American singer Lenny Kravitz has released 12 studio albums, one greatest hits compilation album, four box set compilation albums, two extended plays, 63 singles, and eight video albums, including three live albums. His debut album, Let Love Rule (1989), peaked at number 61 in the US, and while receiving generally positive reviews, it became a huge success in Europe but took a long time to reach success in the US. Its followers, Mama Said (1991) and Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993), sold better overall than his debut, achieving platinum and multi-platinum status respectively, establishing Kravitz in the music industry and expanding his success in Europe and South America. However, despite only two years between albums, personal issues such as substance abuse problems, the aftermath of divorce, and his mother Roxie Roker's illness led to a decline in commercial sales with Circus (1995).
| Lenny Kravitz discography | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kravitz in 2024. | |
| Studio albums | 12 |
| EPs | 2 |
| Soundtrack albums | 6 |
| Live albums | 3 |
| Compilation albums | 5 |
| Singles | 63 |
| Video albums | 8 |
| Music videos | 55 |
With 5 (1998), Kravitz embraced a fresh outlook towards his career and also experimented with electronic equipment such as Pro Tools. Initially, the album received only mediocre reviews, and slowly and steadily achieved worldwide success after spinning off hits such as "I Belong to You" and "Fly Away" to ultimately become Kravitz's most successful studio album to date. The album established his career at a higher level, with increasing worldwide popularity, especially in Europe, and won him his first two Grammy Awards. Greatest Hits (2000) would become Kravitz's most successful album to date, going on to sell over 10.5 million copies worldwide, earning him yet another Grammy Award. While Lenny (2001) sold briskly, although not quite comparing to 5 or Greatest Hits, it won Kravitz his fourth consecutive Grammy Award. However, Baptism was somewhat of a commercial disappointment for the multi-platinum artist when compared to its predecessors. His 2008 release It Is Time for a Love Revolution had Kravitz realising some of the best debut positions and opening sales weeks worldwide in years, along with his best critical reviews since Lenny.
Some of his albums (Let Love Rule, Mama Said, 5 and Greatest Hits) have sold enough copies to be certified at the next level within the sales threshold, but RIAA still has them certified at the lower sales level, with no official word on whether/when the certifications may occur.[citation needed] In addition to writing and producing all of his own work, Kravitz has produced albums for other artists, some reaching great success.[which?][citation needed] He personally has scored three top 10 albums in the US, while having reached number one in both the UK and Australia. Kravitz has scored hits in virtually every continent: North America (US and Canada), Central America (Bahamas), Europe (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Scandinavia), South America (Brazil, Argentina and Colombia), Asia (Japan), Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), and Africa (Republic of South Africa).[citation needed] Considered one of the most successful and best-selling rock artists of his time, Kravitz has had sales of approximately 40 million albums alone worldwide (not including singles and video releases).[citation needed]
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] |
AUS [2] |
AUT [3] |
CAN [4] |
FRA [5] |
GER [6] |
NLD [7] |
NOR [8] |
SWI [9] |
UK [10] | ||||
| Let Love Rule |
|
61 | 45 | — | 35 | — | — | 23 | 12 | 12 | 56 | ||
| Mama Said |
|
39 | 10 | 12 | 13 | — | 20 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 8 | ||
| Are You Gonna Go My Way |
|
12 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 7 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Circus |
|
10 | 2 | 3 | 7 | — | 8 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 5 |
|
28 | 17 | 1 | 22 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 18 | ||
| Lenny |
|
12 | 44 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 55 | ||
| Baptism |
|
14 | 42 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 3 | 74 | ||
| It Is Time for a Love Revolution |
|
4 | 47 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 1 | 42 | ||
| Black and White America |
|
17 | 59 | 2 | 45 | 7 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 75 | ||
| Strut |
|
19 | 31 | 3 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 26 | 2 | 21 | ||
| Raise Vibration |
|
43 | —[A] | 4 | — | 3 | 3 | 8 | — | 3 | 19 |
| |
| Blue Electric Light |
|
— | 84 | 4 | — | 7 | 5 | 17 | — | 2 | 73 | ||
| "–" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Notes
- Raise Vibration did not enter the ARIA Albums Chart, but peaked at number 40 on the ARIA Digital Albums Chart.[22]
Compilations
Box sets
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Let Love Rule / Mama Said |
|
| Let Love Rule / Mama Said / Are You Gonna Go My Way |
|
| 5 / Lenny |
|
| Lenny / Baptism |
|
EPs
- Spinning Around Over You (1994)
- Is There Any Love in Your Heart (1995)
Singles
As lead artist
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [25] |
AUS [2] |
AUT [3] |
CAN [26] |
FRA [27] |
GER [6] |
ITA [28] |
NLD [7] |
SWI [9] |
UK [10] | ||||||
| 1989 | "Let Love Rule" | 89 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | 59 | 39 | Let Love Rule | |||
| 1990 | "I Build This Garden for Us" | — | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | 51 | — | 83 | ||||
| "Be" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Mr. Cab Driver" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 58 | |||||
| "Does Anybody Out There Even Care" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 46 | — | — | |||||
| 1991 | "Always on the Run" | — | 43 | — | 55 | — | — | — | 8 | 25 | 41 | Mama Said | |||
| "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" | 2 | 10 | 25 | 2 | 29 | 43 | — | 12 | — | 11 |
| ||||
| "Fields of Joy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | — | — | |||||
| "Stand by My Woman" | 76 | 46 | — | — | 36 | 66 | — | — | — | 55 | |||||
| "What the Fuck Are We Saying?" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | — | — | |||||
| 1992 | "What Goes Around Comes Around" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Stop Draggin' Around" | — | 101 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1993 | "Are You Gonna Go My Way" | — | 1 | 24 | 5 | 4 | 25 | — | 8 | 12 | 4 | Are You Gonna Go My Way | |||
| "Believe" | 60 | 8 | — | 9 | 33 | 74 | — | 40 | — | 30 |
| ||||
| "Heaven Help" | 80 | — | — | 25 | 41 | 98 | — | — | — | 20 | |||||
| "Spinning Around Over You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Reality Bites soundtrack | |||||
| "Is There Any Love in Your Heart" | — | 32 | — | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | 52 | Are You Gonna Go My Way | ||||
| 1994 | "Deuce" | — | — | — | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved | |||
| 1995 | "Rock and Roll Is Dead" | 75 | 26 | — | 16 | — | — | — | 40 | 24 | 22 | Circus | |||
| "Circus" | — | — | — | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | |||||
| 1996 | "Can't Get You Off My Mind" | 62 | — | — | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | ||||
| "The Resurrection" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1998 | "If You Can't Say No" | — | 55 | 35 | — | 97 | — | — | 52 | 39 | 48 | 5 | |||
| "Thinking of You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "I Belong to You" | 71 | — | — | — | 24 | 81 | — | 42 | — | 75 | |||||
| "Fly Away" | 12 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 56 | 15 | — | 49 | 19 | 1 | |||||
| 1999 | "American Woman" | 49 | 14 | — | 26 | 88 | 78 | — | 59 | 35 | 177 |
|
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack | ||
| "Black Velveteen" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 94 | 83 | 5 | ||||
| 2000 | "Again" | 4 | 30 | 6 | — | 57 | 19 | 1 | 9 | 25 | — |
|
Greatest Hits | ||
| 2001 | "Dig In" | 31 | — | 64 | 10 | — | — | 8 | 72 | 58 | — | Lenny | |||
| 2002 | "Stillness of Heart" | — | — | 51 | 22 | 83 | 38 | 16 | 84 | 31 | 44 | ||||
| "Believe in Me" | — | — | 42 | — | — | 14 | 10 | 10 | 29 | — | |||||
| "If I Could Fall in Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | 98 | 85 | — | |||||
| "Yesterday Is Gone (My Dear Kay)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2004 | "Show Me Your Soul" (with P. Diddy, Loon and Pharrell) |
— | 45 | — | — | — | 61 | — | — | 62 | 35 | Bad Boys II soundtrack | |||
| "Where Are We Runnin'?" | 69 | 52 | 27 | 5 | — | 43 | 13 | 31 | 33 | — | Baptism | ||||
| "Storm" (with Jay-Z) |
98 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "California" | — | — | 56 | — | — | — | — | 64 | 57 | 62 | |||||
| "Lady" | 27 | — | — | 49 | — | — | — | 99 | — | — |
| ||||
| "Calling All Angels" | — | — | — | — | — | 72 | — | 35 | 42 | —[a] | |||||
| 2005 | "Breathe" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||
| 2007 | "Bring It On" | — | — | — | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | It Is Time for a Love Revolution | |||
| "I'll Be Waiting" | 73 | — | 6 | 45 | 27 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 104 | |||||
| 2008 | "Love Love Love" | — | — | — | — | — | 92 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Dancin' Til Dawn" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 96 | — | — | |||||
| 2011 | "Come On Get It" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Black and White America | |||
| "Stand" | — | — | 41 | — | — | 44 | — | 100 | 42 | — | |||||
| "Rock Star City Life" | — | — | 62 | — | — | 98 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Black and White America" | — | — | — | — | 100 | — | — | 92 | — | — | |||||
| "Push" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2012 | "Superlove" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | — | 49 | ||||
| 2014 | "The Chamber" | — | — | 16 | — | 11 | 17 | 6 | 62 | 9 | — |
|
Strut | ||
| "Sex" | — | — | — | — | 107 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "New York City" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Dirty White Boots" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2015 | "The Pleasure and the Pain" | — | — | — | — | — | 80 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2018 | "It's Enough!"[33] | — | — | — | — | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | Raise Vibration | |||
| "Low" | — | — | — | — | 9 | 61 | 53 | — | 69 | — |
| ||||
| "5 More Days 'Til Summer" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2019 | "Johnny Cash" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Here to Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2020 | "Ride" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2023 | "TK421"[23] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Blue Electric Light | |||
| "Road to Freedom"[34] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rustin soundtrack | ||||
| "I Believe in Love Again" (with Peggy Gou)[35] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I Hear You | ||||
| 2024 | "Human"[36] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Blue Electric Light | |||
| "Paralyzed" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Honey"[37] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||||||||||
As featured artist
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [10] | |||
| 2020 | "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" (as BBC Radio 2's Allstars)[38] |
7 | Non-album single |
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Let Love Rule" (version 1) | 1988 | Lisa Bonet | [39] |
| "Be" | 1989 | Jean-Baptiste Mondino | |
| "Let Love Rule" (version 2) | Jim Gable | [40] | |
| "I Build This Garden for Us" | 1990 | Geoff Barish | [39] |
| "Mr. Cab Driver" | |||
| "Always on the Run" (featuring Slash) |
1991 | Jesse Dylan | |
| "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" | |||
| "Stand by My Woman" | Paul Boyd | ||
| "Stop Draggin' Around" (live) | Toru Uehara | ||
| "More Than Anything In This World" | Unknown | [41] | |
| "Are You Gonna Go My Way" | 1993 | Mark Romanek | [42] |
| "Believe" | Michel Gondry | [43] | |
| "Heaven Help" (version 1) | Per Gustafson | [44] | |
| "Heaven Help" (version 2) | Joel Schumacher | [45] | |
| "Is There Any Love in Your Heart" | Mark Romanek | [46] | |
| "Spinning Around Over You" | 1994 | Doug Nichol | [47] |
| "Rock and Roll Is Dead" | 1995 | Ruven Afanador | [48] |
| "Circus" (version 1) | [49] | ||
| "Circus" (version 2) | 1996 | Martyn Atkins | [50] |
| "Can't Get You Off My Mind" (version 1) | Matthew Rolston | [51] | |
| "Can't Get You Off My Mind" (version 2) | Jim Gable | [52] | |
| "If You Can't Say No" | 1998 | Mark Romanek | [53] |
| "Thinking of You" | Matthew Rolston | [54] | |
| "I Belong to You" | Mark Seliger, Fred Woodward | [55] | |
| "Fly Away" | Paul Hunter | [56] | |
| "American Woman" | 1999 | [57] | |
| "Black Velveteen" | 2000 | Samuel Bayer | [58] |
| "Again" | Paul Hunter | [59] | |
| "Dig In" | 2001 | Samuel Bayer | [60] |
| "Stillness of Heart" | 2002 | Mark Seliger | [61] |
| "Believe in Me" | Matthew Rolston | [62] | |
| "If I Could Fall in Love" | Jonas Åkerlund | [63] | |
| "Yesterday Is Gone (My Dear Kay)" | unknown | [64] | |
| "Where Are We Runnin'?" | 2004 | Philip Andelman, Lenny Kravitz | [65] |
| "California" | Philip Andelman | [66] | |
| "Storm" (remix) (featuring Jay-Z) |
Sanaa Hamri | [67] | |
| "Lady" | Philip Andelman | [68] | |
| "Calling All Angels" | Philip Andelman, Lenny Kravitz | [69] | |
| "I'll Be Waiting" | 2008 | Philip Andelman | [70] |
| "Love Love Love" | [71] | ||
| "Dancin' Til Dawn" | 2009 | Jean-Baptiste Mondino | [72] |
| "Let Love Rule" (remix) (Lenny Kravitz vs. Justice) |
Keith Schofield | [73] | |
| "Come On Get It" | 2011 | unknown | |
| "Stand" | Paul Hunter | [74] | |
| "Push" | Mathieu Bitton | [75] | |
| "Dream" | [76] | ||
| "The Chamber" | 2014 | Anthony Mandler | [77] |
| "New York City" | Francesco Carrozzini | [78] | |
| "Sex" | 2015 | Dikayl Rimmasch | [79] |
| "The Pleasure and the Pain" | [80] | ||
| "It's Enough" | 2018 | Mikey Eaton | [81] |
| "Low" | Jean Baptiste Mondino | [82] | |
| "5 More Days til Summer" | 2019 | Noah Becker | [83] |
| "Here To Love" | Lenny Kravitz | [84] | |
| "Ride" | 2020 | Mark Seliger | [85] |
| "Raise Vibration" | 2021 | [86] | |
| "TK421" | 2023 | Tanu Muino | [87] |
| "Human" | 2024 | Joseph Kahn | [88] |
| "Paralyzed" | Anthony Mandler | [89] | |
| "Honey" | Diana Kunst |
Other appearances
Other notable works in Kravitz's repertoire are numerous charity albums and collaborations with artists of a wide range of genres. In 1990, he co-wrote and co-produced Madonna's "Justify My Love" single, for which he also provided background vocals. Kravitz sang a duet titled "Main Squeeze" with Teena Marie on her album Passion Play (Sarai Label, 1994). Upon her death, he posted a heartfelt tribute to her saying that she had contributed so much to who he is.[90] In 1993 he appeared on Duff McKagan's debut album, Believe in Me, singing lead vocals on the song "The Majority". He has participated in numerous soundtracks, such as Reality Bites (1994), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), and Bad Boys II (2003). He contributed tracks to Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix and Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino. The 2004 album The Unplugged Collection, Volume One features a live version of "Are You Gonna Go My Way".[91] In 2008, he wrote "Change" for the Change Is Now: Renewing America's Promise compilation album. Two of Kravitz's songs are featured separately on two different albums of the Big Shiny Tunes compilation series ("Fly Away" on Big Shiny Tunes 3 and "American Woman" on Big Shiny Tunes 4). He also appeared on Michael Jackson's posthumous track "(I Can't Make It) Another Day". Kravitz co-wrote most of the self-titled 1992 album by Vanessa Paradis, which produced the worldwide hit "Be My Baby".
References
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