| Year | Title | Artist credit | Chart position | Notes | Album |
|---|
UK
[2] | AUS
[4] | CAN
[26] | IRL
[23] | NZ
[12] | US
[27]
[28] | US
AAA
[29] | US MSR
[30] | US Alt
[31] |
|---|
| 1977 | "Less Than Zero" | EC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | My Aim Is True |
| "Alison" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "Watching the Detectives" | 15 | 35 | 60 | – | – | 108 | – | – | – | Did not appear on UK editions of My Aim Is True. |
| 1978 | "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" | EC+ATT | 16 | 93 | – | 12 | – | – | – | – | – | Did not appear on US editions of This Year's Model. | This Year's Model |
| "This Year's Girl" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | US release only |
| "Pump It Up" | 24 | 55 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "Stranger in the House" | EC+GJ | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Packaged with the first 1,000 copies of This Year's Model. [32] | My Very Special Guests |
| "Radio Radio" | EC+ATT | 29 | 93 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Did not appear on UK editions of This Year's Model. | This Year's Model |
| "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" b/w /"My Funny Valentine" (non-album track) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Cover single given out free at a Valentine's Day concert. [33] Also, it didn't appear on UK editions of Armed Forces. | Armed Forces |
| "Talking in the Dark" b/w "Wednesday Week" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Christmas single given out free at concerts. [34] | Non-album single |
| 1979 | "Oliver's Army" | 2 | 24 | – | 4 | 25 | – | – | – | – | | Armed Forces |
| "Accidents Will Happen" | 28 | – | – | – | – | 101 | – | – | – | |
| 1980 | "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" | 4 | – | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | | Get Happy!! |
| "High Fidelity" | 30 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "New Amsterdam" | EC | 36 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | The Attractions played on almost all of Costello's singles from 1978 to 1984. But Costello did all the instruments on "New Amsterdam". [35] |
| "Clubland" | EC+ATT | 60 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Trust |
| 1981 | "From a Whisper to a Scream" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 46 | – | |
| "Watch Your Step" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | US release only |
| "Good Year for the Roses" | 6 | 34 | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | | Almost Blue |
| "Sweet Dreams" | 42 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1982 | "I'm Your Toy" b/w "Cry, Cry, Cry" and "Wondering" (non-album tracks, EC+ATT) | EC+ATT+RPO | 51 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "You Little Fool" | EC+ATT | 52 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Imperial Bedroom |
| "Man Out of Time" | 58 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "From Head to Toe" b/w "The World of Broken Hearts" [36] | 43 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Non-album single |
| "Party Party" | 48 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Party Party Soundtrack |
| 1983 | "Pills and Soap" | IMP | 16 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Punch the Clock |
| "Everyday I Write the Book" | EC+ATT | 28 | 40 | 40 | 23 | 20 | 36 | – | 33 | – | |
| "Let Them All Talk" b/w "The Flirting Kind" (non-album track) | 59 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1984 | "Peace in Our Time" b/w "Withered and Die" (non-album track) | IMP | 48 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Goodbye Cruel World |
| "I Wanna Be Loved" / "Turning the Town Red" (non-album track) | EC+ATT | 25 | – | – | 11 | – | – | – | – | – | "I Wanna Be Loved" / "Turning the Town Red" was tracked as a double A-side in the UK, with both sides charting. "Turning The Town Red" did not initially appear on ''Goodbye Cruel World'', although it has been added as a bonus track to some CD reissues of this album. |
| "The Only Flame in Town" | 71 | – | – | – | – | 56 | – | 44 | – | |
| 1985 | "Green Shirt" | 68 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | The Man – The Best of Elvis Costello |
| "The People's Limousine" b/w "They'll Never Take Her Love from Me" | TCB | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Non-album single |
| 1986 | "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" | TCS | 33 | 81 | – | 22 | – | – | – | 38 | – | | King of America |
| "Seven-Day Weekend" (with Jimmy Cliff) | JC+EC+ATT | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Club Paradise |
| "Lovable" | TCS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | US release only | King of America |
| "Tokyo Storm Warning" b/w "Black Sails in the Sunset" | EC+ATT | 73 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Blood and Chocolate |
| "I Want You" | 79 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1987 | "Blue Chair" | EC | 94 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "A Town Called Big Nothing" | TMG | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Non-album single |
| 1989 | "Veronica" | EC | 31 | 27 | 64 | 22 | 16 | 19 | – | 10 | 1 | | Spike |
| "...This Town..." | – | 123 | – | – | – | – | – | 41 | 4 | |
| 1991 | "The Other Side of Summer" | 43 | 96 | 72 | – | – | – | – | 40 | 1 | | Mighty Like a Rose |
| "So Like Candy" | – | 129 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1993 | "Jacksons, Monk & Rowe" | EC+BQ | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 73 | | The Juliet Letters |
| 1994 | "Sulky Girl" | EC | 22 | 162 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Although the Attractions played on "Sulky Girl" and "13 Steps Lead Down", these tracks were credited simply to Elvis Costello. | Brutal Youth |
| "13 Steps Lead Down" | 59 | 137 | – | – | – | 115 | – | – | 6 |
| "You Tripped at Every Step" | EC+ATT | 83 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "London's Brilliant Parade" | 48 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1996 | "It's Time" | 58 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | All This Useless Beauty |
| "Little Atoms" | 95 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "The Other End of the Telescope" | 96 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "Distorted Angel" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "All This Useless Beauty" | 96 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "You Bowed Down" | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8 | – | – | US release only |
| 1999 | "Toledo" | EC+BB | 72 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Painted from Memory |
| "She" | EC | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Notting Hill: Music from the Motion Picture |
| 2002 | "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" | EC | 58 | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | – | – | The backing musicians on "Tear Off Your Own Head" and "45" were Steve Nieve, Davey Faragher, and Pete Thomas, later to be collectively billed as "The Imposters". However, these releases are credited solely to Costello. | When I Was Cruel |
| "45" | 92 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 2004 | "Monkey to Man" | EC+IMP | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | – | – | | The Delivery Man |
| 2005 | "Brilliant Mistake" | EC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | "Brilliant Mistake" was released as a UK single in 2005, 19 years after the track first appeared on the album King of America. Though the album was credited to The Costello Show, the single release was credited to Elvis Costello. | King of America |
| 2008 | "No Hiding Place" | EC+IMP | – | – | – | – | – | – | 26 | – | – | | Momofuku |
| "Go Away" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 2009 | "Complicated Shadows" | EC | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | – | – | | Secret, Profane & Sugarcane |
| 2010 | "A Slow Drag with Josephine" | LUP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | "A Slow Drag With Josephine" was issued as a limited edition 78 rpm 10" single. For this single release, the design conceit was to emulate the look of a real 1930s 78 rpm single, and accordingly the artist credit on the label was given as "The Lupotones (Vocal refrain by Elvis Costello)" | National Ransom |
| "Jimmie Standing in the Rain" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | "Jimmie Standing in the Rain" was issued as a limited edition 78 rpm 10" single. For this single release, the design conceit was to emulate the look of a real 1930s 78 rpm single, and accordingly the artist credit on the label was given as "The Lupotones (Vocal refrain by Elvis Costello)" |
| 2013 | "Walk Us Uptown" | EC+ROOTS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Wise Up Ghost |
| 2017 | "Bright Blue Times" | IMP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Non-album singles |
| "American Tune" b/w "Lucky Dog" [37] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 2018 | "Someone Else's Heart" | EC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "Unwanted Number" | EC+IMP | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8 | – | – | | Look Now |
| "Under Lime" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 2020 | "No Flag" | EC | – | – | – | – | – | – | 39 | – | – | | Hey Clockface |
| "Hetty O'Hara Confidential" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "We Are All Cowards Now" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "Hey Clockface / How Can You Face Me?" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "Newspaper Pane" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 2021 | "Magnificent Hurt" | EC+IMP | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | – | 100 | | The Boy Named If |
| 2023 | "New Wave" | EC+ JO | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | Non-album single |
|
