Billy Preston discography
| Billy Preston discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 25 |
| EPs | 1 |
| Soundtrack albums | 1 |
| Live albums | 2 |
| Compilation albums | 8 |
| Singles | 63 |
This is the discography of American musician and singer Billy Preston.
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] |
US R&B [1] |
US Gospel [1] |
CAN [2] | ||
| 16 Yr. Old Soul | — | — | — | — | |
| The Most Exciting Organ Ever | 143 | 5 | — | — | |
| Early Hits of 1965 |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Wildest Organ in Town! |
|
118 | 9 | — | — |
| That's the Way God Planned It | 127[A] | — | — | — | |
| Encouraging Words |
|
— | 50 | — | — |
| I Wrote a Simple Song |
|
32 | 9 | — | — |
| Music Is My Life |
|
32 | 7 | — | 31 |
| Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music |
|
52 | 3 | — | 76 |
| The Kids & Me |
|
17 | 8 | — | 21 |
| It's My Pleasure |
|
43 | 18 | — | 20 |
| Billy Preston |
|
— | — | — | — |
| A Whole New Thing |
|
— | 49 | — | — |
| Behold! |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Late at Night |
|
49 | 73 | — | — |
| Universal Love |
|
— | — | — | — |
| The Way I Am |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Billy Preston & Syreeta |
|
127 | 48 | — | — |
| Pressin' On |
|
— | — | — | — |
| On the Air |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Ministry of Music |
|
— | — | 33 | — |
| You Can't Keep a Good Man Down |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Billy's Back! |
|
— | — | — | — |
| You and I | — | — | — | — | |
| Music from My Heart |
|
— | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
Live albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Club Meetin' |
|
| Live European Tour |
|
Soundtrack albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| SWE [3] | ||
| Fast Break |
|
42 |
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Billy's Bag |
|
| The Best of Billy Preston |
|
| The Best |
|
| The Collection |
|
| Ultimate Collection |
|
| Billys Bag – His Most Hammond Groovin 'Soul Movin' Sides 1963–1966 |
|
| 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Billy Preston |
|
| Soul Derby – Complete Vee Jay Recordings 1964/1965 |
|
EPs
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Billy Preston's Beatles Salute |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1][4] |
US R&B [1] |
US AC [1] |
US Dance [1] |
AUS [5] |
CAN [2] |
NL [6] |
UK [7] | ||||
| "My Kind of Music" | 1961 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Volcano" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Greazee" | 1963 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 Yr. Old Soul | |
| "Billy's Bag" | 1965 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 51[B] | The Most Exciting Organ Ever | |
| "Drown in My Own Tears" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "The Girl's Got "It"" | 1966 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Advice" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Wildest Organ in Town! | ||
| "Sunny" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Club Meetin' | ||
| "Can't She Tell" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Hey Brother" | 1968 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | That's the Way God Planned It | |
| "The Split" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Split | ||
| "Get Back" (with the Beatles) / | 1969 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Let It Be | |
| "Don't Let Me Down" (with the Beatles) | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "That's the Way God Planned It" | 62 | — | — | — | 22 | 61 | 14 | 11 | That's the Way God Planned It | ||
| "Everything's Alright" | — | — | — | — | 76 | — | — | — | |||
| "All That I've Got (I'm Gonna Give It to You)" | 1970 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "If I Had a Hammer" [C] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Most Exciting Organ Ever | ||
| "My Sweet Lord" | 90 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Encouraging Words | ||
| "I Wrote a Simple Song" / | 1971 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I Wrote a Simple Song | |
| "Outa-Space" | 2 | 1 | 23 | — | — | 13 | — | 44 |
| ||
| "My Country 'Tis of Thee" [D] | 1972 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Bus" | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "That's the Way Gold Planned It" (re-release) | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | That's the Way God Planned It | ||
| "Slaughter" | 50 | 17 | — | — | — | 63 | — | — | Slaughter | ||
| "Will It Go Round in Circles" | 1973 | 1 | 10 | — | — | 99 | 1 | — | — |
|
Music Is My Life |
| "Space Race" | 4 | 1 | 34 | — | — | 6 | — | — |
|
Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music | |
| "My Soul Is a Witness" [E] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "You're So Unique" | 1974 | 48 | 11 | — | — | — | 42 | — | — | ||
| "Nothing from Nothing" | 1 | 8 | 15 | — | 60 | 5 | — | — |
|
The Kids & Me | |
| "Struttin'" | 22 | 11 | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | |||
| "Fancy Lady" | 1975 | 71 | 23 | — | — | — | 83 | — | — | It's My Pleasure | |
| "That's Life" [F] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Do It While You Can" | — | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I've Got the Spirit" / | 1977 | — | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Billy Preston | |
| "Do What You Want" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Girl" | — | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Whole New Thing" / | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | A Whole New Thing | ||
| "Wide Stride" | — | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I'm Really Gonna Miss You" | 1978 | — | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Disco Dancin'" [G] | — | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | — | |||
| "Get Back" | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | ||
| "Go for It" (with Syreeta) | 1979 | 108 | — | — | 80 | — | — | — | — | Fast Break | |
| "It Will Come in Time" (with Syreeta) | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 47 | Late at Night | ||
| "With You I'm Born Again" (with Syreeta) | 4 | 86 | 2 | — | 21 | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| ||
| "Universal Love" | 1980 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Universal Love | |
| "One More Time for Love" (with Syreeta) | 52 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Syreeta | ||
| "Please Stay" (with Syreeta) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Hope" | 1981 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Way I Am | |
| "A Change Is Gonna Come" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Searchin'" (with Syreeta) | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Billy Preston & Syreeta | ||
| "Just for You (Put the Boogie in Your Body)" (with Syreeta) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "A New Way to Say I Love You" (with Syreeta) [H] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 104[I] | |||
| "I'll Make It with Your Love" [J] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Love" (with Syreeta) [K] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Billy Preston & Syreeta | ||
| "I'm Never Gonna Say Goodbye" | 1982 | 88 | 64 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | Pressin' On | |
| "Thanks, But No Thanks" [L] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Pressin' On" [M] | 1983 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "And Dance" | 1984 | — | — | — | 55 | — | — | — | — | On the Air | |
| "If You Let Me Love You" [N] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Here, There and Everywhere" [O] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Christmas with the Family" (as the Preston Family) [P] | 1985 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "So Good, So Fine" (with Ann-Louise Hanson) [Q] | 1986 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Duva – Flyg igen | |
| "What About the Love" [R] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | You Can't Keep a Good Man Down | ||
| "Since I Held You Close" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "Heroes" [S] | 1991 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 103 | ||
| "Watching the Hands of Time" (with Syreeta) [T] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Hold Me" [U] | 1997 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | You and I | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||
As a guest/session performer
- 1963: Night Beat (Sam Cooke)
- 1965: I Don't Know What You Got (But It's Got Me) (Little Richard)
- 1967: In the Heat of the Night (Ray Charles)
- 1969: A Black Man's Soul (Ike Turner)
- 1969: "Get Back" and "Don't Let Me Down" (The Beatles)
- 1969: Abbey Road (The Beatles)
- 1970: Let It Be (The Beatles)
- 1970: All Things Must Pass (George Harrison)
- 1970: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (John Lennon) – piano on "God"
- 1971: Sticky Fingers (The Rolling Stones)
- 1971: The Concert for Bangladesh (George Harrison and Friends)
- 1971: There's a Riot Goin' On (Sly and the Family Stone)
- 1971: Live at Fillmore West (King Curtis and Aretha Franklin)
- 1971: Barbra Joan Streisand (Barbra Streisand) – keyboards and drums
- 1972: Exile on Main St. (The Rolling Stones)
- 1972: Wind of Change (Peter Frampton) – piano, keyboards, harpsichord, accordion
- 1973: Ringo (Ringo Starr) – organ on "I'm the Greatest" and "Oh My My"
- 1973: Goats Head Soup (The Rolling Stones)
- 1974: Dark Horse (George Harrison) – electric piano
- 1974: Goodnight Vienna (Ringo Starr) – clavinet on the title track, electric piano on "Only You"
- 1974: It's Only Rock 'n Roll (The Rolling Stones)
- 1975: "You Are So Beautiful" (Joe Cocker)
- 1975: Extra Texture (Read All About It) (George Harrison) – electric piano on "His Name Is Legs (Ladies And Gentlemen)"
- 1975: "Steal Miss Liza (Steal Liza Jane)" (Little Richard)
- 1976: Thirty Three & 1/3 (George Harrison)
- 1976: No Reason to Cry (Eric Clapton)
- 1976: Black and Blue (The Rolling Stones)
- 1976: Love You Live (The Rolling Stones)
- 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – also acted the part "Sgt. Pepper" in the film
- 1981: Tattoo You (The Rolling Stones)
- 1982: Gone Troppo (George Harrison)
- 1985: "Til My Baby Comes Home" (Luther Vandross) – organ
- 1986: "Great Gosh A'Mighty (Been a Long Time Comin')" – co-written with Little Richard – from the film Down and Out in Beverly Hills (sung by Little Richard)
- 1986: "Big House Reunion" (Little Richard)
- 1987: Steppin' Up – Hank Crawford and Jimmy McGriff – piano
- 1990: Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band – keyboards and vocals
- 1990: Giovani Jovanotti (Jovanotti) – keyboards and Fender Rhodes
- 1990: "Show Me Your Soul" – Red Hot Chili Peppers
- 1991: ...E La Vita Continua (Nino D'Angelo)
- 1993: Wandering Spirit (Mick Jagger) – "Sweet Thing", "Out of Focus", "Use Me", "Wandering Spirit" and "I've Been Lonely for So Long".
- 1996: Voyage of Dreams (Jephté Guillaume and the Tet Kale Orkestra) – organ, strings on "Al Di Yo", "Go Tell Them", "Kanpe", "Get Up"
- 1996: Donnie McClurkin (Donnie McClurkin) – organ
- 1996: Love Brought Me Back (Helen Baylor) – organ
- 1996: El Equilibrio de los Jaguares (Jaguares) – organ / Hammond B3 on "Detrás de los Cerros"
- 1996: Peace Beyond Passion (Me'shell Ndegeocello) – keyboards on "Deuteronomy: Niggerman"
- 1997: Bridges to Babylon (The Rolling Stones) – organ on "Saint of Me"
- 1997: Estas en mí (Juana La Loca) – piano[12]
- 1998: Undiscovered Soul (Richie Sambora)
- 2000: The Harsh Light of Day (Fastball) – keyboards on "You're An Ocean"
- 2001: Songs from the West Coast (Elton John) – Hammond organ on "I Want Love", "The Wasteland", "Love Her Like Me"
- 2001: Everybody Got Their Something (Nikka Costa) – Clavinet
- 2001: Reptile (Eric Clapton)
- 2001: One More Car, One More Rider (Eric Clapton, live) – DVD includes live performance of Will It Go Round in Circles
- 2002: Travelogue (Joni Mitchell) – Hammond B3 on the track "You Dream Flat Tires"
- 2002: American IV: The Man Comes Around (Johnny Cash) – piano on "Tear Stained Letter" and "Personal Jesus"
- 2002: Concert for George – including "Isn't It a Pity" and "My Sweet Lord"
- 2003: The Colored Section (Donnie) – Hammond B3 on the last track: "The Colored Section"[13]
- 2003: Get Born (Jet)
- 2004: Me and Mr. Johnson (Eric Clapton) – also appears in the DVD companion Sessions for Robert J
- 2004: Crossroads Guitar Festival (Eric Clapton)
- 2004: Genius Loves Company (Ray Charles)
- 2004: That's Life (Julia Fordham)
- 2005: 12 Songs (Neil Diamond)
- 2005: Back Home (Eric Clapton)
- 2005: Choose Love (Ringo Starr)
- 2005: The Concert for Bangladesh (George Harrison and Friends) (re-mastered version and video)
- 2005: I Believe to my Soul (Featuring Ann Peebles, Billy Preston, Mavis Staples, Irma Thomas, and Allen Toussaint)[14]
- 2005: Tough on Crime (Rebecca Pidgeon) – keyboards
- 2006: Stadium Arcadium (Red Hot Chili Peppers) – "Warlocks"
- 2006: The Road to Escondido (Eric Clapton, J. J. Cale)
- 2006: Overnight Sensational (Sam Moore) – Hammond B3 on "I Can't Stand the Rain" and sings and plays on "You Are So Beautiful"
- 2007: Reach (Is'real Benton) – organ on "Have a Good Time"
- 2007: Imagine (Howard Hewett) – organ
- 2011: Brussels Affair (Live 1973) (The Rolling Stones)
- 2012: L.A. Friday (The Rolling Stones)
- 2019: Cat's Eyes (Robin Millar (producer)) - Hammond Organ on Remember, recorded 1974 released 2019
- 2020: Goats Head Soup – 2020 Deluxe edition (The Rolling Stones)
- 2022: El Mocambo 1977 (The Rolling Stones)
Notes
- ^ Peak position upon re-release in 1972.
- ^ Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List" in 1966.
- ^ "If I Had a Hammer" was only released as a single in the UK.
- ^ "My Country 'Tis of Thee" was only released as a single in Japan.
- ^ "My Soul Is a Witness" was only released as a single in Germany.
- ^ "That's Life" was only released as a single in Continental Europe.
- ^ "Disco Dancin'" was only released as a single in a select few countries, including the Netherlands, Canada, Barbados and the Philippines.
- ^ "A New Way to Say I Love You" was initially only released as a single in France, before being released in the UK in 1983.
- ^ Chart position in 1983.
- ^ "I'll Make It with Your Love" was only released as a single in Germany.
- ^ "Love" was only released as a single in Australia.
- ^ "Thanks, But No Thanks" was only released as a single in Germany.
- ^ "Pressin' On" was only released as a single in Spain.
- ^ "If You Let Me Love You" was only released as a single in Belgium.
- ^ "Here, There and Everywhere" was only released as a single in Belgium and Brazil.
- ^ "Christmas with the Family" was only released as a single in the Netherlands.
- ^ "So Good, So Fine" was only released as a single in Sweden.
- ^ "What About the Love" was only released as a single in the Netherlands.
- ^ "Heroes" was only released as a single in Europe.
- ^ "Watching the Hands of Time" was only released as a single in the UK.
- ^ "Hold Me" was only released as a single in Italy.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Billy Preston | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
- ^ a b "CAN Charts > Billy Preston". RPM. July 17, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com - Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Top Pop Singles 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 674. ISBN 978-0898202052.
- ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Discografie Billy Preston - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
- ^ "BILLY PRESTON". Official Charts. April 29, 1969. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
- ^ "American certifications – Beatles". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ "British certifications – Beatles – Get Back". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "American certifications – Billy Preston". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ "British certifications – Billy Preston & Syreeta – With You I'm Born Again". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ "Juana La Loca - Estás en Mi (Official Video)". February 6, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Donnie - The Colored Section". Discogs. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
- ^ "Allen Toussaint, Mavis Staples, Billy Preston - I Believe to My Soul (Album Review)". Musicbox-online.com. Retrieved September 13, 2023.