Sparks discography
Catalog of published recordings by Sparks From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a comprehensive discography of Sparks, an American rock and pop music band formed in Los Angeles in 1970 by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals), initially under the name Halfnelson. Best known for their quirky approach to songwriting,[1] Sparks' music is often accompanied by cutting and acerbic lyrics,[2] and an idiosyncratic stage presence, typified in the contrast between Russell's wide-eyed hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's sedentary scowling.[3]
| Sparks discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 26 |
| Soundtrack albums | 2 |
| Live albums | 1 |
| Compilation albums | 12 |
| Singles | 79 |
| Video albums | 4 |
| Music videos | 44 |
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [4] |
AUS [5] |
CAN [6] |
FRA [7] |
GER [8] |
NLD [9] |
NOR [10] |
SCO | SWE [11] |
UK [12] | |||
| Halfnelson (as Halfnelson) |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Kimono My House |
|
101 | 22 | 58 | – | – | 10 | – | – | – | 4 | |
| Propaganda |
|
63 | 75 | 81 | – | 49 | – | 16 | – | 50 | 9 |
|
| Indiscreet |
|
169 | – | 86 | – | – | 19 | 18 | – | 6 | 18 | |
| Big Beat |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | – | |
| Introducing Sparks |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 41 | – | |
| No. 1 in Heaven | – | 63 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 43 | 73 | ||
| Terminal Jive |
|
– | 96 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Whomp That Sucker |
|
182 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Angst in My Pants |
|
173 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| In Outer Space |
|
88 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Music That You Can Dance To |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Interior Design |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins |
|
– | – | – | – | 29 [16] |
– | – | 45 [17] |
– | 150 [18] |
|
| Plagiarism |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Balls |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | 22 [19] |
– | – | |
| Lil' Beethoven |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | 13 [19] |
– | – | |
| Hello Young Lovers |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | 49 [19] |
48 | 66 | |
| Exotic Creatures of the Deep |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | 28 [20] |
– | 54 | |
| The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | 17 [20] |
– | – | |
| FFS (as FFS) | – | 85 [22] |
– | 27 | 22 | 13 | – | 8 [23] |
– | 17 | ||
| Hippopotamus |
|
– | – | – | 108 | 88 | 38 | – | 7 [24] |
45 | 7 | |
| A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip |
|
75 | – | 32 | 159 | 24 | 88 | – | 2 [26] |
– | 7 | |
| The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte |
|
– | – | – | 128 [28] |
37 | – | – | 2 [29] |
– | 7 | |
| Annette - An Opera by Sparks (The Original 2013 Recordings) |
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| MAD! |
|
|||||||||||
Live albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Two Hands, One Mouth: Live in Europe |
|
Soundtrack albums
Compilation albums
- 2 Originals of Sparks (1975, Bearsville) - Double LP set consisting of Halfnelson and A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing
- The Best of Sparks (1978, Island Records)
- The History of the Sparks (1981, Carrere)
- Mael Intuition (The Best of the Sparks 1974-76) (1990, Island)
- Profile: The Ultimate Sparks Collection (1991, Rhino)
- The Heaven Collection (1993, Underdog/Sony France)
- The Hell Collection (1993, Underdog/Sony France)
- In the Swing (1993, Spectrum/Karussell)
- The 12 Inch Mixes (1996, Kiosk)
- 12" Mixes (1999, Oglio Records)
- The Best of Sparks (2000, Repertoire Records)
- This Album's Big Enough… The Best of Sparks (2002, Music Club)
- Shortcuts – The 7inch Mixes (1979-1984) (2012, Repertoire Records)
- Extended – The 12inch Mixes (1979-1984) (2012, Repertoire Records)
- Real Extended: The 12 inch Mixes (1979 - 1984) (2012, Repertoire Records) Improved and Corrected Version of above
- New Music for Amnesiacs: The Essential Collection (2013, Lil Beethoven Records)
- The Best & The Rest Of The Island Years 74-78 (2018, Island Records, 2 (Limited Edition, Remastered, Red Translucent) Vinyle LP)
- Past Tense – The Best of Sparks (2019, BMG Rights Management UK) SC #23,[33] UK #73[12]
Singles
1970s
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS [5] |
BEL (FL) [31] |
BEL (WA) [31] |
GER [34] |
IRE [35] |
NLD [36] |
SWI [37] |
UK [12][18] | |||
| 1972 | "Wonder Girl" | 112 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Sparks |
| 1974 | "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" | – | 69 | 4 | 3 | 12 | – | 4 | 7 | 2 | Kimono My House |
| "Girl from Germany" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 51[A] | A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing | |
| "Amateur Hour" | – | – | 22 | 36 | 12 | 19 | 6 | – | 7 | Kimono My House | |
| "Talent Is An Asset" (US and New Zealand only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" | – | – | – | 48 | 40 | – | – | – | 13 | Propaganda | |
| "Propaganda/At Home, At Work, At Play" (FR only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1975 | "Something for the Girl with Everything" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 17 | |
| "Achoo" (US only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Get in the Swing" | – | – | – | 38 | – | – | – | – | 27 | Indiscreet | |
| "Looks, Looks, Looks" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 26 | ||
| 1976 | "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | — |
| "Big Boy" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Big Beat | |
| "I Like Girls" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1977 | "Over the Summer" (US only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Introducing Sparks |
| "A Big Surprise" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1979 | "La Dolce Vita" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | No. 1 In Heaven |
| "The Number One Song in Heaven" | – | 85 | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | 14 | ||
| "Beat the Clock" | – | – | 10 | – | – | – | 16 | – | 10 | ||
| "Tryouts for the Human Race" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 45 | ||
1980s
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 [38] |
US D-P [38][39] |
US D-S [38] |
AUS [5] |
FRA [7] |
UK [12][18] | |||
| 1980 | "When I'm with You" | – | – | – | 17 | 1 | – | Terminal Jive |
| "Young Girls" | – | – | – | – | – | –[B] | ||
| 1981 | "Tips for Teens" | – | – | – | – | – | –[C] | Whomp That Sucker |
| "Funny Face" | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1982 | "I Predict" | 60 | – | – | – | – | – | Angst in My Pants |
| "Angst in My Pants" (DE only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Eaten by the Monster of Love" (US only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Modesty Plays" | – | – | – | – | – | – | — | |
| 1983 | "Get Crazy"/"Hot Shot" (Malcolm McDowell) (Split single) | – | – | – | – | – | – | Get Crazy (OST) |
| "Cool Places" (with Jane Wiedlin) | 49 | 13 | – | – | – | – | In Outer Space | |
| "All You Ever Think About is Sex" (US only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Please Baby, Please" (FR only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1984 | "With All My Might" | 104 | 28 | – | – | – | – | Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat |
| "Progress" (US 12" only) | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| "Pretending to be Drunk"/"Kiss Me Quick" | – | 60 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1985 | "Give It Up" (Evelyn "Champagne" King)/"Armies of the Night" (Split single) | – | – | – | – | – | – | Music That You Can Dance To |
| "Change" | – | – | – | – | – | 85 | ||
| 1986 | "Music That You Can Dance To" | – | 6 | 11 | – | – | – | |
| "Fingertips/The Scene" (US 12" only) | – | 38 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1987 | "Rosebud" (UK only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1988 | "So Important" | – | 8 | – | – | – | – | Interior Design |
| 1989 | "Madonna" (FR only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "Just Got Back from Heaven" | – | 7 | 24 | – | – | – | ||
| "Singing in the Shower" (Les Rita Mitsouko and Sparks) | – | 24 | – | – | 37 | – | Marc & Robert | |
1990s
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US D-P [38] |
AUS [42] |
BEL (FL) [31] |
BEL (WA) [31] |
GER [34] |
NLD [36] |
SCO | SWI [37] |
UK [12][18] | |||
| 1993 | "National Crime Awareness Week" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | — |
| 1994 | "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" | 9 | – | 16 | 12 | 7 | 35 | 41 | 22 | 38 | Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins |
| 1995 | "When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)" | 24 | – | – | – | 61 | – | 38 | – | 36 | |
| "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" (UK re-issue) | – | – | – | – | – | – | 35 | – | 32 | ||
| "Now That I Own the BBC" | – | – | – | – | 81 | – | 53 | – | 60 | ||
| 1997 | "The Number One Song in Heaven" | 28 | – | – | – | – | – | 54 | – | 70 | Plagiarism |
| "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" (with Faith No More) | – | 69 | – | – | – | – | 39 | – | 40 | ||
| 1999 | "More Than a Sex Machine" (DE only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Balls |
2000s
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US D-P [38] |
AUS [43] |
BEL (FL) [31] |
BEL (WA) [31] |
GER [34] |
NLD [36] |
SCO | SWI [37] |
UK [12][18] | |||
| 2000 | "The Calm Before the Storm" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Balls |
| "The Angels" (DE only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2003 | "Suburban Homeboy" (UK only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 142 | Lil' Beethoven |
| 2006 | "Perfume" (UK only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 | – | 80 | Hello Young Lovers |
| "Dick Around/Waterproof" | – | – | – | – | – | – | 67 | – | 139 | ||
| 2008 | "Good Morning" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 147 | Exotic Creatures of the Deep |
| 2009 | "Lighten Up, Morrissey" (UK only) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
2010s
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US D-P [38] |
AUS [44] |
BEL (FL) [31] |
BEL (WA) [31] |
GER [34] |
NLD [36] |
SCO | SWI [37] |
UK [12][18] | |||
| 2015 | "Johnny Delusional" | – | – | 90 | – | – | – | – | – | – | FFS |
| "Call Girl" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Police Encounters" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Christmas Without a Prayer" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album single | |
| 2017 | "Hippopotamus" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Hippopotamus |
| "What The Hell Is It This Time?" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "I Wish You Were Fun" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2018 | "You Earned The Right To Be A Dick" (Hippopotamus shaped disc) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Record Store Day exclusive single |
| 2019 | "Please Don't Fuck Up My World" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip |
2020s
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US D-P [38] |
AUS [45] |
BEL (FL) [31] |
BEL (WA) [31] |
GER [34] |
NLD [36] |
SCO | SWI [37] |
UK [12][18] | |||
| 2020 | "Self-Effacing" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip |
| "I'm Toast" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "One for the Ages" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Lawnmower" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2021 | "Your Fandango" (with Todd Rundgren) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Space Force |
| 2023 | "The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte" | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte |
| "Veronica Lake" | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| "Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is" | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2024 | "Don't Go Away" (with Max Richter) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Spaceman (OST) |
| 2025 | "Do Things My Own Way" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | MAD! (Announced) |
| "JanSport Backpack" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Drowned In A Sea Of Tears" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
Collaborations and contributions
- 1979 - produced and wrote an album called Is There More to Life Than Dancing? for singer Noël.
- 1979 - produced the album Pas Dormir for a French band Bijou.
- 1979 - produced the single "C’est Sheep" by Adrian Munsey.
- 1981 - wrote the lyrics for the album Sex by Telex.
- 1981 - Russell Mael contributed backing vocals for the album Pleasant Dreams by The Ramones
- 1982 - worked with Lio on her album Suite Sixtine, which was a compilation of French rarities and English versions (translated by Sparks) of tracks from her first album.
- 1984 - co-wrote a song called "Yes or No" for The Go-Go's album Talk Show.
- 1987 - Russell Mael provided backing vocals for Salon Music for This Is Salon Music.
- 1988 - "In My Life" and "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" with Salon Music for O Boy.
- 1988 - "Singing in the Shower", "Live in Las Vegas" and "Hip Kit" with Les Rita Mitsouko from Marc et Robert.
- 2001 - "Kimono" with Pizzicato Five from Çà et là du Japon.
- 2001 - "La nuit est là" and "Yo quiero màs dinero" with Grand Popo Football Club from Shampoo Victims.
- 2003 - "We Are The Clash", a cover for Uncut magazine's The Clash tribute CDs "White Riot"
- 2004 - "Acid Pants" with Orbital from Blue Album.
- 2005 - remixed Morrissey's song, "Suedehead", for the compilation Future Retro
- 2010 - remixed the song "Give Me Something" by Yoko Ono
- 2011 - remixed the song "A Happy Place" by Katie Melua as Sparks Vs Katie Melua
- 2012 - produced Gemma Ray's cover versions of Sparks songs "How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall" and "Eaten by the Monster of Love"
- 2021 - recorded "Your Fandango" with Todd Rundgren
Soundtrack appearances
- Rollercoaster (1977) - "Big Boy" and "Fill 'Er Up"
- Valley Girl (1983) - "Angst in My Pants" and "Eaten by the Monster of Love"
- Get Crazy (1983) - "Get Crazy"
- Where the Boys Are '84 (1984) - "Mini-Skirted"
- Heavenly Bodies (1984) - "Breaking Out of Prison"
- Bad Manners (aka Growing Pains) (1984) - "Growing Pains", "Motorcycle Midget", "What You're Wearing" (with Laurie Bell) and "Growing Pains (Reprise)"
- Fright Night (1985) - "The Armies of the Night"
- Rad (1986) - "Music That You Can Dance To"
- Black Rain (1989) - "Singing in the Shower"
- Unlawful Entry (1992) - "National Crime Awareness Week"
- Knock Off (1998) - Original Musical Score and "It's a Knockoff"
- Boarding Gate - "The Number One Song in Heaven"
- Rendition - "Camel Jam" and "Nous-Nous"
- Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009) - "Eaten by the Monster of Love"
- Kick Ass (2010) - "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us"
- Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013) - "The Number One Song in Heaven"
- The Overnight (2015) - "Tryouts for the Human Race"
- Master of None - "Tryouts for the Human Race"
- A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018) - "Beat the Clock"
- Yellowjackets (2023) - "Angst In My Pants"
- Spaceman (2024) - "Don't Go Away" with Max Richter
- Sign Here (Firma aquí) (2024) - "All That"
- The Decameron (2024) - "All You Ever Think About Is Sex"
Video
- Amateur Hour (V-CD, 1995)
- Live in London (2003)
- Lil' Beethoven - Live In Stockholm (2004)
- DEE VEE DEE - Live at the London Forum (2007)
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" | |
| 1977 | "Occupation" | |
| 1979 | "The Number One Song in Heaven" | Bruce Gowers[46] |
| "Beat the Clock" | Brian Grant[46] | |
| "La Dolce Vita" | Bruce Gowers[46] | |
| "Tryouts for the Human Race" | Brian Grant[46] | |
| 1980 | "When I'm with You" | Brian Grant[46] |
| "Stereo" | Brian Grant[46] | |
| 1981 | "Tips for Teens" | |
| "Funny Face" | Sam Peckinpah[citation needed] | |
| 1982 | "I Predict" | Steve and Doug Martin |
| 1983 | "Minnie Mouse" | The Walt Disney Company |
| "Cool Places" | Graeme Whifler[47] | |
| "All You Ever Think About Is Sex" | Pat Warner | |
| 1984 | "With All My Might" | Graeme Whifler |
| 1986 | "Music That You Can Dance To" | Ron & Russell Mael |
| 1988 | "So Important" | Ron & Russell Mael |
| 1989 | "Singing in the Shower" | |
| 1993 | "National Crime Awareness Week" | Finitribe |
| 1994 | "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" | Sophie Muller[46] |
| 1995 | "When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)" | Sophie Muller[46] |
| "Now That I Own the BBC" | Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas | |
| 1997 | "No. 1 Song In Heaven (Plagiarism) " | Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas |
| 2000 | "The Calm Before the Storm" | Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas |
| 2003 | "The Rhythm Thief" | Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas |
| "I Married Myself" | Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas | |
| 2004 | "My Baby's Taking Me Home" | Shaw Petronio[46] |
| 2006 | "Perfume" | Shaw Petronio |
| "Dick Around" | Shaw Petronio | |
| 2009 | "Lighten Up Morrissey" | Shaw Petronio |
| 2015 | "Christmas Without A Prayer" | |
| 2017 | "Hippopotamus" | Scott Peters |
| "What The Hell Is It This Time?" | Galen Johnson and Evan Johnson | |
| "Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)" | Joseph Wallace | |
| 2020 | "One For The Ages" | Chintis Lundgren |
| "Lawnmower" | Ron & Russell Mael | |
| "The Existential Threat" | Cyriak Harris | |
| "iPhone" | ||
| 2021 | "Left Out In The Cold" | |
| "Your Fandango" | Liisa Vääriskoski | |
| "So May We Start" | Leos Carax | |
| 2023 | "The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte" | Richie Starzec, Ron & Russell Mael |
| "Escalator" | Paul Trewartha, Ron & Russell Mael | |
| 2025 | "Do Things My Own Way" | Ambar Navarro |
| "Drowned In A Sea Of Tears" | Ambar Navarro |
Notes
- This single did not enter the UK Singles Chart, but did reach number 93 on the Record Business Singles Chart.[40]
- This single did not enter the UK Singles Chart, but did reach number 93 on the Record Business Singles Top 100 chart.[41]
References
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