John Lee Hooker discography
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John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer and guitarist who recorded from 1948 to 2001. His discography includes recordings issued by various record companies in different formats.
Studio albums27
Soundtrack albums1
Live albums10
Compilation albums26+
| John Lee Hooker discography | |
|---|---|
John Lee Hooker performing with his guitar on stage while smiling, taken in 1978. | |
| Studio albums | 27 |
| Soundtrack albums | 1 |
| Live albums | 10 |
| Compilation albums | 26+ |
Hooker's music blended elements of Delta blues, talking blues and early North Mississippi hill country blues. His early recordings, like "Boogie Chillen'" (1948) and "Crawling King Snake" (1949), featured Hooker alone on electric guitar.
In February 2022, it was announced that BMG had acquired Hooker's music interests from his estate. The agreement included his entire publishing catalog in addition to his recorded and performance royalty income, as well as a selection of Hooker's recorded catalog spanning Alone, Vol. 1 (1980) through to Black Night Is Falling (2019).[1]
Studio albums
|
Title |
|
|
Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker[a] | Riverside (12-838) | 1959 | [2] |
| Travelin' | Vee-Jay (1023) | 1960 | [3] | |
| That's My Story | Riverside (12-321) | 1960 | [4] | |
| 1961 | The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker | Vee-Jay (1033) | 1960–1961 | [5] |
| 1962 | Burnin' | Vee-Jay (1043) | 1961 | [6] |
| 1963 | The Big Soul of John Lee Hooker | Vee-Jay (1058) | 1962 | [7] |
| 1964 | John Lee Hooker on Campus | Vee-Jay (1066) | 1963 | [8] |
| 1965 | ...And Seven Nights | Verve Folkways (3003) | 1965 | [9] |
| 1966 | It Serve You Right to Suffer | Impulse! (A-9103) | 1965 | [10] |
| The Real Folk Blues | Chess (1508) | 1966 | [11] | |
| 1967 | Urban Blues | BluesWay (6012) | 1967 | [12] |
| 1969 | Simply the Truth | BluesWay (6023) | 1968 | [13] |
| If You Miss 'Im...I Got 'Im | BluesWay (6038) | 1969 | [14] | |
| Get Back Home | Black & Blue (333.023) | 1969 | [15] | |
| 1971 | I Feel Good! | Carson (3662) | 1969 | [16] |
| Hooker 'n Heat | Liberty (35002) | 1970 | [17] | |
| Endless Boogie | ABC (720) | 1970 | [18] | |
| 1972 | Never Get Out of These Blues Alive | ABC (736) | 1971 | [19] |
| 1973 | Born in Mississippi, Raised Up in Tennessee | ABC (768) | 1971 | [20] |
| 1974 | Free Beer and Chicken | ABC (838) | 1974 | [21] |
| 1986 | Jealous | Pausa (7197) | 1982 | [22] |
| 1989 | The Healer | Chameleon (03323 74808 26) | 1987–1989 | [23] |
| 1991 | Mr. Lucky | Pointblank (07567 91724 26) | 1990–1991 | [24] |
| 1992 | Boom Boom | Pointblank (07777 86553 29) | 1987–1992 | [25] |
| 1995 | Chill Out | Pointblank (72438 40107 20) | 1986–1995 | [26] |
| 1997 | Don't Look Back | Pointblank (72438 42771 23) | 1996 | [27] |
| 2003 | Face to Face | Eagle Records (ER 20023-2) | 1991–2001 | [28] |
Live albums
|
Title |
|
|
Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Live at Sugar Hill | Galaxy (8205) | 1962 | [29] |
| 1964 | Concert at Newport | Vee-Jay (1078) | 1963 | [30] |
| 1966 | Live at Cafe Au Go Go | BluesWay (6002) | 1966 | [31] |
| 1972 | Live at Soledad Prison | ABC (761) | 1972 | [32] |
| 1973 | Kabuki Wuki | BluesWay (6052) | 1971 | [33] |
| 1978 | The Cream | Tomato (2-7009) | 1977 | [34] |
| 1979 | Live In 1978 | Lunar #2 Recordings (L2S-200) | 1978 | |
| 1980 | Alone, Vol. 1 | Labor Records (4) | 1976 | |
| 1994 | The Rising Sun Collection[b] | Just A Memory (RSC 0001) | 1977 | |
| 2020 | Live At Montreux 1983 & 1990 | Eagle Records (60250 895534 1) | 1983, 1990 |
Selected compilations
|
Title |
|
|
Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | House of the Blues | Chess (1438) | 1951–1954 | [35] |
| I'm John Lee Hooker | Vee-Jay (1007) | 1955–1959 | [36] | |
| 1960 | The Blues | Crown (5157) | 1948–1952 | [37] |
| John Lee Hooker Sings Blues | King (727) | 1949–1950 | [38] | |
| 1961 | John Lee Hooker Plays & Sings the Blues | Chess (1454) | 1951–1952 | [39] |
| Sings the Blues | Crown (5232) | 1948–1954 | [40] | |
| 1962 | Folk Blues | Crown (5295) | 1951–1954 | [41] |
| The Best of John Lee Hooker | Vee-Jay (1049) | 1956–1961 | [42] | |
| 1963 | Don't Turn Me from Your Door | Atco (33-151) | 1953, 1961 | [43] |
| 1964 | Is He The World's Greatest Blues Singer? | Vee-Jay (8502) | 1955–1963 | |
| The Great John Lee Hooker | Crown (5353) | 1948–1954 | [44] | |
| Burning Hell | Riverside (008) | 1959 | [45] | |
| Original Folk Blues | Kent (5025) | 1948–1954 | [46] | |
| 1969 | That's Where It's At! | Stax (2013) | 1961 | [47] |
| 1971 | Goin' Down Highway 51 | Specialty (2127) | 1948–1951 | [48] |
| 1980 | Sittin' Here Thinkin' | Muse (5205) | 1961 | [49] |
| 1989 | Boogie Chillen | Official (86 029) | 1948–1954 | [50] |
| 1990 | The Hot Spot: Original Soundtrack | Antilles (422-846 813–2) | 1990 | [51] |
| 1991 | More Real Folk Blues: The Missing Album | Chess/MCA (9329) | 1966 | [52] |
| The Ultimate Collection | Rhino (R2 70572) | 1948–1990 | [53] | |
| 1992 | The Vee Jay Years | Charly R&B (CD RED BOX 6) | 1955–1964 | [54] |
| 1993 | Everybody's Blues | Specialty (7035-2) | 1950–1954 | [55] |
| 1994 | The Legendary Modern Recordings | Ace (1438) | 1948–1954 | [56] |
| The Early Years | Tomato (9906/7-2) | 1955–1964 | [57] | |
| 1995 | Alternative Boogie: Early Studio Recordings | Capitol/EMI (72438 33912 26) | 1948–1952 | [58] |
| 1998 | The Best Of Friends[c] | Pointblank (72438 46424 26) | 1987–1998 | |
| 2017 | Whiskey & Wimmen: John Lee Hooker's Finest | Vee-Jay (VJR-00003; 088807 202058 0) | 1954–1964 | [59] |
| 2025 | The Standard School Broadcast Recordings | BMG (4099 96411189 7) | 1973 |
Albums in the charts
|
Title |
| |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | House of the Blues | — | NC | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | |||||||||
| 1971 | Hooker 'n Heat | 73 | — | – | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| Endless Boogie | 126 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| 1972 | Never Get Out of These Blues Alive | 130 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1989 | The Healer | 62 | — | 17 | 9 | 6 | 38 | 15 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 1991 | Mr. Lucky | 101 | 25 | 13 | 27 | 9 | 16 | 10 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 1992 | Boom Boom | — | — | 35 | 84 | 37 | 41 | 20 | 15 | ||||||||||
| 1995 | Chill Out | 136 | 3 | 26 | 27 | 78 | 38 | 18 | 13 | 23 | |||||||||
| 1997 | Don't Look Back | 163 | 3 | 48 | 31 | — | 18 | 35 | 39 | 63 | |||||||||
| 1998 | The Best of Friends | — | 4 | — | 31 | 45 | 15 | 54 | 44 | — | |||||||||
| 2002 | Winning Combinations: John Lee Hooker & Muddy Waters | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 2003 | Face to Face | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 2007 | Hooker (box set) | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 2015 | Two Sides of John Lee Hooker | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 2018 | Early Recordings: Detroit and Beyond | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 2020 | Live at Montreux: 1983 & 1990 | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||||||
Early singles (1948–1955)
In the 1950s, Hooker often recorded variations of his songs for different studios for an up-front fee. To evade his recording contract with Modern Records, he used various pseudonyms, including John Lee Booker (for Chess Records and Chance Records in 1951–1952), Johnny Lee (for De Luxe Records in 1953–1954), John Lee, John Lee Cooker,[69] Texas Slim, Delta John, Birmingham Sam and his Magic Guitar, Johnny Williams, and the Boogie Man.[70]
| Release year-month | Title | Label | Pseudonyms | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948-11 | "Sally May" b/w "Boogie Chillen'" | Modern | John Lee Hooker & His Guitar | A-side: The Great John Lee Hooker (1963) B-side: The Blues (1960) |
| 1948-12 | "Black Man Blues" b/w "Stomp Boogie" | King | Texas Slim | N/A |
| 1949-xx | "Grievin' Blues" b/w "Wayne County Ramblin' Blues" | Danceland | Little Pork Chops | |
| "Miss Rosie Mae" b/w "Highway Blues" | Staff | Johnny Williams and His Guitar | ||
| 1949-02 | "Helpless Blues" b/w "Goin' Mad Blues" | Regent | Delta John | |
| 1949-03 | "Low Down-Midnite Boogie" b/w "Landing Blues" | Savoy | Birmingham Sam and His Magic Guitar | |
| "Hobo Blues" b/w "Hoogie Boogie" | Modern | John Lee Hooker & His Guitar | The Blues (1960) | |
| 1949-04 | "Do the Boogie" b/w "Morning Blues" | Acorn | The Boogie Man | N/A |
| 1949-07 | "Whistlin' and Moanin' Blues" b/w "Weeping Willow Boogie" | Modern | John Lee Hooker | The Blues (1960) |
| 1949-08 | "Devil's Jump" b/w "The Numbers" | King | Texas Slim | Sings Blues (1960) |
| 1949-10 | "Crawlin' King Snake" b/w "Drifting from Door to Door" | Modern | John Lee Hooker and His Guitar | A-side: The Blues (1960) B-side: Sings The Blues (1961) |
| "I'm Gonna Kill that Woman" b/w "Nightmare Blues" | King | Texas Slim | Sings Blues (1960) | |
| 1949-11 | "Burnin' Hell" b/w "Miss Sadie Mae" | Sensation | John Lee Hooker and His Guitar | N/A |
| 1949-12 | "Canal Street Blues" b/w "Huckle Up Baby" | |||
| 1950-01 | "Playin' the Races" b/w "Howlin' Wolf" | Modern | A-side: N/A B-side: The Great John Lee Hooker (1963) | |
| "Heart Trouble Blues" b/w "Slim's Stomp" | King | Texas Slim | Sings Blues (1960) | |
| 1950-02 | "Wandering Blues" b/w "Don't Go Baby" | |||
| 1950-03 | "Let Your Daddy Ride" b/w "Goin' on Highway #51" | Sensation | John Lee Hooker and His Guitar | N/A |
| 1950-04 | "No Friend Around" b/w "Wednesday Evening" | Modern | A-side: N/A B-side: Sings The Blues (1961) | |
| 1950-05 | "Late Last Night" b/w "Don't You Remember Me" | King | Texas Slim | Sings Blues (1960) |
| "My Baby's Got Something" b/w "Decoration Day Blues" | Sensation | John Lee Hooker and His Guitar | N/A | |
| 1950-07 | "Thinking Blues" b/w "Moaning Blues" | King | Texas Slim | Sings Blues (1960) |
| "Miss Eloise" b/w "Boogie Chillen' #2" | Sensation | John Lee Hooker and His Guitar | N/A | |
| 1950-08 | "Give Me Your Phone Number" b/w "Roll 'n' Roll" | Modern | ||
| 1950-10 | "Never Satisfied" b/w "Notoriety Woman" | Regal | ||
| 1950-11 | "Wandering Blues" b/w "House Rent Boogie" | Staff | Johnny Williams and His Guitar | |
| 1950-12 | "Let Your Daddy Ride" b/w "One More Time" | Modern | John Lee Hooker and His Guitar | A-side: Sings The Blues (1961) B-side: The Great John Lee Hooker (1963) |
| "Boogie Now" b/w "Mad Man Blues" | Gone | John Lee Booker | Plays & Sings The Blues (1961) | |
| 1951-xx | "Prison Bound" b/w "Bumble Bee Blues" | Staff | Johnny Williams | N/A |
| 1951-03 | "John L's House Rent Boogie" b/w "Queen Bee" | Modern | John Lee Hooker | The Blues (1960) |
| "Questionnaire Blues" b/w "Real Gone Gal" | Gotham | Johnny Williams | N/A | |
| 1951-05 | "Tease Me Baby" b/w "Women in My Life" | Modern | John Lee Hooker | A-side: The Great John Lee Hooker (1963) B-side: N/A |
| 1951-08 | "Leave My Wife Alone" b/w "Ramblin' by Myself" | Chess | John Lee Booker | House Of The Blues (1959) |
| 1951-09 | "I'm in the Mood" b/w "How Can You Do It" | Modern | John Lee Hooker | A-side: The Blues (1960) B-side: The Great John Lee Hooker (1963) |
| 1951-10 | "Louise" b/w "Ground Hog Blues" | Chess | John Lee Booker | House Of The Blues (1959) |
| 1951-11 | "Miss Lorraine" b/w "Talkin' Boogie" | Chance | John Lee Booker and His Guitar | N/A |
| 1951-12 | "Turn Over a New Leaf (1952 Blues)" b/w "Anybody Seen My Baby" | Modern | John Lee Hooker | A-side: Sings The Blues (1961) B-side: The Blues (1960) |
| 1952-xx | "Little Boy Blue" b/w "My Daddy Was a Jockey" | Gotham | Johnny Williams | N/A |
| 1952-01 | "I Love to Boogie" b/w "Graveyard Blues" | Chance | John Lee Booker and His Guitar | |
| 1952-03 | "Mean Old Train" b/w "Catfish" | Gotham | John Lee | |
| "Cold Chills All Over Me" b/w "Rock Me Mama" | Modern | John Lee Hooker | A-side: The Blues (1960) B-side: Sings The Blues (1961) | |
| 1952-04 | "High Priced Woman" b/w "Union Station Blues" | Chess | House Of The Blues (1959) | |
| 1952-05 | "Walkin' the Boogie" b/w "Sugar Mama" | |||
| 1952-06 | "609 Boogie" b/w "Road Trouble" | Chance | John L. Booker and His Guitar | N/A |
| 1952-07 | "It Hurts Me So" b/w "I Got Eyes for You" | Modern | John Lee Hooker and "Little" Eddie Kirkland | The Great John Lee Hooker (1963) |
| 1952-10 | "Bluebird Blues" b/w "Key to the Highway" | John Lee Hooker | A-side: N/A B-side: The Great John Lee Hooker (1963) | |
| 1953-xx | "No More Doggin'" b/w "Boogie Rambler" | JVB | Johnny Lee Hooker | N/A |
| 1953-01 | "Rock House Boogie" b/w "It's Been a Long Time Baby" | Modern | John Lee Hooker | A-side: Folk Blues (1962) B-side: N/A |
| 1953-05 | "It's Stormin' and Rainin'" b/w "Ride 'Till I Die" | N/A | ||
| 1953-07 | "Love Money Can't Buy" b/w "Please Take Me Back" | |||
| 1953-09 | "Blue Monday" b/w "Lovin' Guitar Man" | DeLuxe | John Lee Booker | A-side: N/A B-side: Don't Turn Me From Your Door (1963) |
| 1953-10 | "Too Much Boogie" b/w "Need Somebody" | Modern | John Lee Hooker | N/A |
| "I Came to See You Baby" b/w "I'm a Boogie Man" | DeLuxe | Johnny Lee | ||
| 1954-01 | "Pouring Down Rain" b/w "Stuttering Blues" | DeLuxe | John Lee Booker | A-side: N/A B-side: Don't Turn Me From Your Door (1963) |
| 1954-02 | "Down Child" b/w "Gotta Boogie" | Modern | John Lee Hooker | Folk Blues (1962) |
| 1954-03 | "It's My Own Fault" b/w "Women and Money" | Chess | House Of The Blues (1959) | |
| "My Baby Don't Love Me" b/w "Real, Real Gone" | DeLuxe | John Lee Booker | Don't Turn Me From Your Door (1963) | |
| 1954-05 | "I Wonder Little Darling" b/w "Jump Me (One More Time)" | Modern | John Lee Hooker | N/A |
| 1954-07 | "I Tried Hard" b/w "Let's Talk it Over" | A-side: N/A B-side: Folk Blues (1962) | ||
| 1954-08 | "Everybody's Blues" b/w "I'm Mad" | Specialty | N/A | |
| 1954-10 | "Cool Little Car" b/w "Bad Boy" | Modern | A-side: N/A B-side: Folk Blues (1962) | |
| 1955-01 | "Half a Stranger" b/w "Shake, Holler and Run" | Folk Blues (1962) | ||
| 1955-05 | "You Receive Me" b/w "Taxi Driver" | N/A | ||
| 1955-08 | "Hug and Squeeze" b/w "The Syndicator" | Sings The Blues (1961) | ||
| 1955-10 | "Lookin' for a Woman" b/w "I'm Ready" | A-side: Folk Blues (1962) B-side: N/A |
Singles in the charts
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | "Boogie Chillen'" | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1949 | "Hobo Blues" | 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Hoogie Boogie" | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Crawlin' King Snake" | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1950 | "Huckle Up, Baby" | 15 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1951 | "I'm in the Mood" | 1 | 30 | — | — | — | — |
| 1958 | "I Love You Honey" | 29 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | "No Shoes" | 21 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1962 | "Boom Boom" | 16 | 60 | — | — | — | — |
| 1964 | "Dimples" | — | — | 23 | — | — | — |
| 1990 | "The Healer" (with Carlos Santana) | — | — | — | 9 | 12 | 23 |
| "I'm in the Mood" (with Bonnie Raitt) | — | — | 14 | 22 | — | — | |
| 1992 | "Boom Boom" | — | — | 16 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | "Boogie at Russian Hill" | — | — | 53 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | "Chill Out (Things Gonna Change)" | — | — | 45 | — | — | — |
| 1996 | "Baby Lee" (with Robert Cray, from Lee TV commercial) | — | — | 65 | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||