Buddy Holly recorded under several names and with several different backing bands. The Crickets played on almost all of his singles in 1957 and 1958.[1]

Buddy Holly discography
Buddy Holly in 1958
Studio albums3
Compilation albums29
Singles28

Holly recorded prolifically before his death in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. He released three albums in his lifetime. Coral Records was able to release archival new albums and singles for 10 years after his death, but their technical quality was mixed, some being studio recordings and others home recordings.

Holly's records were promoted after his death and had a loyal following, especially in Europe. The demand for unissued recordings by Holly was so great that his producer, Norman Petty, resorted to overdubbing whatever he could find: alternate takes of studio recordings, originally rejected masters, "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" and the other five 1959 tracks (adding new surf-guitar arrangements), and even Holly's amateur demos from 1954 (in which the low-fidelity vocals are often muffled behind added orchestrations). The last new Holly album was Giant (featuring the single "Love Is Strange"), issued in 1969. Between the 1959–1960 overdubs produced by Jack Hansen (with vocal backings imitating the Crickets' sound), the 1960s overdubs produced by Petty, various alternate takes, and Holly's undubbed originals, multiple versions of the same songs are available. There are also many different versions of Holly's Greatest Hits as well as covers and compilation albums of his songs performed by various artists. Many singles and albums of his material have been released posthumously, beginning with "Peggy Sue Got Married" in July 1959 and the successful 6-disc collectors box set Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings, 50 years later in 2009.

Albums

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Studio albums

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Year Title Artist Album details Peak chart
positions
UK
[2][3]
1957 The "Chirping" Crickets The Crickets 5
1958 Buddy Holly Buddy Holly
  • Released: March 1958
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57210) (mono)
  • Format: Vinyl
That'll Be the Day Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes
  • Released: April 1958
  • Label: Decca (DL 8707) (mono)
  • Format: Vinyl
5
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Compilation albums

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Decade Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
US
[4]
NZ
[5]
UK
[2][3]
1950s The Buddy Holly Story
  • Released: February 28, 1959
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57279) (mono)
  • Format: Vinyl
11 2 US: Gold[6]
1960s The Buddy Holly Story, Vol. 2
  • Released: April 1960
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57326) (mono)
  • Format: Vinyl
41
[7]
7
Reminiscing
  • Released: February 1963
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57426/757426) (mono/stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
40 2
Showcase
  • Released: May 1964
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57450/757450) (mono/stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
3
Holly in the Hills
  • Released: January 1965
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57463/757463) (mono/stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
13
The Best of Buddy Holly
  • Released: April 1966
  • Label: Coral (CXB-8, mono)/(7CXSB-8, stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl (2 LPs)
UK: Gold[8]
Buddy Holly's Greatest Hits
  • Released: March 1967
  • Label: Coral (CRL 57492/757492) (mono/stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
9
Giant
  • Released: March 1969
  • Label: Coral (CRL 757504) (stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
13
1970s Buddy Holly: A Rock & Roll Collection
  • Released: August 1972
  • Label: Decca (DSXE7-207) (stereo)
  • Format: Vinyl
Buddy Holly: Legend
  • Released: 1974
  • Label: MCA
  • Format: Vinyl (2 LPs)
TBD TBD TBD
20 Golden Greats
also known as Buddy Holly Lives
  • Released: February 17, 1978
  • Label: EMI (EMTV 8)
  • Format: Vinyl
55 1 US: Gold[6]
UK: Platinum[8]
The Complete Buddy Holly
  • Released: 1979
  • Label: MCA (6-80000)
  • Format: Vinyl (box set)
1980s Love Songs
20 Love Song (US title)
  • Released: 1981
  • Label: MCA
  • Format: Vinyl
UK: Gold[8]
The Great Buddy Holly
  • Released: November 1982
  • Label: MCA (31037)
  • Format: Vinyl
For the First Time Anywhere
  • Released: February 1983
  • Label: MCA (MCA-27059)
  • Format: Vinyl
From the Original Master Tapes
  • Released: 1985
  • Label: MCA (MCAD-5540)
  • Format: CD
True Love Ways
  • Released: February 1989
  • Label: Telstar (STAR 2339)
  • Format: Vinyl
24 8 UK: Gold[8]
1990s Words of Love
  • Released: February 8, 1993
  • Label: PolyGram (TV 5144872)
  • Format: CD
20 1 UK: Gold[8]
The Buddy Holly Collection
  • Released: September 28, 1993
  • Label: MCA (B000002OPE)
  • Format: CD (2 discs)
Greatest Hits
  • Released: September 24, 1996
  • Label: MCA (MCAD-11536)
  • Format: CD
The Very Best of Buddy Holly
  • Released: November 25, 1996
  • Label: Dino (DINCD 133)
  • Format: CD
24 UK: Gold[8]
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Buddy Holly
  • Released: April 20, 1999
  • Label: MCA (B00000I9CN)
  • Format: CD
The Very Best of Buddy Holly & the Crickets
  • Released: August 1999
  • Label: Universal Music TV (112 046-2/4)
  • Format: CD/Cassette
12 13
2000s Buddy Holly Gold
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: Geffen/Decca (B000ATJZ4S)
  • Format: CD (2 discs)
Not Fade Away
  • Released: 2008
  • Label: Universal Music Special Markets (B009424-02)
  • Format: CD
101
Down the Line: Rarities
  • Released: January 27, 2009
  • Label: Decca/Geffen (B0011675-02)
  • Format: CD (2 discs)
Memorial Collection
  • Released: February 10, 2009
  • Label: Decca/Geffen (B0011337-02)
  • Format: CD (3 discs)
Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings And More
  • Released: October 30, 2009
  • Label: Hip-O Select (B0011337-02)
  • Format: CD (6 discs)
2010s The Very Best of Buddy Holly and the Crickets
  • Released: April 28, 2014
  • Label: Not Now (B00J90AD36)
  • Format: CD (3 discs)
True Love Ways
(with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
  • Released: November 16, 2018[9]
  • Label: Decca Records
  • Format: CD, digital download
10
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Singles

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Year Titles (A-side / B-side)
(both sides from same album except as noted)
Artist Label Chart Positions Album
US Hot 100 US R&B UK
1956 "Love Me"
"Blue Days, Black Nights"
Buddy Holly Decca That'll Be the Day
"Modern Don Juan"
"You Are My One Desire"
1957 "That'll Be the Day"
"I'm Looking for Someone to Love"
The Crickets Brunswick 1 2 1 The "Chirping" Crickets
"Words of Love"
"Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues"
Buddy Holly Coral Buddy Holly
"Rock Around with Ollie Vee"
"That'll Be the Day"
Decca That'll Be the Day
"Peggy Sue"
"Everyday"[10]
Coral 3 3 6 Buddy Holly
"Oh, Boy!"
"Not Fade Away"
The Crickets Brunswick 10 15 3 The "Chirping" Crickets
1958 "Love Me"
"You Are My One Desire"
Buddy Holly Decca That'll Be the Day
"I'm Gonna Love You Too"
"Listen to Me"
Coral Buddy Holly
"Maybe Baby"
"Tell Me How"
The Crickets Brunswick 17 8 4 The "Chirping" Crickets
"Rave On"
"Take Your Time" (from The Buddy Holly Story Volume II)
Buddy Holly Coral 37 5 Buddy Holly
"Think It Over" The Crickets Brunswick 27 9 11 The Buddy Holly Story
"Fool's Paradise"[10] (from Holly in the Hills) 58
"Girl on My Mind"
"Ting-a-Ling"
Buddy Holly Decca That'll Be the Day
"Early in the Morning"
"Now We're One" (from The Buddy Holly Story Volume II)
Coral 32 17 The Buddy Holly Story
"It's So Easy"
"Lonesome Tears" (from Holly in the Hills)
The Crickets Brunswick
"Real Wild Child"
"Oh, You Beautiful Doll"
Ivan
(pseudonym for Jerry Allison)
Coral 85 Non-LP tracks
"Heartbeat"
"Well... All Right" (from The Buddy Holly Story Volume II)
Buddy Holly 82 4 30 The Buddy Holly Story
1959 "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" 13 1
"Raining in My Heart" 88
"Peggy Sue Got Married"/
"Crying, Waiting, Hoping"
13 / — The Buddy Holly Story Volume II
1960 "True Love Ways"
"That Makes It Tough"
25
1962 "Reminiscing"
"Wait 'Til the Sun Shines, Nellie"
17 Reminiscing
1963 "Bo Diddley"
"True Love Ways" (from The Buddy Holly Story Volume II)
116A 4
"Brown Eyed Handsome Man"
"Wishing" (from Holly in the Hills)
113A 3
1964 "I'm Gonna Love You Too" (from Buddy Holly)
"Rock Around with Ollie Vee"
Showcase
1965 "What to Do"
"Slippin' and Slidin'" (from Reminiscing)
34 Holly in the Hills
1969 "Love Is Strange"
"You're the One"
105A Giant
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
1.^ Charted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

Billboard Year-End performances

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Buddy Holly

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Year Song Year-End
Position
1958 "Peggy Sue" 50

The Crickets

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Year Song Year-End
Position
1957 "That'll Be the Day" 30

References

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  1. ^ Norman Petty (producer) interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
  2. ^ a b "Buddy Holly". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Buddy Holly & the Crickets". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  4. ^ "Buddy Holly: Charts & Awards - Billboard Albums". AllMusic. United States. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
  5. ^ "Buddy Holly" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database" (PHP). Recording Industry Association of America.
  7. ^ "Top LP's: 150 Best Selling Monaural LP's". Billboard Music Week. Vol. 74, no. 36. September 8, 1962. Cover. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (ASPX) on 2013-01-15.
  9. ^ "Buddy Holly With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra TRUE LOVE WAYS Out On Decca Records Next Month". Peermusic. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Buddy Holly Discography" at hotshotdigital.com. Accessed 2011 August 7.
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