Buddy Holly recorded under several names and with several different backing bands. The Crickets played on almost all of his singles in 1957 and 1958.
Holly recorded prolifically before his death in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. He released three albums in his lifetime. Coral Records was able to release archival new albums and singles for 10 years after his death, but their technical quality was mixed, some being studio recordings and others home recordings.
Holly's records were promoted after his death and had a loyal following, especially in Europe. The demand for unissued recordings by Holly was so great that his producer, Norman Petty, resorted to overdubbing whatever he could find: alternate takes of studio recordings, originally rejected masters, "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" and the other five 1959 tracks (adding new surf-guitar arrangements), and even Holly's amateur demos from 1954 (in which the low-fidelity vocals are often muffled behind added orchestrations). The last new Holly album was Giant (featuring the single "Love Is Strange"), issued in 1969. Between the 1959–1960 overdubs produced by Jack Hansen (with vocal backings imitating the Crickets' sound), the 1960s overdubs produced by Petty, various alternate takes, and Holly's undubbed originals, multiple versions of the same songs are available. There are also many different versions of Holly's Greatest Hits as well as covers and compilation albums of his songs performed by various artists. Many singles and albums of his material have been released posthumously, beginning with "Peggy Sue Got Married" in July 1959 and the successful 6-disc collectors box set Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings, 50 years later in 2009.
Albums
Studio albums
Year Title Artist Album details Peak chartpositions UK 1957 The "Chirping" Crickets The CricketsReleased: November 1957 Label: Brunswick (BL 54038) (mono) Format: Vinyl 5 1958 Buddy Holly Buddy HollyReleased: March 1958 Label: Coral (CRL 57210) (mono) Format: Vinyl — That'll Be the Day Buddy Holly and the Three TunesReleased: April 1958 Label: Decca (DL 8707) (mono) Format: Vinyl 5 "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Compilation albums Decade Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications US NZ UK 1950s The Buddy Holly StoryReleased: February 28, 1959 Label: Coral (CRL 57279) (mono) Format: Vinyl 11 — 2 US: Gold 1960s The Buddy Holly Story, Vol. 2Released: April 1960 Label: Coral (CRL 57326) (mono) Format: Vinyl 41 — 7 ReminiscingReleased: February 1963 Label: Coral (CRL 57426/757426) (mono/stereo) Format: Vinyl 40 — 2 ShowcaseReleased: May 1964 Label: Coral (CRL 57450/757450) (mono/stereo) Format: Vinyl — — 3 Holly in the HillsReleased: January 1965 Label: Coral (CRL 57463/757463) (mono/stereo) Format: Vinyl — — 13 The Best of Buddy HollyReleased: April 1966 Label: Coral (CXB-8, mono)/(7CXSB-8, stereo) Format: Vinyl (2 LPs) — — — UK: Gold Buddy Holly's Greatest HitsReleased: March 1967 Label: Coral (CRL 57492/757492) (mono/stereo) Format: Vinyl — — 9 GiantReleased: March 1969 Label: Coral (CRL 757504) (stereo) Format: Vinyl — — 13 1970s Buddy Holly: A Rock & Roll CollectionReleased: August 1972 Label: Decca (DSXE7-207) (stereo) Format: Vinyl — — — Buddy Holly: LegendReleased: 1974 Label: MCA Coral (CDLM 802) Format: Vinyl (2 LPs) TBD TBD TBD 20 Golden Greatsalso known as Buddy Holly LivesReleased: February 17, 1978 Label: MCA (MCA-3040); EMI (EMTV 8) Format: Vinyl 55 — 1 US: GoldUK: Platinum The Complete Buddy HollyReleased: 1979 Label: MCA (MCA6-80000) Format: Vinyl (box set) — — — 1980s Love Songs20 Love Songs (US title)Released: 1981 Label: MCA (MCF 3117) Format: Vinyl — — — UK: Gold The Great Buddy HollyReleased: November 1982 Label: MCA (MCA-31037) Format: Vinyl — — — For the First Time AnywhereReleased: February 1983 Label: MCA (MCA-27059) Format: Vinyl — — — From the Original Master TapesReleased: 1985 Label: MCA (MCAD-5540) Format: CD — — — True Love WaysReleased: February 1989 Label: Telstar (STAR 2339) Format: Vinyl — 24 8 UK: Gold 1990s Words of LoveReleased: February 8, 1993 Label: PolyGram TV (5144872) Format: CD — 20 1 UK: Gold The Buddy Holly CollectionReleased: September 28, 1993 Label: MCA (MCAD2-10883) Format: CD (2 discs) — — — Greatest HitsReleased: September 24, 1996 Label: MCA (MCAD-11536) Format: CD — — — The Very Best of Buddy HollyReleased: November 25, 1996 Label: Dino (DINCD 133) Format: CD — — 24 UK: Gold 20th Century Masters — The Millennium Collection: The Best of Buddy HollyReleased: April 20, 1999 Label: MCA (MCAD-11956) Format: CD — — — The Very Best of Buddy Holly & the CricketsReleased: August 1999 Label: Universal Music TV (112 046-2/4) Format: CD/Cassette — 12 13 2000s Buddy Holly: GoldReleased: 2005 Label: Geffen/Decca (B0004543-02) Format: CD (2 discs) — — — The Definitive CollectionReleased: 2006 Label: Geffen/Decca (B0004710-02) Format: CD — — — Not Fade AwayReleased: 2008 Label: Universal Music Special Markets (B009424-02) Format: CD 101 — — Down the Line: RaritiesReleased: January 27, 2009 Label: Geffen/Decca (B0011675-02) Format: CD (2 discs) — — — Memorial CollectionReleased: February 10, 2009 Label: Geffen/Decca (B0011337-02) Format: CD (3 discs) — — — Buddy Holly & The Crickets: The Music Didn't DieReleased: 2009 Label: Jasmine (JASCD 531) Format: CD (2 discs) — — — Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings and MoreReleased: November 23, 2009 Label: Hip-O Select/UMe (B0012875-02) Format: CD (6 discs) — — — 2010s The Very Best of Buddy Holly and the CricketsReleased: April 28, 2014 Label: Not Now Music (NOT3CD154) Format: CD (3 discs) — — — True Love Ways(with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)Released: November 16, 2018 Label: Decca (B0029792-02) Format: CD, digital download — — 10 "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Singles Year Titles (A-side / B-side)(both sides from same album except as noted) Artist Label Chart Positions Album US Hot 100 US R&B UK CAN 1956 "Blue Days–Black Nights""Love Me" Buddy Holly Decca — — — —That'll Be the Day "Modern Don Juan""You Are My One Desire" — — — — 1957 "That'll Be the Day""I'm Looking for Someone to Love" The Crickets Brunswick 1 2 1 2The "Chirping" Crickets "Words of Love""Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues" Buddy Holly Coral — — — —Buddy Holly "Rock Around with Ollie Vee""That'll Be the Day" Decca — — — —That'll Be the Day "Peggy Sue""Everyday""Buddy Holly Discography" at hotshotdigital.com. Accessed 2011 August 7. Coral 3 3 6 4Buddy Holly "Oh, Boy!""Not Fade Away" The Crickets Brunswick 10 15 3 6The "Chirping" Crickets 1958 "Love Me""You Are My One Desire" Buddy Holly Decca — — — —That'll Be the Day "I'm Gonna Love You Too""Listen to Me" Coral — — — — / 38Buddy Holly "Maybe Baby""Tell Me How" The Crickets Brunswick 17 8 4 9The "Chirping" Crickets "Rave On""Take Your Time" (from The Buddy Holly Story Volume II) Buddy Holly Coral 37 — 5 12Buddy Holly "Think It Over" The CricketsBrunswick 27 9 11 45 The Buddy Holly Story "Fool's Paradise" (from Holly in the Hills) 58 — — — "Girl on My Mind""Ting-a-Ling" Buddy Holly Decca — — — —That'll Be the Day "Early in the Morning""Now We're One" (from The Buddy Holly Story Volume II) Coral 32 — 17 18The Buddy Holly Story "It's So Easy""Lonesome Tears" (from Holly in the Hills) The Crickets Brunswick — — — — "Real Wild Child""Oh, You Beautiful Doll" Ivan(pseudonym for Jerry Allison) Coral 85 — — —Non-LP tracks "Heartbeat""Well... All Right" (from The Buddy Holly Story Volume II) Buddy Holly 82 4 30 —The Buddy Holly Story 1959 "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" 13 — 1 1 "Raining in My Heart" 88 — — — "Peggy Sue Got Married"/"Crying, Waiting, Hoping" — — 13 / — —The Buddy Holly Story Volume II 1960 "True Love Ways""That Makes It Tough" — — 25 — 1962 "Reminiscing""Wait 'Til the Sun Shines, Nellie" — — 17 —Reminiscing 1963 "Bo Diddley""True Love Ways" (from The Buddy Holly Story Volume II) 116 — 4 — "Brown Eyed Handsome Man""Wishing" (from Holly in the Hills) 113 — 3 — 1964 "I'm Gonna Love You Too" (from Buddy Holly)"Rock Around with Ollie Vee" — — — —Showcase 1965 "What to Do""Slippin' and Slidin'" (from Reminiscing) — — 34 —Holly in the Hills 1969 "Love Is Strange""You're the One" 105 — — —Giant "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
1.Charted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
Billboard Year-End performances Buddy Holly Year Song Year-EndPosition 1958 "Peggy Sue" 50
The Crickets Year Song Year-EndPosition 1957 "That'll Be the Day" 30
References
External links