Sparks discography

Last updated
Sparks discography
Studio albums26
Live albums1
Compilation albums12
Video albums4
Music videos42
Singles76
Soundtrack albums2

The following is a comprehensive discography of Sparks, an American rock and pop music band formed in Los Angeles in 1970 by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals), initially under the name Halfnelson. Best known for their quirky approach to songwriting, [1] Sparks' music is often accompanied by cutting and acerbic lyrics, [2] and an idiosyncratic stage presence, typified in the contrast between Russell's wide-eyed hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's sedentary scowling. [3]

Contents

Albums

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details, chart positions and certifications
TitleAlbum detailsChart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
US
[4]
AUS
[5]
CAN
[6]
FRA
[7]
GER
[8]
NLD
[9]
NOR
[10]
SCO SWE
[11]
UK
[12]
Halfnelson (as Halfnelson)
A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing
  • Released: January 1973 [14]
  • Labels: Bearsville, Warner Bros.
Kimono My House
  • Released: May 1974
  • Label: Island
1012258104
Propaganda
  • Released: November 1974
  • Label: Island
6375814916509
Indiscreet
  • Released: October 1975
  • Label: Island
169861918618
Big Beat
  • Released: October 1976
  • Labels: Island, Columbia
24
Introducing Sparks
  • Released: October 1977
  • Labels: Columbia, CBS
41
No. 1 in Heaven 634373
Terminal Jive
  • Released: 1980
  • Labels: Virgin, Carrere/Underdog, Ariola, Oasis
96
Whomp That Sucker
  • Released: 1981
  • Labels: Why-Fi, Carrere, Ariola, Oasis
182
Angst in My Pants
  • Released: May 1982
  • Labels: Atlantic, Carrere
173
In Outer Space
  • Released: April 1983
  • Labels: Atlantic, Carrere/Underdog, Oasis
88
Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat
  • Released: 1984
  • Labels: Atlantic, Oasis
Music That You Can Dance To
Interior Design
  • Released: August 1988
  • Labels: Rhino/Fine Art, Carrere
Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins
  • Released: November 1994
  • Label: Logic
29
[16]
45
[17]
150
[18]
Plagiarism
Balls 22
[19]
Lil' Beethoven
  • Released: November 26, 2002
  • Labels: Artful/Lil' Beethoven
13
[19]
Hello Young Lovers
  • Released: February 6, 2006
  • Labels: Gut, In the Red
49
[19]
4866
Exotic Creatures of the Deep
  • Released: May 19, 2008
  • Label: Lil' Beethoven
28
[20]
54
The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman
  • Released: August 15, 2009
  • Labels: SR, Lil' Beethoven
17
[20]
FFS (as FFS)85
[22]
2722138
[23]
17
Hippopotamus
  • Released: September 8, 2017
  • Labels: BMG
10888387
[24]
457
A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip
  • Released: May 15, 2020 [25]
  • Label: BMG
753215924882
[26]
7
The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte
  • Released: May 26, 2023 [27]
  • Label: Island
128
[28]
372
[29]
7

Live albums

List of live albums, with selected details
TitleAlbum details
Two Hands, One Mouth: Live in Europe
  • Released: March 2013
  • Labels: Lil' Beethoven

Soundtrack albums

List of soundtrack albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsChart positions
BEL
(FL)

[30]
FRA
[7]
GER
[8]
SCO
[31]
Annette
  • Released: July 3, 2021
  • Labels: Milan
68907232
The Sparks Brothers
  • Released: March 2022
  • Labels: Waxwork

Compilation albums

Singles

1970s

YearSingleChart positionsAlbum
US AUS
[5]
BEL
(FL)

[30]
BEL
(WA)

[30]
GER
[33]
IRE
[34]
NLD
[35]
SWI
[36]
UK
[12] [18]
1972"Wonder Girl"112Sparks
1974"This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us"694312472Kimono My House
"Girl from Germany"51 [upper-alpha 1] A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing
"Amateur Hour"2236121967Kimono My House
"Talent Is An Asset" (US and New Zealand only)
"Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth"484013Propaganda
"Propaganda/At Home, At Work, At Play" (FR only)
1975"Something for the Girl with Everything"17
"Achoo" (US only)
"Get in the Swing"3827Indiscreet
"Looks, Looks, Looks"26
1976"I Want to Hold Your Hand"
"Big Boy"Big Beat
"I Like Girls"
1977"Over the Summer" (US only)Introducing Sparks
"A Big Surprise"
1979"La Dolce Vita"No. 1 In Heaven
"The Number One Song in Heaven"85514
"Beat the Clock"101610
"Tryouts for the Human Race"45

1980s

YearSingleChart positionsAlbum
US Hot 100
[37]
US D-P
[37] [38]
US D-S
[37]
AUS
[5]
FRA
[7]
UK
[12] [18]
1980"When I'm with You"171Terminal Jive
"Young Girls" [upper-alpha 2]
1981"Tips for Teens" [upper-alpha 3] Whomp That Sucker
"Funny Face"
1982"I Predict"60Angst in My Pants
"Angst in My Pants" (DE only)
"Eaten by the Monster of Love" (US only)
"Modesty Plays"
1983"Get Crazy"/"Hot Shot" (Malcolm McDowell)(Split single)Get Crazy (OST)
"Cool Places" (with Jane Wiedlin)4913In Outer Space
"All You Ever Think About is Sex" (US only)
"Please Baby, Please" (FR only)
1984"With All My Might"10428Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat
"Progress" (US 12" only)
"Pretending to be Drunk"/"Kiss Me Quick"60
1985"Give It Up" (Evelyn "Champagne" King)/"Armies of the Night" (Split single)Music That You Can Dance To
"Change"85
1986"Music That You Can Dance To"611
"Fingertips/The Scene" (US 12" only)38
1987"Rosebud" (UK only)
1988"So Important"8Interior Design
1989"Madonna" (FR only)
"Just Got Back from Heaven"724
"Singing in the Shower" (Les Rita Mitsouko and Sparks)2437Marc & Robert

1990s

YearSingleChart positionsAlbum
US D-P
[37]
AUS
[41]
BEL
(FL)

[30]
BEL
(WA)

[30]
GER
[33]
NLD
[35]
SCO SWI
[36]
UK
[12] [18]
1993"National Crime Awareness Week"
1994"When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'"91612735412238Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins
1995"When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)"24613836
"When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" (UK re-issue)3532
"Now That I Own the BBC"815360
1997"The Number One Song in Heaven"285470Plagiarism
"This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" (with Faith No More)693940
1999"More Than a Sex Machine" (DE only)Balls

2000s

YearSingleChart positionsAlbum
US D-P
[37]
AUS
[42]
BEL
(FL)

[30]
BEL
(WA)

[30]
GER
[33]
NLD
[35]
SCO SWI
[36]
UK
[12] [18]
2000"The Calm Before the Storm"Balls
"The Angels" (DE only)
2003"Suburban Homeboy" (UK only)142 Lil' Beethoven
2006"Perfume" (UK only)4680Hello Young Lovers
"Dick Around/Waterproof"67139
2008"Good Morning"147Exotic Creatures of the Deep
2009"Lighten Up, Morrissey" (UK only)

2010s

YearSingleChart positionsAlbum
US D-P
[37]
AUS
[43]
BEL
(FL)

[30]
BEL
(WA)

[30]
GER
[33]
NLD
[35]
SCO SWI
[36]
UK
[12] [18]
2015"Johnny Delusional"90FFS
"Call Girl"
"Police Encounters"
"Christmas Without a Prayer"Non-album single
2017"Hippopotamus" Hippopotamus
"What The Hell Is It This Time?"
"Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)"
"I Wish You Were Fun"
2018"You Earned The Right To Be A Dick" (Hippopotamus shaped disc)------------------ Record Store Day exclusive single
2019"Please Don't Fuck Up My World" A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip

2020s

YearSingleChart positionsAlbum
US D-P
[37]
AUS
[44]
BEL
(FL)

[30]
BEL
(WA)

[30]
GER
[33]
NLD
[35]
SCO SWI
[36]
UK
[12] [18]
2020"Self-Effacing" A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip
"I'm Toast"
"One for the Ages"
"Lawnmower"
2021"Your Fandango" (with Todd Rundgren)------------------ Space Force
2023"The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte"------------------ The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte
"Veronica Lake"------------------
"Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is"------------------
2024"Don't Go Away" (with Max Richter) Spaceman (OST)

Collaborations and contributions

Soundtrack appearances

Video

Music videos

YearVideoDirector
1974"This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us"
1977"Occupation"
1979"The Number One Song in Heaven"Bruce Gowers [45]
"Beat the Clock"Brian Grant [45]
"La Dolce Vita"Bruce Gowers [45]
"Tryouts for the Human Race"Brian Grant [45]
1980"When I'm with You"Brian Grant [45]
"Stereo"Brian Grant [45]
1981"Tips for Teens"
"Funny Face"Sam Peckinpah[ citation needed ]
1982"I Predict"Steve and Doug Martin
1983"Minnie Mouse" The Walt Disney Company
"Cool Places"Graeme Whifler [46]
"All You Ever Think About Is Sex"Pat Warner
1984"With All My Might"Graeme Whifler
1986"Music That You Can Dance To"Ron & Russell Mael
1988"So Important"Ron & Russell Mael
1989"Singing in the Shower"
1993"National Crime Awareness Week" Finitribe
1994"When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" Sophie Muller [45]
1995"When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)"Sophie Muller [45]
"Now That I Own the BBC"Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas
1997"No. 1 Song In Heaven (Plagiarism) "Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas
2000"The Calm Before the Storm"Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas
2003"The Rhythm Thief"Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas
"I Married Myself"Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas
2004"My Baby's Taking Me Home"Shaw Petronio [45]
2006"Perfume"Shaw Petronio
"Dick Around"Shaw Petronio
2009"Lighten Up Morrissey"Shaw Petronio
2015"Christmas Without A Prayer"
2017"Hippopotamus"Scott Peters
"WHat The Hell Is It This Time?"Galen Johnson and Evan Johnson
"Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)" Joseph Wallace
2020"One For The Ages"Chintis Lundgren
"Lawnmower"Ron & Russell Mael
"The Existential Threat" Cyriak Harris
"iPhone"
2021"Left Out In The Cold"
"Your Fandango"Liisa Vääriskoski
"So May We Start"Leos Carax
2023"The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte"Richie Starzec, Ron & Russell Mael
"Escalator"Paul Trewartha, Ron & Russell Mael

Notes

  1. Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".
  2. This single did not enter the UK Singles Chart, but did reach number 93 on the Record Business Singles Chart. [39]
  3. This single did not enter the UK Singles Chart, but did reach number 93 on the Record Business Singles Top 100 chart. [40]

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