| Lou Reed discography | |
|---|---|
 Reed performing in 2011 | |
| Studio albums | 22 |
| EPs | 1 |
| Live albums | 18 |
| Compilation albums | 19 |
| Singles | 52 |
| Video albums | 16 |
| Music videos | 16 |
| Box sets | 12 |
American rock musician Lou Reed released 22 studio albums, 19 compilation albums, 18 live albums, 16 video albums, 52 singles, 1 extended play, 16 music videos, and 12 box-sets.
| Year | Title | Release date | Label | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | AUS [2] [3] | CAN [4] | FRA [5] | GER [6] | NZ [7] | NLD [8] | NOR [9] | SWE [10] | UK [11] | |||||
| 1972 | Lou Reed | May 1972 | RCA | 189 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Transformer | November 1972 | 29 | 12 | 12 | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 13 | |||
| 1973 | Berlin | October 1973 | 98 | 59 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 |
| |
| 1974 | Sally Can't Dance | September 1974 | 10 | 14 | 22 | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | ||
| 1975 | Metal Machine Music | July 1975 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976 | Coney Island Baby | January 1976 | 41 | 25 | — | — | — | 16 | 4 | — | 23 | 52 | ||
| Rock and Roll Heart | November 1976 | Arista | 64 | 68 | 91 | — | — | — | 19 | — | 40 | — | ||
| 1978 | Street Hassle | February 1978 | 89 | 24 | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979 | The Bells | May 1979 | 130 | 58 | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | 44 | — | ||
| 1980 | Growing Up in Public | April 1980 | 158 | — | — | — | — | 27 | — | — | 35 | — | ||
| 1982 | The Blue Mask | February 1982 | RCA | 169 | — | — | — | 52 | 35 | 28 | — | 17 | — | |
| 1983 | Legendary Hearts | March 1983 | 159 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | — | ||
| 1984 | New Sensations | April 1984 | 56 | 56 | 96 | — | — | 25 | — | — | 30 | 92 | ||
| 1986 | Mistrial | April 1986 | 47 | 47 | 54 | — | — | 31 | — | — | 14 | 69 | ||
| 1989 | New York | January 1989 | Sire | 40 | 25 | 44 | — | 19 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 14 | |
| 1990 | Songs for Drella (with John Cale) | April 1990 | 103 | 100 | — | — | 28 | 42 | 14 | — | 43 | 22 | ||
| 1992 | Magic and Loss | January 1992 | 80 | 56 | 56 | — | 17 | 20 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 6 | ||
| 1996 | Set the Twilight Reeling | February 1996 | Warner Bros. | 110 | 109 | 46 | — | 18 | — | 26 | 17 | 23 | 26 | |
| 2000 | Ecstasy | April 2000 | Reprise Records | 183 | 121 | — | 48 | 24 | — | 68 | 20 | — | 54 | |
| 2003 | The Raven | January 2003 | Sire | — | — | — | 60 | 45 | — | 50 | — | — | — | |
| 2007 | Hudson River Wind Meditations | April 2007 | Sounds True | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2011 | Lulu (with Metallica) | October 2011 | Warner Bros. | 36 | 33 | 25 | 23 | 6 | 12 | 17 | 11 | 9 | 36 | |
| "—" denotes albums that did not chart, or albums not released in a particular territory. | ||||||||||||||
| Year | Title | Release date | Label | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | AUS [2] | CAN [4] | FRA [5] | GER [6] | NZ [7] | NLD [8] | UK [11] | |||||
| 1974 | Rock 'n' Roll Animal | February 1974 | RCA | 45 | 20 | 55 | — | — | — | — | 26 |
|
| 1975 | Lou Reed Live | March 1975 | 62 | 42 | — | — | — | 15 | 4 | — | ||
| 1978 | Live: Take No Prisoners | November 1978 | Arista | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | |
| 1984 | Live in Italy | January 1984 | RCA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1996 | Live in Concert (reissue of Live in Italy) | 1996 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998 | Perfect Night: Live in London | April 1998 | Sire | — | — | — | 56 | 98 | — | 197 | — | |
| 2001 | American Poet | June 2001 | Pilot | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2004 | Animal Serenade | March 2004 | Reprise | — | — | — | 157 | — | — | — | — | |
| Le Bataclan '72 | October 2004 | Dynamic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007 | Metal Machine Music
| September 4, 2007 | Asphodel | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2008 | The Stone: Issue Three
| April 2008 | Tzadik | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse | November 2008 | Matador | — | — | — | 144 | — | — | — | — | ||
| The Creation of the Universe | December 2008 | Best Seat in the House Productions | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014 | Thinking of Another Place | March 2014 | Easy Action | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2016 | Waltzing Matilda (Love Has Gone Away) | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Alice Tully Hall | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2017 | In Their Own Words
| September 15, 2017 | The Bottom Line | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2020 | When Your Heart Is Made Out of Ice | May 2020 | Easy Action | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Live at Alice Tully Hall (January 27, 1973 - 2nd Show) | November 27, 2020 | RCA Victor/Legacy/Sony | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes albums that did not chart, or albums not released in a particular territory. | ||||||||||||
| Year | Title | Release date | Label | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | AUS [3] | NZ [7] | NLD [8] | NOR [9] | SWE [10] | UK [11] | |||||
| 1977 | Walk on the Wild Side: The Best of Lou Reed | April 1977 | RCA | 156 | 160 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1980 | Rock and Roll Diary: 1967–1980 | December 1980 | Arista | 178 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1985 | City Lights | 1985 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989 | Retro | 1989, 1998 | RCA | — | 125 | 33 | — | — | — | 29 | |
| 1992 | Between Thought and Expression: The Lou Reed Anthology | 1992 | — | 165 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Walk on the Wild Side & Other Hits | March 1992 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1995 | The Best of Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground | 1995 | Global TV | — | — | — | — | — | — | 56 |
|
| 1996 | Different Times: Lou Reed in the '70s | May 1996 | RCA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1997 | Perfect Day | October 1997 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999 | The Definitive Collection | August 1999 | Arista | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The Very Best of Lou Reed | 1999 | Camden Deluxe | — | — | — | — | 19 | — | 94 |
| |
| 2002 | Legendary Lou Reed | July 2002 | RCA/BMG | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2003 | NYC Man (The Ultimate Collection 1967–2003) | June 2003 | — | 195 | 31 | 91 | — | 42 | 31 | ||
| 2004 | NYC Man: Greatest Hits | August 2004 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | ||
| 2008 | Playlist: The Very Best of Lou Reed | July 2008 | Legacy | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2011 | The Essential Lou Reed | September 13, 2011 | RCA | 155 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2021 | I'm So Free: The 1971 RCA Demos | December 24, 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022 | Words & Music, May 1965 [16] | September 16, 2022 | Light in the Attic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2024 | Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65 [17] | October 18, 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes albums that did not chart, or albums not released in a particular territory. | |||||||||||
| Year | Title | Release date | Label | Format | Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Songs for Drella Limited Edition | May 1990 (Germany) | Sire/Warner Reprise Video | CD+VHS | LP-size box with video, deluxe digipack velvet-cover CD and liner notes with Factory-era photographs, German-translated lyrics and poster of Andy Warhol |
| 1992 | Between Thought and Expression: The Lou Reed Anthology | April 14, 1992 | RCA | 3xCD/cassette | Hits, highlights, b-sides and previously unreleased material from 1972-1988 with a 48-page book, also available on streaming |
| 2008 | Original Album Classics | 2008 (Europe) | RCA/Legacy/Sony | 5xCD | 5 albums from 1972-1976 |
| 2009 | Original Album Classics | September 25, 2009 | 5xCD | 5 albums from 1982-1986 | |
| 2010 | Classic Albums: Transformer / Live at Montreux 2000 | 2010 (DVD) / 2014 (Blu-ray) | Eagle Vision | 2xDVD / 1 Blu-ray | 2 videos from 2001-2005 |
| 2011 | Original Album Classics | October 7, 2011 | RCA/Legacy/Sony | 5xCD | 5 albums from 1974-1980 |
| 2013 | Original Album Series | February 11, 2013 | Rhino/Sire/Warner | 5xCD | 5 albums from 1990-2000 |
| 2015 | The Sire Years: The Complete Albums Box [18] | October 30, 2015 | Sire/Warner Bros. | 10xCD | 8 albums from 1989-2004, also available on streaming |
| 2016 | The RCA & Arista Album Collection | October 7, 2016 | RCA/Arista/Legacy/Sony Music | 17xCD | 16 albums from 1972-1986, 80-page book, 5 prints and poster |
| The RCA & Arista Vinyl Collection Vol. 1 | 6xLP | 6 albums from 1972-1982, 32-page book, booklets and poster | |||
| 2020 | New York: Limited Deluxe Edition [19] | September 25, 2020 | Sire/Rhino/Warner Bros. | 2xLP+3xCD+DVD+cassette | Original album remastered, demos, singles, live audio and video, also available on streaming |
| 2022 | Words & Music, May 1965: Deluxe Edition [20] | October 6, 2022 | Light in the Attic | 2xLP+7"+CD | Lou Reed Archive Series limited release of 7,500 copies with die-cut jacket, 28-page book, letter, previously unreleased demos and also available on streaming |
| Year | Title | Release date | Label | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Gee Whiz (1958-1964) | October 21, 2022 | Light in the Attic | Words & Music, 1965 (Ltd. Deluxe Ed.) |
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [21] | AUS [2] [3] | UK [11] | US Alt [22] | ||||
| 1972 | "I Can't Stand It" | — | — | — | — | Lou Reed | |
| "Walk and Talk It" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Walk on the Wild Side" [23] | 16 | 95 | 10 | — |
| Transformer | |
| 1973 | "Satellite of Love" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Vicious" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "How Do You Think It Feels" | — | — | — | — | Berlin | ||
| 1974 | "Caroline Says" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Sweet Jane" | — | — | — | — | Rock 'n' Roll Animal | ||
| "Sally Can't Dance" | — | — | — | — | Sally Can't Dance | ||
| 1976 | "Charley's Girl" | — | — | — | — | Coney Island Baby | |
| "Crazy Feeling" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I Believe in Love" | — | — | — | — | Rock and Roll Heart | ||
| 1977 | "Chooser and the Chosen One" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Rock and Roll Heart" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1978 | "Street Hassle" | — | — | — | — | Street Hassle | |
| 1979 | "Disco Mystic" | — | — | — | — | The Bells | |
| "City Lights" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1980 | "The Power of Positive Drinking" | — | — | — | — | Growing Up in Public | |
| 1982 | "The Blue Mask" | — | — | — | — | The Blue Mask | |
| "Women" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1983 | "Don't Talk to Me About Work" | — | — | — | — | Legendary Hearts | |
| "Martial Law" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1984 | "I Love You, Suzanne" | — | 71 | 78 | — | New Sensations | |
| "My Red Joystick" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "High in the City" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1985 | "My Love Is Chemical" | — | — | — | — | White Nights | |
| "September Song" | — | — | — | — | Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill | ||
| 1986 | "The Original Wrapper" | — | — | — | — | Mistrial | |
| "No Money Down" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Soul Man" (with Samuel David Moore) | — | — | 30 | — | Soul Man soundtrack | ||
| 1989 | "Busload of Faith" | — | — | — | 11 | New York | |
| "Romeo Had Juliette" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Dirty Blvd." | — | 45 | — | 1 | |||
| 1992 | "Sword of Damocles" | — | — | — | — | Magic and Loss | |
| "What's Good" | — | — | 86 | 1 | |||
| 1996 | "Adventurer" | — | — | — | — | Set the Twilight Reeling | |
| "NYC Man" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Hookywooky" | — | 172 | — | — | |||
| 1997 | "Perfect Day" (as part of Artists for Children in Need) [24] | — | — | 1 | — |
| Non-album single |
| 2000 | "Future Farmers of America" | — | — | — | — | Ecstasy | |
| "Modern Dance" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Paranoia Key of E" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2002 | "Who Am I? (Tripitena's Song)" | — | — | — | — | The Raven | |
| 2003 | "Perfect Day (Sessions@AOL)" [25] | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| 2004 | "Sweet Jane (Live in Los Angeles, 2003)" [26] | — | — | — | — | Non-album single cut from Animal Serenade | |
| "Satellite of Love '04" | — | 83 | 10 | — | NYC Man: Greatest Hits | ||
| 2007 | "Gravity"/"Safety Zone" | — | — | — | — | Music Inspired by the Film Nanking | |
| "Tranquilize" (with The Killers) | — | 84 | 13 | — | Sawdust | ||
| 2011 | "The View" (with Metallica) | — | — | — | — | Lulu | |
| 2022 | "Heroin (May 1965 Demo)" [27] | — | — | — | — | Words & Music, May 1965 | |
| "Men of Good Fortune (May 1965 Demo)" [28] | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2023 | "Open Invitation" [29] | — | — | — | — | Non-album single cut from New Sensations | |
| "—" denotes singles that did not chart, or singles not released in a particular territory. | |||||||
| Year | Song(s) | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Little Sister" | Get Crazy soundtrack | Original song |
| 1985 | "Hot Hips" | Perfect soundtrack | |
| 1988 | "Something Happened" | Permanent Record soundtrack | |
| 1990 | "One World One Voice" | One World One Voice | A concept album for environmental awareness. Reed and his band perform a track with overdubs from Richard Galliano and Penguin Café Orchestra |
| 1993 | "Tarbelly and Featherfoot" | Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams | Victoria Williams cover |
| "Why Can't I Be Good" | Faraway, So Close! soundtrack | Original song | |
| 1995 | "You'll Know You Were Loved" | Friends soundtrack | |
| 1997 | "This Magic Moment" | Lost Highway soundtrack | Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman cover |
| 2004 | "Gentle Breeze" | Mary Had a Little Amp | Written and sung by Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson for a charity album |
| 2006 | "Leave Her Johnny" | Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys | Traditional song |
| 2010 | "Solsbury Hill" | And I'll Scratch Yours | Peter Gabriel cover released as a single in 2010, released on And I'll Scratch Yours in 2013 |
| 2011 | "The Debt I Owe" | Note of Hope - A Celebration of Woody Guthrie [30] | Original song based on Hank Williams' writings |
| "Peggy Sue" | Rave On Buddy Holly | Jerry Allison & Norman Petty cover |
| Year | Song(s) | Album | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "What's Good" | Until the End of the World soundtrack | Remix | Early mix |
| 1993 | "Foot of Pride" | The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration | Live | Recorded live on October 16, 1992, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. |
| 1996 | "Sweet Jane" | The Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | Recorded live in 1995 with Soul Asylum | |
| 1997 | "September Song" | September Songs – The Music of Kurt Weill | Remix | New version, released on video in 1994 |
| 2001 | "Set the Twilight Reeling" | The Best of Sessions at West 54th | Live | Broadcast in 1998 |
| 2006 | "Perfect Day" and "Vicious" | The Bridge School Collection, Vol.1 | ||
| "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" | The Harry Smith Project Live, Vol. 2 [31] |
| Year | Album | Artist | Details | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Wild Angel | Nelson Slater | Backing vocals, piano, producer | [32] |
| 1978 | Urban Desire | Genya Ravan | Duet Vocals ("Aye Co'lorado") | |
| 1988 | Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom | Tom Tom Club | Backing vocals ("Femme Fatale") | [33] |
| Nothing But the Truth | Rubén Blades | Guest vocals ("Hopes on Hold", "Letters to the Vatican", "The Calm Before the Storm") | [34] | |
| Duets | Rob Wasserman | Guest vocals ("One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)") | [35] | |
| 1989 | Yo Frankie | Dion DiMucci | ||
| Street Fighting Years | Simple Minds | Guest vocals ("This Is Your Land") | [36] | |
| 1991 | I Spent a Week There the Other Night | Moe Tucker | Guitar ("Fired Up" and "I'm Not") | |
| 1992 | I Still Believe in You | Vince Gill | backing vocals on "Under These Conditions" | |
| 1994 | A Date with The Smithereens | The Smithereens | Guest vocals ("Point of No Return", "Long Way Back Again") | |
| Greetings from the Gutter | David A. Stewart | Guest vocals ("You Talk a Lot") | ||
| Bright Red | Laurie Anderson | Vocals, lyrics ("In Our Sleep") | ||
| 1998 | Music for Children | John Zorn | Guest vocals ("Cycles Du Nord") | [37] |
| 2002 | Hitting the Ground | Gordon Gano | Guest vocals ("Catch 'Em In the Act") | |
| No Regrets | Jamie Richards | Backing vocals ("Don't Try to Find Me") | ||
| Night Time! | Dan Zanes & Friends | Guest vocals ("What a Wonderful World") | ||
| 2005 | No Balance Palace | Kashmir | Guest vocals ("Black Building") | |
| I Am a Bird Now | Antony and the Johnsons | Guest vocals ("Fistful of Love") | ||
| 2006 | I Will Break Your Fall | Fernando Saunders | Guest vocals, guitar, writer ("Baton Rouge") | [38] |
| Intersections 1985–2005 | Bruce Hornsby | Guest vocals ("The Mighty Quinn") | ||
| A Portrait of Howard | Howard Tate | Guest vocals ("How Do You Think It Feels") | ||
| 2007 | Sawdust | The Killers | Guest vocals ("Tranquilize") | |
| Recitement | Stephen Emmer | Guest vocals ("Passengers") | ||
| 2008 | The Family Album | Lucibel Crater | Guest vocals ("Threadbare Funeral") | |
| 2009 | Duets | The Blind Boys of Alabama | Guest vocals ("Jesus") | |
| Solid Ground | Sara Wasserman (Rob Wasserman's daughter) | Guest vocals ("Need To Know") | ||
| Havana Winter | Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle | Guest vocals ("Coma", "In The Shade", "Helicopter in the Sand") | ||
| 2010 | Plastic Beach | Gorillaz | Guest vocals ("Some Kind of Nature") | |
| Mayhem | Imelda May | Guest vocals ("Kentish Town Waltz") (non-album track) | ||
| 2011 | The Road from Memphis | Booker T. Jones | Guest vocals ("The Bronx") | |
| 2012 | Synthetica | Metric | Guest vocals ("The Wanderlust") | [39] |
| Year | Video details |
|---|---|
| 1972 | Le Bataclan '72 (with John Cale & Nico)
|
| 1974 | Sally Can’t Dance Tour (a.k.a. Paris Olympia 1974 or Live Performances 1972 & 1974)
|
| 1983 | A Night with Lou Reed
|
| 1984 | Coney Island Baby: Live in Jersey
|
| 1985 | Live in Barcelona 1984
|
| 1990 | The New York Album
|
Songs for Drella
| |
| 1992 | Magic and Loss Live in Concert
|
| 1998 | Rock & Roll Heart
|
| 2001 | Classic Albums: Transformer
|
| 2005 | Spanish Fly: Live in Spain
|
Live at Montreux 2000
| |
| 2007 | Metal Machine Music (with Zeitkratzer) [42]
|
Lou Reed: Berlin
| |
| 2011 | Lollapalooza Live
|
| 2013 | In Memory of Lou Reed
|
| Year | Title | Director(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "Women" | ||
| 1983 | "Legendary Hearts" | ||
| "Don't Talk to Me About Work" | |||
| 1984 | "I Love You, Suzanne" | ||
| "My Red Joystick" | |||
| 1986 | "The Original Wrapper" | Zbigniew Rybczyński | [43] |
| "No Money Down" | Godley & Creme | [44] | |
| 1989 | "Busload of Faith" | ||
| 1990 | "Work" (with John Cale) | ||
| 1992 | "What's Good" | Matt Mahurin | |
| 1996 | "Hooky Wooky" | ||
| 2000 | "Ecstasy" | Michele Civetta | [45] |
| "Modern Dance" | Stefan Sagmeister | [46] | |
| 2003 | "NYC Man" | ||
| 2007 | "Tranquilize" (with The Killers) | Anthony Mandler | [47] |
| 2011 | "The View" (with Metallica) | Darren Aronofsky | [48] |
| Year | Title | Release date | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed | April 20, 2024 | Light in the Attic |