| David Sylvian discography | |
|---|---|
 Sylvian in November 1982 | |
| Studio albums | 9 |
| EPs | 6 |
| Compilation albums | 5 |
| Singles | 15 |
| Video albums | 6 |
| Music videos | 9 |
| Collaborative albums | 9 |
| Remix albums | 2 |
| Box sets | 1 |
This is the discography for the British musician/singer-songwriter David Sylvian as a solo artist. For information about the discography of Japan, see Japan discography.
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [1] | AUS [2] | BE (FL) [3] | GER [4] | IT [5] [6] | JPN [7] | NL [8] | NOR [9] | NZ [10] | SWE [11] | |||
| Brilliant Trees | 4 | 96 | — | — | 23 | 16 | 7 | — | 37 | 33 | ||
| Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Gone to Earth |
| 24 | 94 | — | — | 22 | 52 | 6 | — | 46 | 30 |
|
| Secrets of the Beehive |
| 37 | 91 | — | — | 19 | 61 | 31 | — | — | 46 | |
| Dead Bees on a Cake |
| 31 | — | 44 | 64 | 20 | — | 66 | 21 | — | 52 | |
| Blemish |
| — | — | — | — | 58 | 199 | — | — | — | — | |
| When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Manafon |
| 112 [13] | — | 63 | — | 51 | — | 93 | — | — | 50 | |
| There's a Light That Enters Houses with No Other House in Sight |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [1] | BE [3] | NL [8] | ||
| Plight & Premonition |
| 71 | 130 [A] | 171 [A] |
| Flux + Mutability |
| — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||
Notes
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Ember Glance: The Permanence of Memory |
|
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [1] | SWE [11] | ||
| The First Day |
| 21 | 34 |
| Darshan (The Road to Graceland) |
| — | — |
| Damage: Live |
| — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [15] | IT [16] | ||
| Snow Borne Sorrow |
| 137 | 23 |
| Money for All |
| — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Uncommon Deities |
|
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Wandermüde |
|
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| There Is No Love |
|
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [1] | BE [3] | IT [6] | NL [8] | ||
| Approaching Silence |
| — | — | — | — |
| Everything and Nothing |
| 57 | — | 45 | — |
| Camphor |
| 99 | — | — | — |
| Sleepwalkers |
| 104 [13] | 89 | 87 | 76 |
| A Victim of Stars 1982–2012 |
| 58 | 62 | 64 | 99 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| IT [6] | ||
| The Good Son vs. The Only Daughter |
| — |
| Died in the Wool – Manafon Variations |
| 98 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||
| Title | Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Weatherbox |
| Limited edition release featuring Sylvian's studio releases to that point, with the instrumental half of Gone to Earth presented in its entirety on one disc. |
| Samadhisound 2003–2014 – Do You Know Me Now? | Limited edition release featuring Sylvian's solo and collaborative work released on Samadhisound. Includes 100-page hardback book of essays and artwork. |
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK [1] | ||
| Forbidden Colours / Nightporter |
| — |
| Words with the Shaman |
| 72 |
| Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II) (with Ryuichi Sakamoto) |
| 58 |
| Godman |
| — |
| World Citizen (with Ryuichi Sakamoto) |
| — |
| Playing the Schoolhouse |
| — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||
| Single | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [21] [22] | AUS [23] [24] | FRA [25] | ICE [26] | IRE [27] | JPN [28] | |||
| "Bamboo Houses" / "Bamboo Music" (with Ryuichi Sakamoto) | 1982 | 30 | — | — | — | — | 63 | Non-album single |
| "Forbidden Colours" (with Ryuichi Sakamoto) | 1983 | 16 | 29 | 24 | 1 | 15 | 32 | Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence soundtrack |
| "Red Guitar" | 1984 | 17 | — | — | — | 13 | — | Brilliant Trees |
| "The Ink in the Well" | 36 | — | — | — | 28 | — | ||
| "Pulling Punches" | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Taking the Veil" | 1986 | 53 | — | — | — | 28 | — | Gone to Earth |
| "Silver Moon" | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Buoy" (Mick Karn featuring David Sylvian) | 1987 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | Dreams of Reason Produce Monsters |
| "Let the Happiness In" | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | Secrets of the Beehive | |
| "Orpheus" | 1988 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Pop Song" | 1989 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II)" (with Ryuichi Sakamoto) | 1992 | 58 | 69 | — | — | — | — | Heartbeat |
| "Jean the Birdman" (with Robert Fripp) | 1993 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | The First Day |
| "I Surrender" | 1999 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | Dead Bees on a Cake |
| "World Citizen" (with Ryuichi Sakamoto) | 2003 | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | Non-album singles |
| "Do You Know Me Now?" | 2013 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Preparations for a Journey | |
| Steel Cathedrals |
|
| Red Guitar / The Ink in the Well / Silver Moon |
|
| Weatherbox |
|
| Live in Japan (with Robert Fripp) |
|
| Amplified Gesture |
|
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| "Bamboo Music" | 1982 |
| "Forbidden Colours" | 1983 |
| "Red Guitar" | 1984 |
| "The Ink in the Well" | |
| "Pulling Punches" | |
| "Silver Moon" | 1986 |
| "Orpheus" | 1988 |
| "Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II)" | 1992 |
| "I Surrender" | 1999 |
| Year | Song | Artist | Album | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "Good Night" | Akiko Yano | Ai Ga Nakucha Ne | Vocals [29] |
| "Kanashikute Yarikirenai" | Guitar | |||
| "Demain" | Pierre Barouh | Le Pollen | Spoken words | |
| "Le Pollen" | Spoken words in conversation [30] | |||
| "Living on the Front Line" | Sandii & the Sunsetz | Immigrants | Backing vocals, synthesizer, lyrics [30] | |
| "Where the Fire Still Burns" | Backing vocals, lyrics | |||
| "Illusion" | ||||
| 1983 | "Forbidden Colours" | David Sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto | Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto | Vocals, lyrics |
| 1985 | "p:Machinery" | Propaganda | A Secret Wish | Keyboard |
| 1986 | "This is Not Enough" | Sandii & The Sunsetz | La La La La Love~Banzai Baby | Backing vocals, keyboards, lyrics, music |
| "Some Small Hope" | Virginia Astley | Hope in a Darkened Heart | Vocals | |
| "Buoy" | Mick Karn featuring David Sylvian | Dreams of Reason Produce Monsters by Mick Karn | Vocals, lyrics | |
| "When Love Walks In" | Mick Karn | |||
| "Land" | Additional keyboards | |||
| 1987 | "Perfect Days" | Masami Tsuchiya | Life in Mirrors | Electric guitar, piano |
| 1992 | "Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II) – Returning to the Womb" | David Sylvian & Ryuichi Sakamoto featuring Ingrid Chavez | Heartbeat by Ryuichi Sakamoto | Vocals, lyrics, music |
| "Cloud #9" | Ryuichi Sakamoto | Vocals, lyrics | ||
| "First Evening" | Hector Zazou | Sahara Blue | Guitar | |
| "Ophélie" | Music | |||
| "Youth" | Guitar | |||
| "Sahara Blue" | Walkie-talkie vocals | |||
| "To a Reason" | Vocals, guitar, lyrics; credited as Mr. X | |||
| "Victim of Stars" | Vocals, lyrics, music; credited as Mr. X | |||
| "Lettre au Directeur des Messageries Maritimes" | Ending vocals (as Mr. X), lyrics | |||
| 1995 | "Come Morning" | Nicola Alesini & Pier Luigi Andreoni | Marco Polo | Vocals, lyrics, music |
| "The Golden Way" | ||||
| "Maya" | ||||
| 1996 | "Ti Ho Aspettato (I Have Waited for You)" | Andrea Chimenti | L'Albero Pazzo | Vocals, lyrics |
| "How Safe Is Deep?" | Russell Mills | Undark: Strange Familiar | Vocals, lyrics, music | |
| 1997 | "Penguin Freud" | Mono | Formica Blues | Sample of "Answered Prayers" from Gone to Earth |
| 1998 | "Salvation" | Ryuichi Sakamoto | Discord | Lyrics |
| "I Was Waving at You" | Ana Voog | Anavoog.com | Music | |
| 1999 | "Rooms of Sixteen Shimmers" | Russell Mills | Pearl and Umbra | Vocals, lyrics |
| "Forbidden Colours" (New Version) | Ryuichi Sakamoto | Cinemage | ||
| 2001 | "Zero Landmine" | N.M.L. (No More Landmine) (Ryuichi Sakamoto and others) | Zero Landmine | |
| "Zero Landmine – Short Version" | ||||
| "Sugarfuel" | Readymade FC | Bold | ||
| "Linoleum" | Tweaker featuring David Sylvian | The Attraction to All Things Uncertain by Tweaker | ||
| 2004 | "World Citizen (I Won't Be Disappointed)" | Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Sylvian | Chasm by Ryuichi Sakamoto | |
| "Transit" | Fennesz | Venice | ||
| "Pure Genius" | Tweaker featuring David Sylvian | 2 a.m. Wakeup Call by Tweaker | ||
| "Exit / Delete" | Takagi Masakatsu featuring David Sylvian | Coieda by Takagi Masakatsu | ||
| "For the Love of Life" (Ending Theme Full Version) | Kuniaki Haishima | Monster soundtrack | ||
| "Messenger" | Blonde Redhead | Equus | Vocals | |
| "As Long as I Can Hold My Breath" | Harold Budd | Avalon Sutra | Producer; also art director of album | |
| 2005 | "A Fire in the Forest" (Remix) | Readymade FC | Babilonia | Vocals, lyrics |
| "Matière Pensante" | Hector Zazou | Quadri + Chromies | Vocals | |
| 2006 | "The Librarian" | Burnt Friedman & Jaki Liebezeit featuring David Sylvian | Secret Rhythms 2 by Burnt Friedman & Jaki Liebezeit | Vocals, lyrics |
| "Angels" | Punkt | Crime Scenes | ||
| 2007 | "Playground Martyrs" | Steve Jansen | Slope | |
| "Ballad of a Deadman" | Vocals, lyrics, guitar | |||
| "Cancelled Pieces" | Guitar | |||
| 2008 | "Honor Wishes" | Joan As Police Woman featuring David Sylvian | To Survive by Joan As Police Woman | Vocals |
| "No Question" | ||||
| "Before and Afterlife" | Arve Henriksen | Cartography | Vocals, lyrics, sampling, programming | |
| "Thermal" | Vocals, lyrics | |||
| 2009 | "Jacqueline" | David Sylvian | The Believer (The 2009 Music Issue) by various artists | |
| 2010 | Little Girls With 99 Lives (EP) | Ingrid Chavez | Little Girls With 99 Lives (EP) | Lyrics, music, instruments, co-producer |
| 2012 | "Nothing Is Happening Everywhere" | Land | Night Within | Vocals, lyrics [31] |
| 2017 | "Life, Life" | Ryuichi Sakamoto | async | Vocals [32] |
| 2020 | "Like Planets [unreel]" | Mark Wastell | None | Field recordings, poetry fragments |
| 2022 | "Grains (Sweet Paulownia Wood)" | David Sylvian | A Tribute To Ryuichi Sakamoto – To The Moon And Back | Vocals, Producer |