The discography of James Taylor consists of seventeen studio albums, six compilation albums, at least five live albums, one tribute album, nine video albums, one extended play, and forty singles.
Taylor signed his first recording contract with Apple Records, where he released his self-titled debut album in 1969. Prior to signing with Apple, Taylor released the single “Night Owl” with the group The Flying Machine. An album of their recordings, James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine was released in 1971 and reached #74 on the U. S. pop charts. Taylor released his second studio album Sweet Baby James on Warner Bros. Records in 1970. Its lead single “Fire and Rain” became a significant international hit and gained Taylor his first major exposure as an artist. In April 1971, Taylor released his third studio album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, which became his second album to certify multi-platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America and featured his first number one single “You’ve Got a Friend”. In 1972 and 1973, he released his fourth studio album, One Man Dog and his fifth, Walking Man; both peaked within the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 albums list.
After releasing more albums between 1974 and 1976, Taylor signed with Columbia Records and issued JT in 1977, which peaked in the Top 5 and sold over two million copies in the United States, certifying two times multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 1979 and 1981, Taylor respectively released Flag and Dad Loves His Work, which both certified platinum in the United States and produced Top 40 singles. Nearly four years later, Taylor’s next studio album That’s Why I’m Here was released and spawned a cover of Buddy Holly’s “Everyday”, which only became a minor hit in the United States. This was followed by Never Die Young three years later and then by New Moon Shine in 1991, both of which sold over one million copies. After recording a two-disc live album in 1993, Taylor returned in 1997 with a fourteenth studio album entitled Hourglass. The album not only peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200, but also received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Album the following year. His fifteenth studio release October Road was issued on August 13, 2002 on Sony BMG and certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. After recording a limited release holiday album in 2004, Taylor released his first major-release holiday album, James Taylor at Christmas on October 10, 2006.
One Man Band was released in 2007 and certified gold in the United States,. This was followed by Taylor’s first cover album in 2008 on the Hear Music label. There was also an extended play sequel entitled Other Covers in 2009. In 2015, Taylor released another live album, Georgia On My Mind: Live in Atlanta, 1981, and another studio album, Before This World.
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| Before This World | The Essential James Taylor | Live at the Troubadour |
| Released: June 16, 2015 | Released: October 29, 2013 | Released: May 2010 |
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| Other Covers | Covers | One Man Band |
| Released: April 2009 | Released: September 2008 | Released: November 2007 |
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| James Taylor at Christmas | The Best Of James Taylor | October Road |
| Released: October 2006 | Released: April 2003 | Released: August 2002 |
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| Greatest Hits Volume 2 | Hourglass | James Taylor (Best Live) |
| Released: November 2000 | Released: May 1997 | Released: June 1994 |
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| James Taylor (Live) | New Moonshine | Never Die Young |
| Released: August 1993 | Released: September 1991 | Released: January 1988 |
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| That’s Why I’m Here | Dad Loves His Work | Flag |
| Released: October 1985 | Released: March 1981 | Released: May 1979 |
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| JT | In The Pocket | Greatest Hits Volume 1 |
| Released: June 1977 | Released: June 1976 | Released: April 1976 |
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| Gorilla | Walking Man | One Man Dog |
| Released: May 1975 | Released: June 1974 | Released: November 1972 |
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| Mud Slide Slim | Sweet Baby James | James Taylor |
| And The Blue Horizon | Released: February 1970 | Released: December 1968 |
| Released: April 1971 |
