The Byrds discography
The Byrds were an American rock band that were formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964.[1]
| The Byrds discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 12 |
| Live albums | 3 |
| Compilation albums | 47 |
| EPs | 6 |
| Singles | 29 |
The bulk of the band's releases were issued on Columbia Records or its subsidiaries, with a notable exception being their final studio album from 1973.[2] This final album, titled Byrds, and its accompanying singles ("Full Circle", "Things Will Be Better", and "Cowgirl in the Sand") were all released on Asylum Records.[2] In addition, the band released a single under the pseudonym of the Beefeaters in October 1964 on Elektra Records (Pye Records in the UK), before they had signed a recording contract with Columbia.[2]
The Byrds' discography was originally released on the vinyl format, as full-length LPs, shorter EPs, and singles.[2] Since the 1960s, the band's back catalogue has also been released on reel-to-reel tape, audio cassette, 8-track tape, CD, MiniDisc, digital downloads, and, most recently, as streaming media. Between 1965 and 1968, the Byrds' albums were released in both mono and stereo variations, with Sweetheart of the Rodeo being the first album to be released exclusively in stereo in the US (Sweetheart of the Rodeo and its follow-up Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde were both issued in mono and stereo formats in the UK).[2]
This article lists all of the Byrds' official studio albums, live albums, compilations, EPs, and singles. Unofficial, "bootleg" releases are not included.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [3] |
CAN [4] |
GER [5] |
NLD [6] |
UK [7] | ||
| Mr. Tambourine Man | 6 | — | 35 | — | 7 | |
| Turn! Turn! Turn! |
|
17 | — | — | — | 11 |
| Fifth Dimension |
|
24 | — | — | — | 27 |
| Younger Than Yesterday |
|
24 | — | — | — | 37 |
| The Notorious Byrd Brothers |
|
47 | — | — | — | 12 |
| Sweetheart of the Rodeo |
|
77 | — | — | — | — |
| Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde |
|
153 | — | — | 6 | 15 |
| Ballad of Easy Rider |
|
36 | 40 | — | — | 41 |
| (Untitled) |
|
40 | 15 | — | 3 | 11 |
| Byrdmaniax |
|
46 | 23 | — | 1 | — |
| Farther Along |
|
152 | 41 | — | — | — |
| Byrds |
|
20 | 19 | — | 6 | 31 |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [3] |
CAN [4] |
NLD [6] |
UK [7] | ||
| (Untitled) (sides 1 and 2 only) |
|
40 | 15 | 3 | 11 |
| Live at the Fillmore – February 1969 | — | — | — | — | |
| Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971 |
|
— | — | — | — |
| The Lost Broadcasts |
|
— | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||
Compilation albums
There have been many official compilation albums by the Byrds released since 1967, with the majority of these collections consisting of material recorded between 1965 and 1971, a period when the band were with Columbia Records. In addition, four compilations of material recorded before the group secured a recording contract with Columbia have been released under the titles Preflyte, In the Beginning, The Preflyte Sessions and Preflyte Plus. Two compilations of rare and previously unissued material have also been released as Never Before and Another Dimension. There have so far been two Byrds' box sets issued: The Byrds (October 1990) and There Is a Season (September 2006). Also, excerpts from the band's performance at the Monterey Pop Festival have been released on The Monterey International Pop Festival CD box set and among the extras on the Monterey Pop DVD.
- NOTE: The four compilation albums with the title The Very Best of The Byrds (released in 1983, 1997, 2006, and 2008) are not the same and each features a different track listing.
- NOTE: The three compilations titled The Byrds Play Dylan or The Byrds Play the Songs of Bob Dylan (released in 1979, 2001, and 2002) are not the same and each features a different track listing.
| Title | Released | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [3] |
NLD [6] |
UK [7] | |||
| The Byrds' Greatest Hits | August 7, 1967 | 6 | — | — | |
| Preflyte | July 29, 1969 | 84 | — | — | |
| The Byrds' Greatest Hits Volume II | October 29, 1971 | — | 1 | — | |
| The Best of The Byrds: Greatest Hits, Volume II | November 10, 1972 | 114 | — | — | |
| History of The Byrds | May 18, 1973 | — | — | 47 | |
| Return of The Byrds | May 7, 1976 | — | — | — | |
| The Byrds | December 1978 | — | — | — | |
| 20 Golden Hits | July 1979 | — | 20 | — | |
| The Byrds Play Dylan | November 1979 | — | — | — | |
| The Original Singles: 1965–1967, Volume 1 | August 8, 1980 | — | — | — | |
| The Original Singles: 1967–1969, Volume 2 | February 1982 | — | — | — | |
| The Very Best of The Byrds | November 1983 | — | — | — | |
| The Byrds Collection | September 1986 | — | — | — | |
| Never Before | December 1, 1987 | — | — | — | |
| In the Beginning | August 1988 | — | — | — | |
| The Byrds | October 19, 1990 | 151 | — | — | |
| Full Flyte 1965-1970 | February 1991 | — | — | — | |
| Greatest Hits - 18 Classics Remastered | 1991 | — | 26 | — | |
| Free Flyte | 1991 | — | — | — | |
| 20 Essential Tracks From The Boxed Set: 1965-1990 | January 14, 1992 | — | — | — | |
| Definitive Collection | 1995 | — | — | — | |
| Nashville West | May 1996 | — | — | — | |
| The Very Best of The Byrds | June 23, 1997 | — | — | — |
|
| Super Hits | July 21, 1998 | — | — | — | |
| Byrd Parts | September 15, 1998 | — | — | — | |
| Sanctuary | July 18, 2000 | — | — | — | |
| Sanctuary II | December 19, 2000 | — | — | — | |
| The Byrds Play the Songs of Bob Dylan | May 28, 2001 | — | — | — | |
| The Preflyte Sessions | November 2001 | — | — | — | |
| Sanctuary III | December 11, 2001 | — | — | — | |
| Sanctuary IV | May 21, 2002 | — | — | — | |
| The Byrds Play Dylan | June 11, 2002 | — | — | — | |
| The Columbia Singles '65-'67 | November 1, 2002 | — | — | — | |
| The Essential Byrds | April 22, 2003 | — | — | — | |
| Byrd Parts 2 | May 2003 | — | — | — | |
| Mojo Presents...An Introduction to The Byrds | September 22, 2003 | — | — | — | |
| Cancelled Flytes | September 2004 | — | — | — | |
| Another Dimension | April 26, 2005 | — | — | — | |
| America's Great National Treasure | January 31, 2006 | — | — | — | |
| The Very Best of The Byrds | June 2006 | — | — | 82 | |
| There Is a Season | September 26, 2006 | — | — | — | |
| A Collection | July 9, 2007 | — | — | — | |
| Playlist: The Very Best of The Byrds | October 21, 2008 | — | — | — | |
| Greatest Hits | March 16, 2009 | — | — | — | |
| Eight Miles High: The Best of The Byrds | January 25, 2010 | — | — | — | |
| The Complete Album Collection | November 14, 2011 | — | — | — | |
| Setlist: The Very Best of the Byrds Live | December 27, 2011 | — | — | — | |
| Preflyte Plus | February 27, 2012 | — | — | — | |
| The 60s: The Byrds | September 9, 2014 | — | — | — | |
| Turn! Turn! Turn!: The Ultimate Collection | October 16, 2015 | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||
Extended plays
CBS Records released two Byrds EPs in the UK during 1966, featuring tracks taken from the band's first three albums. Then, in 1971, Columbia Records and Scholastic Books released an EP in the United States to tie-in with the publication of Bud Scoppa's biography of the Byrds. A further three EPs were released in the UK between 1983 and 1990 on various record labels.
| Title | Released |
|---|---|
| The Times They Are a-Changin' | February 1966 |
| Eight Miles High | October 1966 |
| The Byrds | 1971 |
| The Byrds | September 1983 |
| Solid Gold | May 1989 |
| Four Dimensions | December 1990 |
Singles
| Title | Date | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [10] |
GER [5] |
NLD [6] |
UK [7] | ||||
| "Please Let Me Love You"[lower-alpha 1] / "Don't Be Long"[lower-alpha 1] |
October 7, 1964 | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Mr. Tambourine Man" / "I Knew I'd Want You" |
April 12, 1965 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
|
Mr. Tambourine Man |
| "All I Really Want to Do" / "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better"[lower-alpha 2] |
June 14, 1965 | 40 | 27 | — | 4 | ||
| "Turn! Turn! Turn!" / "She Don't Care About Time" |
October 1, 1965 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 26 | Turn! Turn! Turn! | |
| "Set You Free This Time" | January 10, 1966[lower-alpha 3] | 79 | — | — | — | ||
| "It Won't Be Wrong" (B-side) | 63 | — | — | — | |||
| "Eight Miles High" / "Why" |
March 14, 1966 | 14 | — | — | 24 | Fifth Dimension | |
| "5D (Fifth Dimension)" / "Captain Soul" |
June 13, 1966 | 44 | — | — | — | ||
| "Mr. Spaceman" / "What's Happening?!?!" |
September 6, 1966 | 36 | — | 18 | — | ||
| "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" / "Everybody's Been Burned" |
January 9, 1967 | 29 | — | — | — | Younger Than Yesterday | |
| "My Back Pages" / "Renaissance Fair" |
March 13, 1967 | 30 | — | 18 | — | ||
| "Have You Seen Her Face" / "Don't Make Waves" |
May 22, 1967 | 74 | — | — | — | ||
| "Lady Friend" / "Old John Robertson" |
July 13, 1967[lower-alpha 4] | 82 | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Goin' Back" / "Change Is Now" |
October 20, 1967 | 89 | — | — | — | The Notorious Byrd Brothers | |
| "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" / "Artificial Energy" |
April 2, 1968 | 74 | — | — | 45 | Sweetheart of the Rodeo | |
| "I Am a Pilgrim" / "Pretty Boy Floyd" |
September 2, 1968 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Bad Night at the Whiskey" / "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man" |
January 7, 1969 | — | — | — | — | Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde | |
| "Lay Lady Lay" / "Old Blue" |
May 2, 1969 | —[lower-alpha 5] | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Wasn't Born to Follow"[lower-alpha 6] / "Child of the Universe"[lower-alpha 6] |
September 26, 1969 | — | — | — | — | The Notorious Byrd Brothers | |
| "Ballad of Easy Rider" / "Oil in My Lamp" |
October 1, 1969 | 65 | — | — | — | Ballad of Easy Rider | |
| "Jesus Is Just Alright" / "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" |
December 15, 1969 | 97 | — | 13 | — | ||
| "Chestnut Mare" / "Just a Season" |
October 23, 1970 | —[lower-alpha 7] | — | 13 | 19 | (Untitled) | |
| "I Trust (Everything Is Gonna Work Out Alright)" / "(Is This) My Destiny" |
May 7, 1971 | — | — | 17 | — | Byrdmaniax | |
| "Glory, Glory" / "Citizen Kane" |
August 20, 1971 | —[lower-alpha 8] | — | — | — | ||
| "America's Great National Pastime" / "Farther Along" |
November 29, 1971 | — | — | — | — | Farther Along | |
| "Full Circle" / "Long Live the King" |
April 11, 1973[lower-alpha 9] | —[lower-alpha 10] | — | — | — | Byrds | |
| "Things Will Be Better" / "For Free" |
April 24, 1973[lower-alpha 9] | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Cowgirl in the Sand" / "Long Live the King" |
June 1973 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
Notes
- Released under the pseudonym the Beefeaters.[2]
- "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" peaked at number 103 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[2]
- "It Won't Be Wrong" / "Set You Free This Time" was released in the UK on February 18, 1966.[2]
- "Lady Friend" was released (with "Don't Make Waves" as its B-side) in the UK in September 1967.[2]
- "Lay Lady Lay" peaked at number 132 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[2]
- UK-only release.
- "Chestnut Mare" peaked at number 121 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[2]
- "Glory, Glory" peaked at number 110 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[2]
- "Full Circle" was released (with "Things Will Be Better" as its B-side) in the UK on August 8, 1975.[2]
- "Full Circle" peaked at number 109 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[2]
References
- General
- Rogan, Johnny (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited. Rogan House. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
- Hjort, Christopher (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973). Jawbone Press. ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
- Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Pop Albums 1955-2001. Hal Leonard Corp. ISBN 0-634-03948-2.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Top Pop Singles 1955-2006. Record Research Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-172-7.
- Brown, Tony (2000). The Complete Book of the British Charts. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-7119-7670-2.
- "Byrdmaniax Discography Pages". Byrds Flyght. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
- "The Byrds' chart data". Ultimate Music Database. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
- Specific
- "The Byrds Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 541–554. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
- "The Byrds Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- "Results: RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
- "Discographie von Byrds". Offizielle Deutsche Charts (in German). Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- "Discografie The Byrds". Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- "Byrds full Official Chart History". Official Charts. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
- "British certifications – Byrds". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 March 2023. Type Byrds in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- "The Byrds Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-07-09.