Following is a discography for the major solo works of American singer Michael McDonald .
Following is a discography for the major solo works of American singer Michael McDonald .
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | US R&B [1] | AUS [2] | DEN [3] | NLD [4] | SWE [5] | UK [6] | |||
| If That's What It Takes |
| 6 | 10 | 41 | — | — | — | — | |
| No Lookin' Back |
| 45 | — | — | — | — | 26 | — | |
| Take It to Heart |
| 110 | — | — | 56 | 29 | — | 35 | |
| Blink of an Eye |
| — | — | — | 74 | 42 | — | — | |
| Blue Obsession |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| In the Spirit: A Christmas Album |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Motown | 14 | 17 | — | 25 | 95 | 58 | 29 |
| |
| Motown Two |
| 9 | 8 | — | 8 | — | 56 | 29 |
|
| Through the Many Winters, A Christmas Album |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
| Soul Speak |
| 12 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 27 | |
| Wide Open |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||||||
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Certifications | Record label | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | UK [6] | ||||||||
| 1982 | That Was Then – The Early Recordings of Michael McDonald * | — | — | Arista | |||||
| 1986 | Sweet Freedom | — | 6 | Warner Bros. | |||||
| 2000 | The Voice of Michael McDonald | — | — |
| Warner Bros. / Rhino | ||||
| 2001 | The Very Best of Michael McDonald | — | 21 |
| Warner Bros. / Rhino | ||||
| 2004 | The Best of Michael McDonald: The Christmas Collection | — | — | ||||||
| 2005 | The Ultimate Collection | 19 | 20 |
| Warner Bros. / Rhino | ||||
| 2009 | This Christmas | 95 | — | Razor & Tie | |||||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||||||
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Certification | Record label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | UK [6] | ||||
| 2018 | Live on Soundstage * | — | — | — | Chain Records, BMG |
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | US R&B [1] | US AC [1] | US Dan. [1] | US Main Rock [1] | US Jazz | UK [6] | |||
| 1982 | "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" | 4 | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | 43 | If That's What It Takes |
| "I Gotta Try" | 44 | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985 | "No Lookin' Back" | 34 | — | 18 | — | 4 | — | — | No Lookin' Back |
| "Bad Times" | — | — | — | — | 38 | — | — | ||
| "Lost in the Parade" | — | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "Sweet Freedom" | 7 | 17 | 4 | 8 | — | — | 12 | Running Scared (soundtrack) / Sweet Freedom |
| 1987 | "Our Love (Theme from No Mercy )" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sweet Freedom |
| 1990 | "Take It to Heart" | 98 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | Take It to Heart |
| "Tear It Up" | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991 | "All We Got" | — | 88 | — | 9 | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | "I Stand for You" | 114 | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | Blink of an Eye |
| "Hey Girl" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "For a Child" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994 | "Matters of the Heart" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2003 | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | — | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | Motown |
| 2004 | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | 111 | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2005 | "Reach Out, I'll Be There" | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | Motown Two |
| "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Deck the Halls/Jingle Bells" | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | Through the Many Winters | |
| 2008 | "Walk On By" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Soul Speak |
| "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Love T.K.O." | — | 92 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Enemy Within" | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009 | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | This Christmas |
| 2017 | "Find It in Your Heart" | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | Wide Open |
| 2022 | "You Belong to Me" (w/ Buika) [9] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Single only |
| "Tears to Come" [10] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes the single was not released or didn't chart. | |||||||||
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | US R&B [1] | US AC [1] | US Cou. [1] | UK [6] | |||||
| 1975 | "Bad Sneakers" (w/ Steely Dan) | — | — | — | — | — | Katy Lied | ||
| 1979 | "This Is It" (w/ Kenny Loggins) | 11 | 19 | 17 | — | — | Keep the Fire | ||
| 1980 | "Let Me Go, Love" (w/ Nicolette Larson) | 35 | 96 | 9 | — | — | In the Nick of Time | ||
| 1980 | "Ride Like the Wind" (w/ Christopher Cross) | 2 | — | 24 | — | 69 | Christopher Cross | ||
| 1983 | "Yah Mo B There" (w/ James Ingram) | 19 | 5 | 10 | — | 44 | It's Your Night | ||
| 1985 | "Yah Mo B There" (w/ James Ingram)[UK re-release] | — | — | — | — | 12 | |||
| 1986 | "On My Own" (w/ Patti LaBelle) | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 |
| Winner in You | |
| "I Just Can't Let Go" (w/ David Pack & James Ingram) | — | — | 13 | — | — | The Voice of Michael McDonald | |||
| 1987 | "Love Has No Color" (w/ The Winans) | — | — | — | — | — | Decision | ||
| 1992 | "Ever Changing Times" (w/ Aretha Franklin) | — | 19 | 11 | — | — | What You See Is What You Sweat | ||
| 1992 | "Time to Be Lovers" (w/ Chaka Khan) | — | — | — | — | — | Beverly Hills 90210 - The Soundtrack | ||
| 1998 | "One Heart at a Time" (w/ Garth Brooks, Billy Dean, Faith Hill, Olivia Newton-John, Neal McCoy, Victoria Shaw, and Bryan White) | 56 | — | — | 69 | — | Single only | ||
| 1999 | "Among the Missing" (w/ Kathy Mattea) | — | — | — | 73 | — | |||
| "Eyes of a Child" | — | — | — | — | — | South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut | |||
| 2002 | "Sweet Freedom" (w/ Safri Duo) | — | — | — | — | 54 | —Episode II | ||
| 2005 | "Heart of America" (w/ Wynonna Judd, Eric Benét and Terry Dexter) | — | — | — | — | — | Hurricane Relief: Come Together Now | ||
| 2006 | "My Love's Leavin' " (w/ Fourplay) | — | — | — | — | — | X | ||
| 2009 | "While You Wait for the Others" (w/ Grizzly Bear) | — | — | — | — | — | Single only | ||
| 2011 | "Some Children" (w/ Holy Ghost!) | — | — | — | — | — | Holy Ghost! | ||
| 2017 | "Show You The Way" (w/ Thundercat and Kenny Loggins) | — | — | — | — | — | Drunk | ||
| "When We Were Young" (w/ Jo Harman) | — | — | — | — | — | People We Become | |||
| 2023 | "Wherever I Go" (w/ Jacob Collier and Lawrence) | — | — | — | — | — | Djesse Vol. 4 | ||
| "—" denotes the single was not released or didn't chart. | |||||||||
| Year | Video |
|---|---|
| 1982 | "I Keep Forgettin'" |
| 1982 | "I Gotta Try'" |
| 1985 | "Lost in the Parade'" |
| "No Lookin Back" | |
| 1986 | "Sweet Freedom" (with Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines) |
| 1986 | "On My Own" (with Patti LaBelle) |
| 1987 | "Love Has No Color" (with Winans) |
| 1998 | "One Heart at a Time" (with Olivia Newton-John, Bryan White, Neal McCoy, Faith Hill, Victoria Shaw, Billy Dean and Garth Brooks) |
| 2000 | "Among the Missing" (with Kathy Mattea) |