Vanessa Williams discography

Last updated

Vanessa Williams discography
Vanessa 2.jpg
Vanessa Williams on July 4, 2006
Studio albums9
Live albums1
Compilation albums4
Singles31
Music videos23
Other appearances2

Vanessa Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American actress and singer. In 1987, Williams released her debut album, The Right Stuff . [1] The first single, "The Right Stuff", found success on the R&B chart, while the second single, "He's Got the Look", found similar success on the same chart. The third single, "Dreamin'", was a pop hit, becoming Williams's first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 8, and her first number one single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album reached gold status in the US and earned her an NAACP Image Award and three Grammy Award nominations, including one for Best New Artist. [1]

Contents

Her second album The Comfort Zone became the biggest success in her music career. [1] The lead single "Running Back to You" reached top twenty on the Hot 100, and the top position of Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart on October 5, 1991. Other singles included "The Comfort Zone" (#2 R&B), "Just for Tonight" (#26 Pop), a cover of The Isley Brothers' "Work to Do" (#3 R&B), and the club-only hit "Freedom Dance (Get Free!)". The most successful single from the album, as well as her biggest hit to date, is "Save the Best for Last". It reached No. 1 in the United States, where it remained for five weeks, as well as No. 1 in Australia, the Netherlands, and Canada, and was in the top 5 in Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The album sold 2.2 million copies in the US at its time of release and has since been certified triple platinum in the United States by the RIAA, gold in Canada by the CRIA, and platinum in the United Kingdom by the BPI. The Comfort Zone earned Williams five Grammy Award nominations. [1]

The Sweetest Days , her third album, was released in 1994 to highly-favorable reviews. [1] The album saw Williams branch out and sample other styles of music that included jazz, hip hop, rock, and Latin-themed recordings such as "Betcha Never" and "You Can't Run", both written and produced by Babyface. Other singles from the album included the adult-contemporary and dance hit "The Way That You Love" and the title track "The Sweetest Days". The album was certified platinum in the US by the RIAA and earned her two Grammy Award nominations. [1]

Other releases include two Christmas albums, Star Bright , released in 1996, and Silver & Gold in 2004; Next in 1997, and Everlasting Love in 2005, along with a greatest-hits compilation released in 1998, and a host of other compilations released over the years. [1] Notable chart performances from subsequent albums, motion picture and television soundtracks have included the songs "Love Is", which was a duet with Brian McKnight, the Golden Globe- and Academy Award-winning "Colors of the Wind", "Where Do We Go from Here?", and "Oh How the Years Go By". [1]

On June 2, 2009, she released her eighth studio album on Concord Records titled The Real Thing . It features songs written and/or produced by Babyface, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Bebel Gilberto, and Rex Rideout. Williams described the album as "a hybrid of samba, bossa nova, some salsa and also some pop and R&B". The title song "The Real Thing", the fourth single released from the album, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. [2]

She received a number of Grammy nominations for her work in the music industry, including hits such as "The Right Stuff", "Save the Best for Last", "Colors of the Wind", and "Oh How the Years Go By".

Albums

Studio albums

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsSales Certifications
US
[3]
US R&B
[3]
AUS
[4]
CAN
[5]
GER
[6]
NLD
[7]
UK
[8]
1988 The Right Stuff 381845
1991 The Comfort Zone
  • Release date: August 20, 1991
  • Label: Wing, Mercury
1712924522824
  • US: 3× Platinum [9]
  • CAN: Gold [11]
1994 The Sweetest Days
  • Release date: December 6, 1994
  • Label: Wing, Mercury
57257274
  • US: Platinum [9]
1996 Star Bright
  • Release date: November 5, 1996
  • Label: Mercury
3624
1997 Next
  • Release date: August 26, 1997
  • Label: Mercury
5328
2004 Silver & Gold [A] 12046
  • US: 100,000 [3]
2005 Everlasting Love
  • Release date: January 25, 2005
  • Label: Lava, Atlantic
15957
2009 The Real Thing [B]
  • Release date: June 2, 2009
  • Label: Concord
9136
2024 Survivor
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
US
[3]
AUT
[15]
GER
[6]
2001Our Favorite Things(with Tony Bennett, Charlotte Church, & Plácido Domingo) [C] 1024879

Compilation albums

YearAlbum details
1998 Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years
  • First compilation album
  • Released: November 17, 1998
  • Label: Mercury
200320th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Vanessa Williams
  • Second compilation album
  • Released: September 23, 2003
  • Label: Mercury
2004 Love Songs
  • Third compilation album
  • Released: January 13, 2004
  • Label: Mercury
2021The Best
  • Fourth compilation album
  • Released: May 14, 2021
  • Label: Mercury

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[3]
US
Dan

[3]
US
A/C

[3]
AUS
[4]
CAN
[5]
GER
[6]
IRE
[16]
NLD
[7]
NZ
[17]
UK
[8]
1988"The Right Stuff" [F] 4412171The Right Stuff
"(He's Got) The Look"
"Dreamin'"8210816401974
1989"Darlin' I"8810
1991"Running Back to You"1821028682The Comfort Zone
"The Comfort Zone"6225
1992"Save the Best for Last"11111924153
"Just for Tonight"26210464583
"Work to Do"528
1993"Love Is"
(with Brian McKnight)
31493(OST) Beverly Hills 90210
1994"The Sweetest Days"18347641The Sweetest Days
1995"The Way That You Love"6763952
"Colors of the Wind"4216111682521 Pocahontas: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack
"You Can't Run"The Sweetest Days
1996"Where Do We Go from Here?"7152987Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years
"Do You Hear What I Hear?"15Star Bright
1997"Happiness"7049Next
"First Thing on Your Mind"
"Oh How the Years Go By"6
1998"Who Were You Thinkin' 'Bout?"
"Refugio de Amor (You Are My Home)" (with Chayanne) [G] Dance with Me: Music from the Motion Picture
2004"Silver and Gold"4Silver & Gold
"Merry Christmas Darling"18
2005"You Are Everything"516Everlasting Love
2009"Breathless"The Real Thing
"Just Friends" [H]
"Close to You"
"The Real Thing"6
2024"Legs (Keep Dancing)" [19] 3 [I] [upper-alpha 1] Survivor
"Bop!"
(with Trixie Mattel and Lion Babe)
"iLike Moonlight"
"Survivor"
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
YearSingleArtistPeak positionsAlbum
US US
R&B
1995"Freedom (Theme from Panther)"Various artists4518 Panther
2020Twerking 5 to 9: The Rusical [22] As part of the Cast of RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race featuring Christina Bianco & April Malina--non-album single

Other appearances

YearSongAlbum
1994"Save the Best for Last" (Live)
  • Released on the compilation Grammy's Greatest Moments: Volume II. [23]
"You Would Be My Baby"

Video releases

Video albums

YearTitle
1989The Right Stuff
1992The Comfort Zone Collection
  • Released: 1992
  • Label: Polydor

Concert videos

YearVideo detailsNotes
1996Vanessa Williams & Friends: Christmas in New York
1997Vanessa Williams live in Japan
1998Pavarotti & Friends for the Children of Liberia
2000Our Favorite Things: Christmas in ViennaWith Tony Bennett and Plácido Domingo
2004Vanessa Williams Christmas: Live by Request

Music videos

YearTitleDirector
1988"The Right Stuff"Rebecca Blake
"(He's Got) The Look" Alek Keshishian
"Dreamin'"
1989"Darlin' I"
1991"Running Back to You"Ralph Ziman
"The Comfort Zone"
1992"Save the Best for Last"
"Just for Tonight"David Cameron
"Work to Do" Pam Thomas
"What Will I Tell My Heart"Ralph Ziman
"Save the Best for Last" (Holiday Version) Kevin Bray
"What Child Is This?"
1993"Love Is" (with Brian McKnight)Ralph Ziman
1994"The Sweetest Days"Kevin Bray
1995"The Way That You Love" Matthew Rolston
"Freedom (Theme from Panther)" (with Various Artists) Antoine Fuqua
"Colors of the Wind"Dominic Orlando
1996"Where Do We Go from Here?" Andy Morahan
1997"Happiness" Francis Lawrence
1998"Refugio de Amor (You Are My Home)" (with Chayanne) Gustavo Garzón
2009"Breathless" Mike Ruiz
"Just Friends"
"Close to You"
2024"Legs (Keep Dancing)"
"Bop!" (with Lion Babe)

See also

Notes

  1. "Legs (Keep Dancing)" did not enter the UK Singles Chart but peaked at number 76 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart. [20]

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References

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  4. 1 2 Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
  5. 1 2 "CAN Charts > Vanessa Williams". RPM . Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  6. 1 2 3 "GER Charts > Vanessa Williams". Media Control Charts. Press the 117 Titel Von tab for singles peaks and 13 Alben Von tab for album peaks.
  7. 1 2 "NLD Charts > Vanessa Williams". MegaCharts . Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  8. 1 2 "UK Charts > Vanessa Williams". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 2019-05-23.
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  10. Donahue, Ann (16 May 2009). "Standard Bearer". Billboard. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
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  12. "Vanessa Williams Signs With Lava". Billboard. 3 September 2004. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  13. Caulfield, Keith (2 March 2007). "Ask Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  14. Donahue, Ann (16 May 2009). "Standard Bearer". Billboard. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  15. "AUT Charts > Vanessa Williams". Ö3 Austria Top 40 . Retrieved 2013-06-20.
  16. "IRE Charts Search > Vanessa Williams". Irish Recorded Music Association . Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  17. "NZ Charts > Vanessa Williams". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand . Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  18. "The ARIA Chart – Best of 1992". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 2016-07-25.
  19. "Vanessa Williams struts back into the spotlight with spectacular new single Legs (Keep Dancing)". Retropop Magazine. April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  20. "Official Singles Downloads Chart on 3/5/2024 3 May 2024 - 9 May 2024". Official Charts. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  21. "Vanessa Williams | Biography, Music & News". Billboard .
  22. "Twerking 5 to 9: The Rusical (feat. Christina Bianco & April Malina) - Single". Apple Music. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  23. "Grammy's Greatest Moments Vol. 2: Various Artists". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-11-25.