George Michael Discography
Michael's debut solo album, Faith, was released by Columbia Records in the United States and sibling label Epic Records in the United Kingdom in October 1987. It included the singles "I Want Your Sex", "Faith" (the Billboard Hot 100 year-end number-one single of 1988 in the United States), "Father Figure", "One More Try", "Monkey" and "Kissing a Fool". The album peaked at number one in the UK Albums Chart, and was certified 4× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It also peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was certified Diamond for sales of over 10 million copies. Also in 1987, Michael collaborated with Aretha Franklin on the UK and US number one single "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". In September 1990, Michael released his second album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, which peaked at number one in the UK, number two in the US, and was certified 4× Platinum by the BPI. The album spawned the singles; "Praying for Time", "Waiting for That Day", "Freedom! '90", "Heal the Pain" and "Cowboys and Angels".
In December 1991, Michael released "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", a duet with Elton John; it reached number one in the UK and US. In 1992, Michael recorded "Too Funky", for the charity project Red Hot + Dance; the song reached number four in the UK and number ten in the US. In 1993, Michael released his version of "Somebody to Love", which was performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert with Queen. It debuted at number one in the UK and was certified Gold. In early 1996, Michael released "Jesus to a Child", a UK number-one single. The follow-up "Fastlove", also peaked at number one in the UK. Following "Fastlove", the album Older was released, in May 1996. Other singles from the album included "Spinning the Wheel", "Star People '97" and the double A-sides "Older" / "I Can't Make You Love Me" and "You Have Been Loved" / "The Strangest Thing '97". All of these reached the UK top three. Michael released his first greatest hits collection, Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael, in November 1998; it contained the new songs "Outside" and "As", a duet with Mary J. Blige. The album was Michael's most successful in the UK, reaching number one and it was certified 8× Platinum.
Michael's fourth solo album, Songs from the Last Century, was released in December 1999 and included cover versions of popular songs. His next album, Patience, was released in March 2004 and peaked at number one in the UK. Twenty Five, released in 2006, was Michael's second greatest hits album, celebrating the 25th anniversary of his music career. It debuted at number one in the UK. The album contains songs mainly from Michael's solo career and two new songs: "An Easier Affair" and "This Is Not Real Love" (a duet with Mutya Buena, then a member of the Sugababes, and now a member of Mutya Keisha Siobhan). In December 2008, Michael released a new track "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)" on his website for free. The following year, "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)" was officially released as a commercial single. This was followed by "True Faith" (which was a UK top 30 and Irish top 40 hit, and an extensive re-working of the New Order song); and "You and I", another charity single. His next single was "White Light", and it was a commercial success, reaching number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. The song has also charted in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
AUS |
AUT |
FRA |
GER |
IRE |
NLD |
SWE |
SWI |
US | ||||
| Faith | 1 | 3 | 3 | 52 | 3 | 52 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
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| Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 |
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1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
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| Older |
|
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
|
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| Songs from the Last Century |
|
2 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 157 |
|
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| Patience |
|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
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Compilation and live albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
AUS |
AUT |
GER |
IRE |
NLD |
SWE |
SWI |
US | |||||
| Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael |
|
1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 24 |
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| |
| Twenty Five |
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1 | 9 | 19 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 12 |
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| Symphonica |
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1 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | — | 6 | 60 |
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| |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Video albums
| Title | Details | Certifications |
|---|---|---|
| Faith |
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| George Michael |
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| Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael |
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| Twenty Five |
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| Live in London |
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Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS |
AUT |
FRA |
GER |
IRE |
NLD |
SWE |
SWI |
US |
UK | ||||
| Five Live (with Queen and Lisa Stansfield) |
|
17 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 45 | 6 | 46 | 1 |
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Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
AUS |
AUT |
FRA |
GER |
IRE |
NLD |
SWE |
SWI |
US | ||||||
| "Careless Whisper" | 1984 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
|
Make It Big | ||
| "A Different Corner" | 1986 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 3 | 7 |
|
Music from the Edge of Heaven | ||
| "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (with Aretha Franklin) |
1987 | 1 | 1 | 9 | — | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
|
Aretha | ||
| "I Want Your Sex" | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
|
Faith | |||
| "Faith" | 2 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| ||||
| "Hard Day" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Father Figure" | 1988 | 11 | 5 | 17 | 37 | 18 | 2 | 2 | — | 13 | 1 |
| |||
| "One More Try" | 8 | 4 | 19 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
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| "Monkey" | 13 | 12 | 22 | 34 | 24 | 8 | 7 | — | 5 | 1 | |||||
| "Kissing a Fool" | 18 | 55 | — | 45 | 44 | 9 | 13 | — | — | 5 | |||||
| "Praying for Time" | 1990 | 6 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 1 |
|
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 | ||
| "Freedom! '90" | 28 | 18 | 25 | 23 | 41 | 17 | 15 | 20 | — | 8 |
| ||||
| "Waiting for That Day" | 23 | 50 | — | — | — | 11 | 79 | — | — | 27 | |||||
| "Heal the Pain" (original version) | 1991 | 31 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 16 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Cowboys and Angels" | 45 | 164 | — | 36 | — | 15 | 15 | — | — | — | |||||
| "Soul Free" | — | 95 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (with Elton John) |
1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
|
Duets | |||
| "Too Funky" | 1992 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 10 |
|
Red Hot + Dance | ||
| "Somebody to Love" (with Queen) |
1993 | 1 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 1 | 6 | — | — | 30 |
|
Five Live EP | ||
| "Killer / Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" | — | — | — | 197 | — | — | — | — | 69 | ||||||
| "Jesus to a Child" | 1996 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
|
Older | ||
| "Fastlove" | 1 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 25 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 8 |
| ||||
| "Spinning the Wheel" | 2 | 14 | 29 | — | 67 | 14 | 24 | 18 | 24 | — |
| ||||
| "Older" / "I Can't Make You Love Me" | 1997 | 3 | 61 | — | — | — | 6 | 46 | 60 | — | — |
| |||
| "Star People '97" | 2 | 51 | 37 | — | 64 | 7 | 40 | 37 | 28 | — |
| ||||
| "Waltz Away Dreaming" (with Toby Bourke) |
10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Room 21 | ||||
| "You Have Been Loved" | 2 | 75 | — | — | — | 11 | 44 | 53 | — | — |
|
Older | |||
| "Outside" | 1998 | 2 | 13 | 17 | 26 | 30 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 19 | — |
|
Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael | ||
| "As" (featuring Mary J. Blige) |
1999 | 4 | 45 | — | 27 | 38 | 12 | 9 | 27 | 22 | — |
| |||
| "If I Told You That" (with Whitney Houston) |
2000 | 9 | 37 | — | — | 58 | 25 | 31 | 44 | 33 | — | Whitney: The Greatest Hits | |||
| "Freeek!" | 2002 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 2 | — |
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Patience | ||
| "Shoot the Dog" | 12 | 36 | 41 | 59 | 44 | 23 | 26 | 39 | 14 | — | |||||
| "Amazing" | 2004 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 37 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 10 | — |
| |||
| "Flawless (Go to the City)" | 8 | 26 | 72 | — | 54 | 23 | 30 | — | 36 | — | |||||
| "Round Here" | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 55 | — | |||||
| "John and Elvis Are Dead" | 2005 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "An Easier Affair" | 2006 | 13 | 36 | 58 | 87 | 44 | 20 | 37 | 23 | 28 | — | Twenty Five | |||
| "This Is Not Real Love" (featuring Mutya Buena) |
15 | — | 62 | — | — | 27 | 32 | — | 36 | — | |||||
| "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)" | 2008 | 14 | — | 63 | — | 37 | 40 | 18 | 43 | — | — | Non-album singles | |||
| "True Faith" | 2011 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | — | — | — | ||||
| "White Light" | 2012 | 15 | 88 | 53 | 73 | 21 | 32 | 6 | — | 34 | — | ||||
| "Let Her Down Easy" | 2014 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Symphonica | |||
| "Fantasy" (featuring Nile Rodgers) |
2017 | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Listen Without Prejudice / MTV Unplugged | |||
| "This Is How (We Want You to Get High)" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Last Christmas | |||
| "Always" (with Waze & Odyssey, Mary J. Blige and Tommy Theo) |
2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||
Promotional singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Roxanne" | 1999 | Songs from the Last Century |
| "Miss Sarajevo" | ||
| "Heal the Pain" (featuring Paul McCartney) |
2008 | Twenty Five |
| "You and I" | 2011 | Non-album single |
| "Going to a Town" | 2014 | Symphonica |
| "Feeling Good" |
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | |||
| "Mother's Pride" | 1990 | 46 | Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 |
Other appearances
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Turn to Gold" | 1984 | Turn to Gold |
| "The Last Kiss" | 1985 | Romance |
| "Nikita" | Ice on Fire | |
| "Wrap Her Up" | ||
| "Learn to Say No" (with Jody Watley) |
1987 | Jody Watley |
| "Jive Talkin'" | Outrageous | |
| "Heaven Help Me" | 1989 | Spell |
| "Red Dress" | 1990 | Son of Albert |
| "Someday" | 1991 | Change |
| "Tonight" | Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin | |
| "I'm Your Man" | 1995 | I've Gotta Have It All |
| "You Spin Me Round" | Non-album single | |
| "Chameleon (Shed Your Skin)" | 1997 | Smoke + Mirrors |
| "The Grave" | 2003 | Hope (War Child) |
| "Blame It on the Sun" (with Ray Charles) |
2005 | Genius & Friends |
| "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" (with Tony Bennett) |
2006 | Duets: An American Classic |
| "We Are Cinderella" | 2021 | This Time Tomorrow |
Remix and production credits
| Title | Year | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Me or the Rumours" (The George Michael mix) | 1989 | Deon Estus | Spell |
| "Only You" (Laker Boy mix) | 1991 | Praise | Praise |
| "Someday" | Pepsi & Shirlie | Change | |
| "One Nation Under a Groove" | Jay Henry | Non-album single | |
| "Tripping on Your Love" (George Michael Metropolis mix) | Bananarama | Pop Life | |
| "Brother Louie" | 1993 | Louie Louie | Let's Get Started |
| "We Are Cinderella" | 2021 | Sleeper | This Time Tomorrow |
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Careless Whisper" | 1984 | Duncan Gibbins |
| "A Different Corner" | 1986 | Luc Roeg |
| "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (with Aretha Franklin) |
1987 | Brian Grant |
| "I Want Your Sex" | Andy Morahan | |
| "Faith" | ||
| "Father Figure" | ||
| "One More Try" | 1988 | Tony Scott |
| "Monkey" | Andy Morahan | |
| "Kissing a Fool" | ||
| "Praying for Time" | 1990 | Michael Borofsky |
| "Freedom! '90" | David Fincher | |
| "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (with Elton John) |
1991 | Andy Morahan |
| "Too Funky" | 1992 | George Michael and Thierry Mugler |
| "Killer / Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" | 1993 | Marcus Nispel |
| "Jesus to a Child" | 1996 | Howard Greenhalgh |
| "Fastlove" | Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton | |
| "Spinning the Wheel" | ||
| "Star People '97" | 1997 | Milton Lage |
| "Older" | Andy Morahan | |
| "Waltz Away Dreaming" (with Toby Bourke) |
The New Renaissance | |
| "Outside" | 1998 | Vaughan Arnell |
| "As" (featuring Mary J. Blige) |
1999 | Big TV! |
| "Roxanne" | Joanna Bailey | |
| "If I Told You That" (with Whitney Houston) |
2000 | Kevin Bray |
| "Freeek!" | 2002 | Joseph Kahn |
| "Shoot the Dog" | 2DTV | |
| "Amazing" | 2004 | Matthew Rolston |
| "Flawless (Go to the City)" | Jake Scott | |
| "Round Here" | Andy Morahan | |
| "John and Elvis Are Dead" | 2005 | Anthea Benton |
| "An Easier Affair" | 2006 | Jake Nava |
| "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)" | 2009 | M.I.E. |
| "True Faith" | 2011 | |
| "White Light" | 2012 | Ryan Hope |
| "Let Her Down Easy" | 2014 | Vaughan Arnell |
| "Fantasy" (featuring Nile Rodgers) |
2017 | — |