The Sun Ra discography is one of the largest discographies in music history. Jazz keyboardist, bandleader and composer Sun Ra recorded dozens of singles and over one hundred full-length albums, comprising well over 1,000 songs, and making him one of the most prolific recording artists of the 20th century.

History

His own El Saturn Records albums were usually printed in editions of 75 copies per album, and were sold primarily at live performances. Many of Sun Ra's early albums were recorded at home by Ra himself on wire or early tape recorders, and are decidedly lo-fi. Despite the technological limitations, Ra used some innovative recording techniques, and these recordings provided an unprecedented level of documentation, and were inspirational in showing how artists could take control of production and distribution of their works.

Prior to the 1970s, most of these albums were produced in Chicago through the "El Saturn Records Research" enterprise established by Ra and his colleague Alton Abraham, while later El Saturn Records were produced in Philadelphia. A batch of the most significant recordings were licensed to Impulse! Records in the mid-1970s. They were not as successful as hoped, and were deleted from the Impulse catalog, becoming available around the world as inexpensive "cut-outs" and making the music more widely available.

Most El Saturn Records were hand-decorated by Arkestra members, and these LP records sometimes sell for high prices among collectors. These El Saturn Records releases, dating from the 1950s to at least the late 1980s, typically had little or no information as to performers or recording dates, and sometimes didn't even list the songs on the album, often pressing one LP side from one era with another from a different decade, leading to some confusion among completists and fans.

After Sun Ra's death, many of his recordings were released on compact disc for the first time by Evidence Records, Ihnfinity Music, ESP Disk / ZYX Music, or Impulse!. As is the case with an artist whose output is so extensive, there is quite a bit of debate regarding his "best" albums. Of all these recordings, many critics and enthusiasts feel that the 1959 big band album Jazz in Silhouette is the best entry-point into his work, with The Penguin Guide to Jazz naming the album as part of a recommended "Core Collection" for any serious jazz fan and as "one of the most important jazz records since World War II."

Albums

Studio albums +YearTitleCredited artistLabelDate recordedNotes1957Jazz by Sun RaSun Ra and His ArkestraTransition1956AKA Sun Song1957Super-Sonic JazzLe Sun Ra and His ArkestraEl Saturn SR-LP 02161956AKA Super-Sonic Sounds1959Jazz in SilhouetteSun Ra and His ArkestraEl Saturn K7OP-35901959reissued on as Saturn LP5786 in 19611962The Futuristic Sounds of Sun RaSavoy1961AKA We Are In the Future1963When Sun Comes OutSun Ra and His Myth Science ArkestraEl Saturn LP 20661962?1965Fate in a Pleasant MoodSun Ra and His Myth-Science ArkestraSaturn Research LP-9956-219601965Secrets of the SunSun Ra & His Solar ArkestraEl Saturn 995419621965Art Forms of Dimensions TomorrowSun Ra and His Solar ArkestraEl Saturn LP No. 99561962reissued El Saturn 4041965The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume OneSun Ra and His Solar ArkestraESP-Disk1965The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume Two19651966Visits Planet EarthSun Ra and His Solar ArkestraSaturn – LP No. 9956-1119581966When Angels Speak of LoveSun Ra and His Myth-Science ArkestraEl Saturn LP 196619631966Other Planes of ThereSun Ra and His Solar ArkestraEl Saturn KH-9876619641966The Magic CitySun Ra and His Solar ArkestraSaturn Research – LPB - 7111965(partially?) live; reissued on Thoth Intergalactic, 403, 19691967Angels and Demons at PlaySun Ra and His Myth Science ArkestraEl Saturn 4071956 & 1960reissued by ABC/Impulse! in 19741967Cosmic Tones for Mental TherapySun Ra and His Myth Science ArkestraEl Saturn 40819631967We Travel the Space WaysSun Ra and His Myth Science ArkestraEl Saturn LP #40919611967Interstellar Low WaysSun Ra and His Myth Science ArkestraEL Saturn LP-2031960AKA Rocket Number Nine1967Strange StringsSun Ra and His Astro-Infinity ArkestraSaturn Research – 50219651968Sound of JoySun Ra and the ArkestraDelmark19561969The Nubians of PlutoniaSun Ra and His Myth-Science ArkestraEl Saturn 4061959Originally released The Lady with the Golden Stockings (Saturn, SR 9956-11E/F, 1966); Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra on LP label1970AtlantisSun Ra and His Astro-Infinity ArkestraSaturn Research ESR5071967–1969reissued by ABC/Impulse! in 19731970Holiday for Soul DanceSun Ra and His Astro-Infinity ArkestraSaturn Research ESR-50819601973?Monorails and SatellitesSun RaSaturn Research SR-50919661970Sound Sun Pleasure!!Sun Ra and His Astro-Infinity ArkestraEl Saturn #51219591970ContinuationSun Ra and His Astro-Infinity ArkestraEl Saturn ESR 52019681970My Brother the WindSun Ra and His Astro-Infinity ArkestraSaturn Research ESR52119691970The Night of the Purple MoonSun Ra and His Intergalactic Infinity ArkestraEl Saturn IR 5221970Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra on LP label1971My Brother the Wind, Vol. II: The Wind SpeaksSun Ra and His Astro Infinity ArkestraEl Saturn SR-5231969-1970Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra on LP label1971The Solar-Myth ApproachSun Ra and His Solar Myth ArkestraBYG Actuel1970–19712xLP; reissued 1972 as The Solar-Myth Approach, Vol. 1 and The Solar-Myth Approach, Vol. 21972Universe in BlueSun Ra and His Blue Universe ArkestraEl Saturn ESR 20019721974?Monorails and Satellites, Vol. 2Sun RaEl Saturn 51919661974?A Tonal View of Times Tomorrow: Sun Ra and His ArkestraEl Saturn 5271969–19701972Bad and BeautifulMr. Sun Ra and His ArkestraEl Saturn ESR5321961reissued by ABC/Impulse! in 19751973Deep PurpleSun Ra and His Arkestra Featuring Stuff SmithEl Saturn 4851953–1973AKA Dreams Come True1973Astro BlackSun RaImpulse!/ABCMay 7, 19721973Space Is the PlaceSun RaBlue Thumb BTS 4119721973Discipline 27-IISun Ra and His Astro Intergalactic Infinity ArkestraEl Saturn ES53819721974?The Invisible ShieldSun Ra and His ArkestraEl Saturn 5291962–1970AKA Janus; A Tonal View of Times Tomorrow, Vol. 2; Satellites are Outerspaces1975Pathways to Unknown WorldsSun Ra and His Astro Infinity ArkestraABC Impulse!1973reissue of Saturn 5641975What's New (Sub Underground Series)The Sun Ra ArkestraSaturn1962 & 19751976CosmosSun RaCobra (France)August 1976issued in US on Inner City in 19771977-10-14Some Blues But Not the Kind That's BlueSun RaEl Saturn 7471977AKA My Favorite Things1977Solo PianoSun RaImprovising Artists19771978New StepsSun Ra QuartetHoro19781978Other Voices, Other BluesSun Ra QuartetHoro19781978VisionsSun Ra and Walt DickersonSteepleChase Records19781978LanquiditySun RaPhilly Jazz19781979The Other Side of the SunSun Ra and His ArkestraSweet Earth1978-19791979-07-25God Is More than Love Can Ever BeSun Ra TrioSaturn 7257919791979-09-13OmniverseSun RaEl Saturn 9137919791979-10-16Sun Ra and His ArkestraEl Saturn 1016791979AKA Seductive Fantasy AKA UFO1979Sleeping BeautySun Ra and His ArkestraEl Saturn1979AKA Door of the Cosmos1980Strange Celestial RoadSun RaRounder 305019791981-10-04Aurora BorealisSun RaEl Saturn 1048019801983A Fireside Chat with LuciferSun Ra and His Outer Space ArkestraSaturn Research B1984SG-919821983Just FriendsSun RaEl Saturn XI1956-19821984Celestial LoveSun Ra and His Outer Space ArkestraEl Saturn 1984219821984Nuclear WarSun Ra ArkestraY Records19821987Reflections in BlueSun Ra ArkestraBlack Saint19861987Hours AfterSun Ra ArkestraBlack Saint19861989Sun Ra and His ArkestraBlast First1961–19701989Blue DelightSun RaA&M19881990Mayan TemplesSun Ra ArkestraBlack Saint19901990Purple NightSun RaA&M19891993Soundtrack to the Film Space Is the PlaceSun Ra and His Intergalactic Solar ArkestraEvidence19721993Somewhere ElseSun RaRounder1988-1989

Posthumous releases of studio material and rehearsals Credited artist Artist Original Label(s)Recorded Release date & notes Blue York Sun Ra Jeanne Dielman 1963 2014 as a bonus disc for the Continuation album re-release and 2016 as the Blue York Album. Previously unreleased recording from 1963 Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 3 (The Lost Tapes) Sun Ra ESP-Disk 1965 2005. Previously unreleased recording from the Heliocentric Worlds Volume II sessions Other Strange Worlds Sun Ra And His Astro-Infinity Arkestra Roaratorio 1965 2014. Previously unreleased recording made in Sun Ra's apartment in New York City Thunder of the Gods Sun Ra and His Arkestra Modern Harmonic 1966 2017. Previously unreleased live and studio recordings Sun Embassy Sun Ra And His Astro-Ihnfinity Arkestra Roaratorio 1968–1969 2018. Archival recordings from the Sun Ra Philadelphia house, Sun Studios, from May 1968 to October 1969 The Intergalactic Thing Sun Ra And His Astro-Ihnfinity Arkestra Roaratorio 1969 2016. A dozen previously unreleased recordings from rehearsals at the Sun Ra Philadelphia house Crystal Spears Sun Ra Evidence 1973 2000. Previously unreleased album which was planned for release and shelved by Impulse! in the 1970s Cymbals Sun Ra Evidence 1973 2000. Previously unreleased album which was planned for release and shelved by Impulse! in the 1970s Friendly Love Sun Ra Evidence 1973 2000. Previously unreleased album which was planned for release and shelved by Impulse! in the 1970s Sign Of The Myth Sun Ra And His Astro-Infinity Arkestra Roaratorio 1973 2014. Previously unreleased Impulse! recordings from the Pathways To Unknown Worlds sessions Dance of the Living Image: The Lost Reel Collection Volume 4 Sun Ra Transparency 1974 2007. Previously unreleased reel-to-reel rehearsal sessions made in San Francisco Untitled RecordingsSun RaTransparency1973-19852008. Live recording from 1985, Rehearsal from 1978 and jam from 1973Of Abstract DreamsSun RaStrutmid 1970s2018. Previously unreleased session at WXPN in PhiladelphiaProphetSun Ra and His ArkestraModern Harmonic1986-08-152022. Previously unreleased session at Mission Control Studios in Westford, Massachusetts with Sun Ra playing the Prophet VS (vector synthesizer)Inside the Light World: Sun Ra Meets the OVCSun RaStrut19862024. Multi-track session recorded for the Outer Space Visual Communicator videos and newly mixedUncharted PassagesSun RaModern Harmonic1977 & 19792025. Solo piano from a live concert in 1977 and a studio session in 1979East Two + 7Sun RaCosmic Myth1972-19852026. Previously unreleased 1972-1973 studio sessions with live 80s bonus tracks

Live albums