Chet Atkins discography
| Chet Atkins discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 88 |
| EPs | 19 plus |
| Live albums | 3 |
| Compilation albums | 53 plus |
| Singles | 113 |
Chet Atkins' discography is large and diverse. Not only did he release principal studio albums as a solo artist, he was a prolific and much sought-after collaborator. He also played as a sideman on many more. His major collaborations were with Hank Snow, Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra, The Country All-Stars, The Nashville String Band, Jerry Reed, Merle Travis, Doc Watson, Lenny Breau, Les Paul, Mark Knopfler, Suzy Bogguss, Floyd Cramer, Johnny Gimble, and Tommy Emmanuel. He frequently guested on a track or two with other friends. Several of his recordings won or were nominated for Grammy Awards.
The majority of his releases were on the RCA Victor label with many releases on their budget label RCA Camden, in addition to many compilations and anthologies. He left RCA in 1982 after 36 years and signed with Columbia Records.
His discography as a producer encompasses many albums and singles for a wide range of artists. Atkins produced records for Perry Como, Elvis Presley, Eddy Arnold, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves, Jerry Reed, Skeeter Davis, Connie Smith, Waylon Jennings, Ann-Margret and many others.[1][2]
Studio albums
1950s
| Title | Details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US [3] | ||
| Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar |
|
— |
| Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| A Session with Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| Chet Atkins in Three Dimensions |
|
— |
| Finger Style Guitar |
|
— |
| Chet Atkins at Home |
|
21 |
| Hi-Fi in Focus |
|
— |
| Chet Atkins in Hollywood |
|
— |
| Hum & Strum Along with Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| Mister Guitar |
|
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||
1960s
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [4] |
US [3] |
US CB [5] | ||
| After the Riot at Newport |
|
N/a | — | — |
| Teensville |
|
N/a | 16 | 16 |
| The Other Chet Atkins |
|
N/a | — | — |
| Chet Atkins' Workshop |
|
N/a | 7 | — |
| The Most Popular Guitar |
|
N/a | 119 | — |
| Christmas with Chet Atkins |
|
N/a | 12 | — |
| Chet Atkins Plays Back Home Hymns |
|
N/a | — | — |
| Caribbean Guitar |
|
N/a | 33 | 27 |
| Down Home |
|
N/a | 31 | — |
| Our Man in Nashville |
|
N/a | 135 | 70 |
| Teen Scene |
|
N/a | 93 | 68 |
| The Guitar Genius |
|
N/a | — | — |
| Travelin' |
|
N/a | — | — |
| Guitar Country |
|
1 | 64 | — |
| Progressive Pickin' |
|
— | — | — |
| My Favorite Guitars |
|
— | — | — |
| More of That Guitar Country |
|
4 | — | — |
| Chet Atkins Picks on the Beatles |
|
6 | 112 | 63 |
| From Nashville with Love |
|
26 | 140 | — |
| Music from Nashville, My Home Town |
|
— | — | — |
| It's a Guitar World |
|
— | 148 | — |
| Picks the Best |
|
— | — | — |
| Class Guitar |
|
26 | 189 | — |
| Hometown Guitar |
|
17 | — | — |
| Solid Gold 68 |
|
18 | — | — |
| Solo Flights |
|
— | 184 | — |
| Lover's Guitar |
|
— | — | — |
| Solid Gold 69 |
|
33 | 150 | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
1970s
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [4] |
US [3] | ||
| Yestergroovin' |
|
— | 139 |
| Pickin' My Way |
|
30 | — |
| For the Good Times |
|
17 | — |
| Picks on the Hits |
|
38 | — |
| Alone |
|
42 | — |
| Chet Atkins Picks on Jerry Reed |
|
— | — |
| The Night Atlanta Burned |
|
30 | — |
| Chet Atkins Goes to the Movies |
|
43 | — |
| Me and My Guitar |
|
50 | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
1980s–2000s
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [4] |
US [6] | ||
| Country After All These Years |
|
— | — |
| Work It Out with Chet Atkins C.G.P. |
|
64 | — |
| East Tennessee Christmas |
|
— | — |
| Stay Tuned[A] |
|
— | 145 |
| Street Dreams |
|
— | — |
| Sails |
|
— | — |
| Chet Atkins, C.G.P. |
|
— | — |
| Read My Licks |
|
— | — |
| Almost Alone |
|
74 | — |
| Solo Sessions |
|
— | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Collaborations
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [4] |
US [6] |
CAN | ||
| Reminiscing (with Hank Snow) |
|
— | — | — |
| The Pops Goes Country (with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops) |
|
36 | 62 | — |
| Chet Atkins Picks on the Pops (with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops) |
|
— | 160 | — |
| Me and Jerry (with Jerry Reed) |
|
13 | — | — |
| C.B. Atkins & C.E. Snow by Special Request (with C.E. (Hank) Snow) |
|
— | — | — |
| Me and Chet (with Jerry Reed) |
|
24 | — | — |
| Chet, Floyd & Boots (with Floyd Cramer and Boots Randolph) |
|
— | — | — |
| American Salute (with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops) |
|
— | — | — |
| Superpickers |
|
— | — | — |
| The Atkins – Travis Traveling Show (with Merle Travis) |
|
30 | — | — |
| Chester & Lester (with Les Paul) |
|
11 | 172 | — |
| Chet, Floyd & Danny (with Floyd Cramer and Danny Davis) |
|
46 | — | — |
| Guitar Monsters (with Les Paul) |
|
27 | — | — |
| First Nashville Guitar Quartet (with Liona Boyd, John Knowles and John Pell) |
|
— | — | — |
| Reflections (with Doc Watson) |
|
— | — | — |
| Standard Brands (with Lenny Breau) |
|
— | — | — |
| Neck and Neck (with Mark Knopfler) |
|
27 | 127 | 71 |
| Sneakin' Around (with Jerry Reed) |
|
68 | — | — |
| The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat (with Amy Grant) |
|
— | — | — |
| Simpatico (with Suzy Bogguss) |
|
55 | — | — |
| The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World (with Tommy Emmanuel) |
|
— | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Live albums
| Title | Details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country [4] | ||
| In Concert |
|
— |
| And Then Came Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| The Best of Chet on the Road — Live |
|
43 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||
With The Country All-Stars
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| String Dustin' |
|
| Jazz from the Hills |
|
With The Nashville String Band
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| The Nashville String Band |
|
| Down Home |
|
| Strung Up |
|
| Identified! |
|
| The Bandit |
|
| World's Greatest Melodies |
|
Instructional
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Play Guitar with Chet Atkins |
|
| Chet Atkins Guitar Method Volume 1 & 2 |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country [4] | ||
| Chet Atkins Plays Great Movie Themes |
|
— |
| The Guitar Genius |
|
— |
| The Best of Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| The Early Years of Chet Atkins & His Guitar |
|
— |
| The Best of Chet Atkins, Vol. 2 |
|
— |
| Chet |
|
— |
| Chet All the Way |
|
— |
| Relaxin' with Chet |
|
— |
| Country Pickin' |
|
— |
| Mr. Atkins - Guitar Picker |
|
— |
| This Is Chet Atkins |
|
30 |
| Now and... Then |
|
40 |
| Finger Pickin' Good |
|
— |
| Nashville Gold |
|
— |
| Discover Japan |
|
— |
| Famous Country Music Makers |
|
— |
| The Golden Guitar of Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| The Best of Chet Atkins & Friends |
|
25 |
| Love Letters |
|
— |
| A Legendary Performer |
|
— |
| Country Music |
|
— |
| Solid Gold Guitar |
|
— |
| Guitar Pickin' Man |
|
— |
| Great Hits of the Past |
|
— |
| Tennessee Guitar Man |
|
— |
| A Man & His Guitar |
|
— |
| Collectors Series |
|
— |
| Guitar for All Seasons |
|
— |
| 20 of the Best |
|
— |
| Pickin' on Country |
|
— |
| Masters of the Guitar: Together (with Les Paul) |
|
— |
| Pickin' the Hits |
|
— |
| The Magic of Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| Country Gems |
|
— |
| The Romantic Guitar |
|
— |
| The RCA Years |
|
— |
| Galloping Guitar: The Early Years |
|
— |
| The Essential Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| Masters |
|
— |
| Super Hits |
|
— |
| The Guitar Genius/Relaxin' with Chet/ Nashville Gold |
|
42 |
| Guitar Legend: The RCA Years |
|
— |
| Guitar Man |
|
— |
| RCA Country Legends: Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| The Master and His Music |
|
— |
| Chet Picks on the Grammys |
|
— |
| Tribute to Bluegrass |
|
— |
| The Best of Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| Legendary |
|
— |
| Mr. Guitar: The Complete Recordings 1955-1960 |
|
— |
| I've Been Working on the Guitar: The Legend Begins |
|
— |
| High Rockin' Swing |
|
— |
| Early Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| The Essential Chet Atkins: The Columbia Years |
|
— |
| Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle with Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| The Nashville Jump |
|
— |
| Chet Atkins with the Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle 1949 |
|
— |
| Eclectic Guitar |
|
— |
| The Essential Chet Atkins |
|
— |
| The Early Years 1946–1957 |
|
— |
| The Complete RCA Victor & Columbia Christmas Recordings |
|
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||
Singles
1940s
| Year | Single |
|---|---|
| 1946 | "Guitar Blues" |
| 1947 | "Canned Heat" |
| "Standing Room Only" | |
| 1948 | "Bug Dance" |
| "I Know When I'm Blue" | |
| "Dizzy String" | |
| "I'm Pickin' the Blues" | |
| 1949 | "Money Marbles and Chalk" |
| "Barber Shop Rag" | |
| "Telling My Troubles to My Old Guitar" | |
| "Centipede Boogie" |
1950s
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [7] |
US [8] | |||
| 1950 | "One More Chance" | — | — | N/a |
| "Main Street Breakdown" | — | — | Stringin' Along | |
| "Boogie Man Boogie" | — | — | ||
| "Confusin'" | — | — | N/a | |
| 1951 | "Indian Love Call" | — | — | Stringin' Along |
| "Mountain Melody" | — | — | N/a | |
| "My Crazy Heart" | — | — | ||
| "Crazy Rhythm" | — | — | ||
| "In the Mood" | — | — | Finger Style Guitar | |
| 1952 | "Rainbow" | — | — | Mr. Guitar |
| "Spanish Fandango" | — | — | N/a | |
| "Meet Mister Callaghan" | — | — | In Hollywood | |
| "Tennessee Rag" | — | — | N/a | |
| "Galloping on the Guitar" | — | — | Gallopin' Guitar | |
| "St. Louis Blues" | — | — | ||
| "Black Mountain Rag" | — | — | ||
| "Imagination" | — | — | ||
| "Midnight" | — | — | N/a | |
| "It Goes Like This (That Funny Melody)" | — | — | ||
| "Guitar Polka" | — | — | ||
| 1953 | "Fiddle Patch" | — | — | |
| "Fig Leaf Rag" | — | — | ||
| "What's the Reason (I'm Not Pleasin' You)" | — | — | ||
| "Country Gentleman" | — | — | Mr. Guitar | |
| "Three O'Clock in the Morning" | — | — | N/a | |
| "Barbershop Rag" | — | — | ||
| 1954 | "Wildwood Flower" | — | — | |
| "Georgia's Camp Meeting" | — | — | ||
| "Downhill Drag" | — | — | ||
| "Mr. Misery" | — | — | ||
| "Mr. Sandman" | 13 | — | ||
| "Silver Bell" (with Hank Snow) | 15 | — | ||
| 1955 | "Hey Mister Guitar" | — | — | |
| "Somebody Stole My Gal" | — | — | ||
| "Vacation Train" | — | — | ||
| "Christmas Carols" | — | — | ||
| "Poor People of Paris (Jean's Song)" | — | 52 | ||
| 1956 | "Cecilia" | — | — | |
| "Reminiscing" (with Hank Snow) | — | — | ||
| 1957 | "Trambone" | — | — | Down Home |
| "Tricky" | — | — | N/a | |
| "Martinique" | — | — | ||
| "Hidden Charm" | — | — | Guitar Genius | |
| 1959 | "Boo Boo Stick Beat" | — | 49 | Teensville |
| "One Mint Julep" | — | 82 | ||
| "Teensville" | — | 73 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
1960s
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [7] |
US [8] | |||
| 1960 | "Slinkey" | — | — | Mr. Guitar |
| "Theme from 'The Dark at the Top of the Stairs'" | — | 103 | N/a | |
| 1961 | "Hot Mocking Bird" | — | — | Workshop |
| "Man of Mystery" | — | — | N/a | |
| "Jingle Bell Rock" | — | 106 | Christmas | |
| 1962 | "Down Home" | — | — | Our Man in Nashville |
| 1963 | "Waitin' for the Evening Train" (with Anita Kerr) | — | — | N/a |
| "San Antonio Rose" | — | — | ||
| "Wildwood Flower" | — | — | ||
| 1964 | "Freight Train" | — | — | Guitar Country |
| 1965 | "Travelin'" | — | — | My Favorite Guitars |
| "Yakety Axe" | 4 | 98 | More of That Guitar Country | |
| 1966 | "From Nashville with Love" | — | 132 | From Nashville with Love |
| "Tennessee Waltz" | — | — | Pop Goes to Country | |
| "Prissy" | 30 | — | N/a | |
| 1967 | "Charlie Brown" | — | — | This Is Chet Atkins |
| "Chet's Tune" | — | — | Solo Flights | |
| 1968 | "Blue Angel" | — | — | Hometown Guitar |
| "Mrs. Robinson" | — | — | Solid Gold 68 | |
| 1969 | "Those Were the Days" | — | — | Lover's Guitar |
| "Ode to Billy Joe" | — | — | Pickin' on the Pops | |
| "Caribbean" | — | — | Nashville String Band | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
1970s
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [7] |
CAN Country | |||
| 1970 | "Difficult" | — | — | By Special Request |
| "Love Beads" | — | — | N/a | |
| "Steeplechase Lane" | — | — | Yestergroovin' | |
| "Strollin'" | — | — | Identified | |
| "Cannonball Rag" | — | — | Me & Jerry | |
| 1971 | "Snowbird" | — | — | For the Good Times |
| "Happy Ending" | — | — | Strung Up | |
| "Black Magic Woman" | — | — | N/a | |
| "Jingle Bell Rock" | — | — | Christmas | |
| 1972 | "Bandera" | — | — | Bandit |
| "Red White and Blue Medley" | — | — | N/a | |
| "Battle Hymn of Republic" | — | — | World's Greatest Melodies | |
| 1973 | "Somewhere My Love" | — | — | N/a |
| "Fiddlin' Around" | 75 | — | Superpickers | |
| 1974 | "Is Anything Better" | — | — | N/a |
| "Dizzy Fingers" | — | — | ||
| 1975 | "Night Atlanta Burned" | 77 | — | The Night Atlanta Burned |
| "Senora" | — | — | N/a | |
| 1976 | "Frog Kissin'" | 40 | 36 | Best of Chet Atkins & Friends |
| "Moonglow" | — | — | Chester & Lester | |
| "Terry on the Turnpike" | — | — | Best of Chet Atkins & Friends | |
| 1977 | "Four in the Morning" | — | — | Chet Floyd & Danny |
| "Me and My Guitar" | — | — | Me and My Guitar | |
| 1978 | "I'm Your Greatest Fan" | — | — | Guitar Monsters |
| 1979 | "Love Song of Pepe Sanchez" | — | — | First Nashville Guitar Quartet |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
1980s–1990s
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [7] |
CAN Country | |||
| 1980 | "Blind Willie" | 83 | — | Best of Chet on the Road |
| "I Can Hear Kentucky Callin' Me" | 83 | — | Country After All These Years | |
| "Tennessee Rag" | — | — | Reflections | |
| 1981 | "Orange Blossom Special" | — | — | Country After All These Years |
| 1983 | "Run Don't Wait" | — | — | N/a |
| 1985 | "Boot and the Stone" | — | — | Stay Tuned |
| "Please Stay Tuned" | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "Official Beach Music" | — | — | Street Dreams |
| 1988 | "I Can't Say Goodbye" | — | — | Chet Atkins, C.G.P. |
| 1990 | "Poor Boy Blues" (with Mark Knopfler) | — | 92 | Neck & Neck |
| 1996 | "I Still Write Your Name in the Snow"[9] | — | — | Almost Alone |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [7] | |||
| 1983 | "We Didn't See a Thing" (Ray Charles and George Jones with Chet Atkins) |
6 | Friendship |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Poor Boy Blues" (with Mark Knopfler) | David Hogan |
| 1992 | "The Claw" (with Jerry Reed) | Deaton-Flanigen |
| 1994 | "One More for the Road" (with Suzy Bogguss) |
Notes
- A^ Stay Tuned also peaked at number 12 on Top Jazz Albums.
See also
- Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame (1973 Inductee)
- Country Music Association
References
- ^ Atkins, Chet and Neely, Bill. (1974). "Country Gentleman". Chicago. Harry Regnery Company. ISBN 0-8092-9051-0.
- ^ Atkins, Chet and Cochran, Russ. (2003). "Me and My Guitars". Milwaukee. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 0-634-05565-8.
- ^ a b c Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top LPs, 1955–1972. Record Research. p. 13. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
- ^ a b c d e f Whitburn, Joel (1997). Joel Whitburn's top country albums 1964-1997. Menomonee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research. pp. 11–12.
- ^ Hoffmann, Frank W (1988). The Cash box album charts, 1955-1974. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. p. 12. ISBN 0-8108-2005-6.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955-1996. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. pp. 45–46. ISBN 0898201179. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Whitburn, Joel (1998). Joel Whitburn's top country singles 1944-1997. Menomonee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research. p. 35. ISBN 0898201292.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research, Inc. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-89820-188-8.
- ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. March 30, 1996.
External links
- Chet Atkins official website
- Chet Atkins discography at Discogs