 2 3 8 — — — — 27 33 Imperial 5483 Best Sellers by Rick Nelson
"Waitin' In School" 18 6 12 — — — — — —
"My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" / 18 20 10 — — — — — 79 Imperial 5503 Non-album track
"Believe What You Say" 8 12 10 — — — — — 77 Ricky Sings Again
"Poor Little Fool"
b/w "Don't Leave Me This Way" 		1 2 3 — — — — 4 10 Imperial 5528 Ricky Nelson
"Someday"
b/w "I Got A Feeling" (Non-album track) 		— — — — — — — 9 66 London 8732 (UK only)
"Lonesome Town" / 7 7 — — — — — — 26 Imperial 5545 Ricky Sings Again
"I Got a Feeling" 10 15 — — — — — 27 85 Non-album track
1959 "It's Late" / 9 6 — — — — — 3 28 Imperial 5565 Ricky Sings Again
"Never Be Anyone Else But You" 6 5 — — — — — 14 14
"Just a Little Too Much" / 9 18 — — — — — 11 11 Imperial 5595 Songs By Ricky
"Sweeter Than You" 9 11 — — — — — 19 63
"I Wanna Be Loved" / 20 21 — — — — — 30 35 Imperial 5614 Million Sellers
"Mighty Good" 38 57 — — — — — — 35 Non-album track
1960 "Young Emotions" / 12 11 — — — — — 48 33 Imperial 5663 Million Sellers
"Right by My Side" 59 70 — — — — — — 33
"I'm Not Afraid" / 27 40 — — — — — — — Imperial 5685 More Songs By Ricky
"Yes Sir, That's My Baby" 34 49 — — — — — — 36 Million Sellers
"You Are the Only One" / 25 29 — — — — — — 76 Imperial 5707
"Milk Cow Blues" 79 101 — — — — — — —
1961 "Travelin' Man" / 1 1 — — — — — 2 1 Imperial 5741 Rick Is 21
"Hello Mary Lou" 9 9 — — — — — 2 1
"A Wonder Like You" / 11 11 — — — — — — 14 Imperial 5770 Non-album tracks
"Everlovin'" 16 20 — — — — — 23 —
1962 "Young World" / 5 9 — — — — — 19 11 Imperial 5805
"Summertime" 89 111 — — — — — — — Album Seven By Rick
"Today's Teardrops" (AU & Europe only) / — — — — — — — — 32 Imperial IH 568 (EU)
London HL-1954 (AU)
"Mad, Mad World" — — — — — — — — 32
"Teen Age Idol" / 5 9 — 2 — — — 39 18 Imperial 5864 Non-album tracks
"I've Got My Eyes on You (And I Like What I See)" 105 130 — — — — — — 18
"It's Up to You" / 6 7 — 4 — — — 22 18 Imperial 5901 It's Up to You
"I Need You" 83 91 — — — — — — —
1963 "I'm in Love Again" / 67 51 — — — — — — 50 Imperial 5910 Best Sellers by Rick Nelson
"That's All" 48 53 — — — — — — 50 Songs By Ricky
"You Don't Love Me Anymore (And I Can Tell)" / 47 48 — — — — — — — Decca 31475 For Your Sweet Love
"I Got a Woman" 49 58 — — — — — — 45
"If You Can't Rock Me" / 100 — — — — — — — — Imperial 5935 It's Up to You
"Old Enough to Love" 94 86 — — — — — — — Ricky Sings Again
"A Long Vacation"
b/w "Mad Mad World" 		120 107 — — — — — — — Imperial 5958 A Long Vacation
"Gypsy Woman" / 62 91 — — — — — — 26 Decca 31495 For Your Sweet Love
"String Along" 25 17 — — — — — — 26
"There's Not a Minute"
b/w "Time After Time" (from More Songs By Ricky) 		127 149 — — — — — — — Imperial 5985 Album Seven By Rick
"Fools Rush In" / 12 — — — — — — 12 26 Decca 31533 Rick Nelson Sings "For You"
"Down Home" 126 131 — — — — — — —
"Today's Teardrops"
b/w "Thank You Darlin'" 		54 65 — — — — — — — Imperial 66004 Album Seven By Rick
"For You"
b/w "That's All She Wrote" 		6 8 — 1 — — — 14 10 Decca 31574 Rick Nelson Sings "For You"
1964 "Congratulations"
b/w "One Minute To One" (from Songs By Ricky) 		63 104 — — — — — — — Imperial 66017 Album Seven By Rick
"The Very Thought of You"
b/w "I Wonder (If Your Love Will Ever Belong To Me)" 		26 19 — 11 — — — — 65 Decca 31612 The Very Thought Of You
"Lucky Star"
b/w "Everybody But Me" 		127 142 — — — — — — — Imperial 66039 Rick Is 21
"There's Nothing I Can Say" / 47 49 — 18 — — — — 90 Decca 31656 Non-album track
"Lonely Corner" 113 105 — — — — — — — Best Always
"A Happy Guy" / 82 83 — — — — — — — Decca 31703 Spotlight On Rick
"Don't Breathe a Word" tag — — — — — — —
1965 "Mean Old World"
b/w "When The Chips Are Down" 		96 94 — — — — — — — Decca 31756 Best Always
"Come Out Dancing"
b/w "Yesterday's Love" (from Spotlight On Rick) 		130 131 — — — — — — — Decca 31800 Love & Kisses
"Love and Kisses"
b/w "Say You Love Me" 		— 124 — — — — — — — Decca 31845
1966 "Fire Breathin' Dragon"
b/w "Your Kind Of Lovin'" 		— — — — — — — — — Decca 31900 Non-album tracks
"You Just Can't Quit"
b/w "Louisiana Man" 		108 76 — — 24 — — — 81 Decca 31956 Bright Lights & Country Music
"Things You Gave Me"
b/w "Alone" 		— — — — — — — — — Decca 32026 Country Fever
1967 "They Don't Give Medals (To Yesterday's Heroes)"
b/w "Take A Broken Heart" 		— — — — — — — — — Decca 32055 On The Flip Side – Original Cast Album
"Take a City Bride"
b/w "I'm Called Lonely" (Non-album track) 		— — 58 — — — — — — Decca 32120 Country Fever
1968 "Suzanne On A Sunday Morning"
b/w "Moonshine" (Non-album track) 		— — — — — — — — — Decca 32176 Another Side Of Rick
"Dream Weaver"
b/w "Baby Close Its Eyes" 		— — — — — — — — — Decca 32222
1969 "Don't Blame It on Your Wife"
b/w "Promenade In Green" 		— — — — — — — — — Decca 32284
"Don't Make Promises"
b/w "Barefoot Boy" 		— — — — — — — — — Decca 32298
"She Belongs to Me"
b/w "Promises" (Non-album track) 		33 30 — 27 33 — — — — Decca 32558 Rick Nelson In Concert
1970 "Easy To Be Free"
b/w "Come On In" 		48 50 — 21 46 — — — — Decca 32635
"I Shall Be Released"
b/w "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" 		102 — — — — — — — — Decca 32676
"We Got Such A Long Way To Go"
b/w "Look at Mary" 		— — — — — — — — — Decca 32711 Rick Sings Nelson
1971 "How Long"
b/w "Down Along The Bayou Country" 		— — — — — — — — — Decca 32739
"Life"
b/w "California" (from Rick Sings Nelson) 		109 110 — 15 — — — — — Decca 32779 Rudy The Fifth
1972 "Thank You Lord"
b/w "Sing Me A Song" 		— — — — — — — — — Decca 32860
"Gypsy Pilot"
b/w "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" 		— — — — — — — — — Decca 32906
"Garden Party"
b/w "So Long Mama" 		6 3 44 1 1 52 13 41 6 Decca 32980 Garden Party
1973 "Palace Guard"
b/w "A Flower Opens Gently By" 		65 79 — — 80 — — — — MCA 40001
"Lifestream"
b/w "Evil Woman Child" 		— 105 — — — — — — — MCA 40130 Windfall
1974 "Windfall"
b/w "Legacy" 		— 116 — 46 — — — — 62 MCA 40187
"One Night Stand"
b/w "Lifestream" 		— — 89 — — — — — — MCA 40214
1975 "Try (Try to Fall in Love)"
b/w "Louisiana Belle" 		— — — — — — — — — MCA 40392 Non-album tracks
"Rock and Roll Lady"
b/w "Fadeaway" 		— — — — — — — — — MCA 40458
1977 "You Can't Dance"
b/w "It's Another Day" 		— — — — — — — — — Epic 50458 Intakes
1978 "Gimme a Little Sign"
b/w "Something You Just Can't Buy" 		— — — — — — — — — Epic 50501
1979 "Dream Lover"
b/w "That Ain't The Way Love's Supposed To Be" 		— — 59 29 — 55 — — — Epic 50674 Rockabilly Renaissance (Unreleased)
1981 "It Hasn't Happened Yet"
b/w "Call It What You Want" 		— — — — — — — — — Capitol 4974 Playing To Win
"Believe What You Say" [New Version]
b/w "The Loser Babe Is You" 		— — — — — — — — — Capitol 4988
1982 "Give 'em My Number"
b/w "No Fair Falling In Love" 		— — — — — — — — — Capitol 5178 Non-album tracks
1986 "You Know What I Mean"
b/w "Don't Leave Me This Way" [New Version] 		— — — — — — — — — MCA 52781 All My Best
"Dream Lover" (re-issue)
b/w "Rave On" 		— — 88 — — 57 — — — Epic 06066 Memphis Sessions
1991 "Hello Mary Lou"
b/w "It's Late" (UK only release) 		— — — — — — — 45 — Liberty EMCT 2

References[]

  1. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 214. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  2. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 389–390. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ^ "For his first recording, Nelson cut a double-sided smash: “A Teenager’s Romance” backed with Fats Domino’s “I’m Walkin’."
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