Kool & the Gang discography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article presents the discography of American band Kool & the Gang.
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Studio albums26
Live albums4
Compilation albums21
Singles76
| Kool & the Gang discography | |
|---|---|
| |
| Studio albums | 26 |
| Live albums | 4 |
| Compilation albums | 21 |
| Singles | 76 |
| Music videos | 25 |
Albums
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
Record label | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] |
US R&B [2] |
US Jazz [3] |
AUS [4] |
CAN [5] |
GER [6] |
NLD [7] |
NZ [8] |
UK Pop [9] |
UK R&B [10] | |||||
| 1969 | Kool and the Gang | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | De-Lite | ||
| 1972 | Music Is the Message | — | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Good Times | 142 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1973 | Wild and Peaceful | 33 | 6 | — | — | 53 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| 1974 | Light of Worlds | 63 | 16 | — | — | 93 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| 1975 | Spirit of the Boogie | 48 | 5 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1976 | Love & Understanding | 68 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Open Sesame | 110 | 9 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1977 | The Force | 142 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1978 | Everybody's Dancin' | — | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1979 | Ladies' Night | 13 | 1 | — | — | 56 | — | 43 | — | — | — |
| ||
| 1980 | Celebrate! | 10 | 2 | — | 72 | 7 | — | 13 | 20 | — | — | |||
| 1981 | Something Special | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 28 | 13 | 10 | — | |||
| 1982 | As One | 29 | 5 | — | — | — | 25 | — | 41 | 49 | — |
| ||
| 1983 | In the Heart | 29 | 5 | — | — | — | 19 | 17 | 32 | 18 | — | |||
| 1984 | Emergency | 13 | 3 | — | 45 | 24 | 26 | 13 | 41 | 47 | — | |||
| 1986 | Forever | 25 | 9 | — | 71 | 75 | 14 | — | 49 | — | — | Mercury | ||
| 1989 | Sweat | — | 52 | — | 103[14] | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1992 | Unite | — | — | — | — | — | 94 | — | — | — | — | JRS | ||
| 1996 | State of Affairs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Curb | ||
| 2001 | Gangland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Eagle Music | ||
| 2004 | The Hits: Reloaded | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | 56 | 21 | Virgin/EMI | ||
| 2007 | Still Kool | — | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
New Door | |
| 2013 | Kool for the Holidays | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ATO | ||
| 2021 | Perfect Union | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Omnivore | ||
| 2023 | People Just Wanna Have Fun | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Live albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Record label | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [1] |
US R&B [2] | |||||||||||||
| 1971 | Live at the Sex Machine | 122 | 6 | De-Lite | ||||||||||
| 1971 | Live at PJ's | 171 | 24 | |||||||||||
| 1998 | Greatest Hits Live | — | — | Rhino | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
Record label | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [1] |
US R&B [2] |
US Jazz [3] |
GER [6] |
NLD [7] |
UK [9] | |||||||||
| 1971 | The Best of Kool and the Gang | 157 | 32 | — | — | — | — | De-Lite | ||||||
| 1974 | Kool Jazz | 187 | 26 | 14 | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1975 | Kool & the Gang Greatest Hits! | 81 | 21 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1977 | Hollywood Swinging/Summer Madness | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1978 | Kool & the Gang Spin Their Top Hits | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1983 | Twice as Kool: The Hits of Kool & the Gang | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
| ||||||
| 1984 | The Very Best of Kool & the Gang: Let's Go Dancing | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | Disques Vogue | ||||||
| 1988 | Everything's Kool & the Gang: Greatest Hits & More | 109 | 58 | — | 17 | 73 | — | Mercury | ||||||
| The Singles Collection | — | — | — | — | — | 28 |
|
De-Lite | ||||||
| 1990 | The Very Best of Kool & the Gang | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | Arcade | ||||||
| Kool Love | — | — | — | — | — | 50 | Telstar | |||||||
| 1993 | The Best of Kool & the Gang: 1969–1976 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Mercury | ||||||
| 1994 | Celebration: The Best of Kool & the Gang: 1979–1987 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||||||
| Anthology | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| |||||||
| 1999 | The Very Best of Kool & the Gang | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 12" Collection & More | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 2000 | The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kool & the Gang | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 2002 | Kool Funk Essentials | — | — | — | — | — | — | Charly | ||||||
| 2005 | Gold | — | — | — | — | — | — | Mercury | ||||||
| 2011 | Icons | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 2025 | Greatest Hits | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [16] |
US R&B [17] |
US Dan [18] |
AUS [4][14] |
CAN [5] |
GER [6] |
IRE [19] |
NLD [7] |
NZ [8] |
UK [9] | ||||||
| 1969 | "Kool and the Gang" | 59 | 19 | — | — | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | Kool and the Gang | |||
| "The Gang's Back Again" (A-side) | 85 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Kool's Back Again" (B-side) | — | 37 | — | — | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Let the Music Take Your Mind" | 78 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1970 | |||||||||||||||
| "Kool It (Here Comes the Fuzz)" / "Can't Stop (Doing It To You)" (non-album B-side) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Live at the Sex Machine | ||||
| "Funky Man" | 87 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1971 | "Who's Gonna Take the Weight (Part One)" | 113 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "I Want to Take You Higher" | 105 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "N.T. Part I" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Live at PJ's | ||||
| 1972 | "Love the Life You Live, Part I" | 107 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Music Is the Message | |||
| "Music Is the Message (Part 1)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Funky Granny" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Good Times" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Good Times | ||||
| 1973 | "Country Junky" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Funky Stuff" | 29 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 57[A] | Wild and Peaceful | ||||
| "Jungle Boogie" | 4 | 2 | — | — | 29 | 45 | — | — | — | 53[A] |
| ||||
| 1974 | "Hollywood Swinging" | 6 | 1 | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — |
| |||
| "Higher Plane" | 37 | 1 | — | — | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | Light of Worlds | ||||
| "Rhyme Tyme People" | 63 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1975 | "Spirit of the Boogie" (A-side) | 35 | 1 | — | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | 58[A] | Spirit of the Boogie | |||
| "Summer Madness" (B-side) | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||||||
| "Caribbean Festival" | 55 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1976 | "Love and Understanding (Come Together)" | 77 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Love & Understanding | |||
| "Universal Sound" | 101 | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Open Sesame – Part 1" | 55 | 6 | 13 | — | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | Open Sesame | ||||
| 1977 | "Super Band" | 101 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 52[A] | ||||
| 1978 | "Slick Superchick" | 102 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Force | |||
| "A Place in Space" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "I Like Music" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Everybody's Dancin' | ||||
| "Everybody's Dancin'" | — | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1979 | "Ladies' Night" | 8 | 1 | 5 | — | 4 | 18 | — | 12 | — | 9 |
|
Ladies' Night | ||
| "Too Hot" | 5 | 3 | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | 23 |
| ||||
| 1980 | "Hangin' Out" | 103 | 36 | — | — | — | 53 | — | 80 | — | 52 | ||||
| "Celebration" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 1 | 17 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 7 | Celebrate! | ||||
| 1981 | "Take It to the Top" | — | 11 | 1 | — | 63 | 63 | — | — | — | 15 | ||||
| "Jones vs. Jones" | 39 | 33 | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | 17 | |||||
| "Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)" | 17 | 1 | 16 | — | — | 39 | 27 | — | 41 | 29 | Something Special | ||||
| "Steppin' Out" | 89 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 12 | ||||||
| "Get Down on It" | 10 | 4 | — | 74 | 11 | 43 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 1982 | "Big Fun" | 21 | 6 | — | — | — | 40 | 16 | 30 | 40 | 14 | As One | |||
| "Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh La, La, La)" | 30 | 7 | — | — | — | 49 | 8 | 14 | 34 | 6 | |||||
| "Hi De Hi, Hi De Ho" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | — | 29 | 29 | |||||
| 1983 | "Street Kids" | — | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Straight Ahead" | 103 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | 15 | In the Heart | ||||
| "Joanna" | 2 | 1 | — | 45 | 15 | 18 | 4 | 35 | 7 | 2 | |||||
| 1984 | "Tonight" | 13 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 48 | — | |||||
| "(When You Say You Love Somebody) In the Heart" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | — | 7 | 7 | |||||
| "Misled" | 10 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 32 | 46 | — | — | — | 28 | Emergency | ||||
| "Fresh" | 9 | 1 | 1 | — | 10 | 26 | 19 | 27 | — | 11 | |||||
| 1985 | "Cherish" | 2 | 1 | — | 8 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | — | 4 | ||||
| "Emergency" | 18 | 7 | 41 | — | 63 | 56 | 26 | 48 | — | 50 | |||||
| 1986 | "Victory" | 10 | 2 | 35 | 89 | 36 | 11 | 17 | 44 | 22 | 30 | Forever | |||
| 1987 | "Stone Love" | 10 | 4 | 41 | 94 | 69 | 18 | 29 | 13 | — | 45 | ||||
| "Holiday" | 66 | 9 | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Special Way" | 72 | 24 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Peace Maker" | — | 78 | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1988 | "Rags to Riches" | — | 38 | — | — | — | 26 | 93 | — | — | — | Everything's Kool & the Gang (Greatest Hits & More) | |||
| "Strong" | — | 53 | — | — | — | 61 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Celebration" (remix) | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | — | — | 56 | — | |||||
| 1989 | "Raindrops" | — | 27 | — | — | — | 42 | — | — | — | — | Sweat | |||
| "Never Give Up" / "Amor Amore" (non-album B-side) | — | 74 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1992 | "Unite" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 52 | — | — | Unite | |||
| 1996 | "In the Hood" | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 148 | State of Affairs | |||
| "Salute to the Ladies" | — | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2003 | "Ladies Night" (with Atomic Kitten) | — | — | — | 39 | — | 33 | 14 | 16 | — | — | Ladies Night / The Hits: Reloaded | |||
| 2004 | "Fresh" (with Liberty X) | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | Being Somebody / The Hits: Reloaded | |||
| "Too Hot" (with Lisa Stansfield) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Hits: Reloaded | ||||
| "Get Down on It" (with Blue and Lil' Kim) | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | — | 96 | — | — | Best of Blue / The Hits: Reloaded | ||||
| 2005 | "Hollywood Swinging" (with Jamiroquai) | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Hits: Reloaded | |||
| "No Show" (featuring Blackstreet) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2006 | "Steppin' into Love" | — | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Still Kool | |||
| 2010 | "Miss Lead" (featuring Towanna) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album | |||
| 2016 | "Sexy (Where'd You Get Yours)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Perfect Union | |||
| 2021 | "Pursuit of Happiness" (rap version) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2022 | "Let's Party" (with Sha Sha Jones) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | People Just Wanna Have Fun | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Ladies' Night" | Unknown | Ladies' Night |
| 1980 | "Celebration" | James Herbert | Celebrate! |
| "Love Festival" | Unknown | ||
| 1981 | "Jones vs. Jones" | ||
| "Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)" | Denis DeValance | Something Special | |
| "Steppin' Out" | |||
| "Get Down on It" | |||
| 1982 | "No Show" | ||
| "Big Fun" | As One | ||
| "Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh La, La, La)" | |||
| "Hi De Hi, Hi De Ho" | |||
| 1983 | "Straight Ahead" | Nigel Dick | In the Heart |
| "Joanna" | Joe Clarke | ||
| 1984 | "Tonight" | Jay Dubin | |
| "Fresh" | David Mallet | Emergency | |
| "Misled" | Felix R. Limardo | ||
| 1985 | "Cherish" | Bill Mason | |
| "Stone Love" | John Dahl | Forever | |
| 1986 | "Victory" | ||
| 1987 | "Emergency" | Emergency | |
| 1988 | "Rags to Riches" | Unknown | Everything's Kool & the Gang (Greatest Hits & More) |
| "Strong" | John Lloyd Miller | ||
| 2004 | "Ladies' Night" (with Spanner Banner and Sean Paul) | Bill Schacht | The Hits: Reloaded |
| "Fresh" (with Liberty X) | Franck Percher | ||
| 2022 | "Let's Party" (with Sha Sha Jones) | Zane | People Just Wanna Have Fun |
Notes
- Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".