The discography of the Roots, an American hip hop band, consists of fourteen studio albums (including three collaborative studio albums), three compilation albums, two extended plays, and two live albums. The Roots began performing in 1989 as the Square Roots with rapper Black Thought and drummer Questlove. Rapper Malik B., and bassist Leonard Hubbard joined the band in 1991. Over its history, Questlove and Black Thought have always remained with the Roots while their lineup of backing musicians has changed.
In 1993, the Roots debuted with independently released album Organix, and signed to DGC Records (later MCA Records) that same year. The Roots' debuted on Geffen with Do You Want More?!!!??!, an album that was unique in hip hop for using no sampling, and being embraced more by fans of alternative rock than fans of hip hop. Do You Want More?!!!??! peaked at only number 104 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US. Illadelph Halflife, the third album by the Roots, peaked at number twenty-one on the Billboard 200. In 1999, the Roots' fourth album Things Fall Apart became the band's biggest success. The album was certified gold in the US, and its single "You Got Me" peaked at number thirty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100, and number nineteen on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. "You Got Me" won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2000. In 2002, The Roots released Phrenology, which contained the band's second single to chart on the Hot 100. "Break You Off", which featured Musiq Soulchild, peaked at number ninety-nine.
The Roots founded the company Okayplayer, and released The Tipping Point in 2004. In 2006, the Roots signed to Def Jam, and released Game Theory under Def Jam and Rising Down in 2008; the band's album How I Got Over was released in 2010. The Roots released two live concert albums, the first being The Roots Come Alive in 2000, and the next The Roots Present in 2005. In 2009, the Roots became the house band for the late-night show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and in 2014, upon Fallon's take over of The Tonight Show, the Roots moved to that series.
Albums Studio albums Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications US USR&B AUSPeaks in Australia: All top 50 peaks: Peaks 51–100: CAN FIN FRA GERPeak chart positions for The Roots in Germany:
NLD NOR SWE SWI UKPeak chart positions for The Roots in the United Kingdom: 1993 Organix Released: May 19, 1993 Label: Remedy Format: CD, cassette, digital download — 93 — — — — — — — — — — 1995 Do You Want More?!!!??! Released: January 17, 1995 Label: DGC (24714) Format: CD, cassette, digital download 104 22 — — — — — — — 87 — — RIAA: Gold 1996 Illadelph Halflife Released: September 24, 1996 Label: DGC (24972) Format: CD, cassette, digital download, LP 21 4 — — — — — — — 56 — — 1999 Things Fall Apart Released: February 23, 1999 Label: MCA (11948) Format: CD, cassette, digital download, LP 4 2 — 7 — 41 64 92 — — 40 84RIAA: Platinum MC: Gold BPI: Silver 2002 Phrenology Released: November 26, 2002 Label: MCA (112996) Format: CD, digital download, LP 28 11 — — 14 117 — 54 — — 57 112RIAA: Gold BPI: Silver 2004 The Tipping Point Released: July 13, 2004 Label: Geffen (000257302) Format: CD, digital download, LP 4 2 — — 22 35 44 44 20 37 3 71 2006 Game Theory Released: August 29, 2006 Label: Def Jam (0007222) Format: CD, digital download, LP 9 5 — — 36 69 95 78 26 — 7 76 2008 Rising Down Released: April 29, 2008 Label: Def Jam (001113802) Format: CD, digital download, LP 6 3 100 14 — 95 — — 34 — 10 95 2010 How I Got Over Released: June 22, 2010 Label: Def Jam Format: CD, digital download, LP 6 3 71 14 — 117 70 33 — — 3 111 Wake Up!(with John Legend) Released: September 21, 2010 Label: GOOD Music, Columbia, Sony Format: CD, digital download, LP 8 3 42 16 — 95 69 6 — 29 15 26 2011 Betty Wright: The Movie (with Betty Wright)
Released: November 15, 2011 Label: S-Curve Format: CD, digital download, LP 197 27 — — — — — 44 — — — — Undun Released: December 6, 2011 Label: Def Jam Format: CD, digital download, LP 17 4 66 20 — — 87 — 91 — 30 178 2013 Wise Up Ghost(with Elvis Costello) Released: September 17, 2013 Label: Blue Note Records Format: CD, digital download, LP 16 — 40 — — 131 29 35 26 — 12 28 2014 ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin Released: May 13, 2014 Label: Def Jam Format: CD, digital download, LP 11 3 34 20 — 127 79 63 — — 9 111 "—" denotes a release that did not chart.
Compilation albums Year Album details Peak chart positions US USR&B 2005 Home Grown! The Beginners Guide to Understanding The Roots, Vol. 1 Released: November 15, 2005 Label: Geffen (000567002) Format: CD, digital download, LP 161 41 Home Grown! The Beginners Guide to Understanding The Roots, Vol. 2 Released: November 15, 2005 Label: Geffen (000567102) Format: CD, digital download, LP 187 46
Live albums Year Album details Peak chart positions US USR&B 1999 The Roots Come Alive Released: November 2, 1999 Label: MCA (12059) Format: CD, cassette, digital download, LP 50 12 2004 Nagoya Blue Note: Live In Japan – September 7, 2004 Released: 2004 Label: Okapi (unofficial) Format: CD — — "—" denotes a release that did not chart.
Extended plays Year Album details 1994 From the Ground Up Released: April 1, 1994 Label: Geffen (5189412) Format: CD 1999 The Legendary Released: July 20, 1999 Label: MCA (55539) Format: CD
Singles Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications Album US USR&B USRap AUS FRA GER NLD NZL SWI UK 1994"Distortion to Static"—9625———————Do You Want More?!!!??!1995"Proceed"1237913———————"Silent Treatment"—10531———————"Proceed II" (featuring Roy Ayers)——————————Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool1996"Clones" (featuring Dice Raw & M.A.R.S.)1016211———————Illadelph Halflife"What They Do" (featuring Raphael Saadiq)34215——————491997"Concerto of the Desperado"71579———————1998"Adrenaline!" (featuring Dice Raw & Beanie Sigel)—7329———————Things Fall Apart"You Got Me" (featuring Erykah Badu and Eve)391119—282546371531BPI: Silver RMNZ: Gold 1999"The Next Movement" (featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff and Jazzyfatnastees)—103————————"What You Want" (featuring Jaguar Wright)—82———————— The Best Man (soundtrack) / The Roots Come Alive2001"Glitches (The Skin You're In)" (featuring Amel Larrieux)——————————Down to Earth (soundtrack) 2002"Break You Off" (featuring Musiq Soulchild)9955———————59Phrenology 2003"The Seed (2.0)" (featuring Cody ChesnuTT)———78—6731—2233RMNZ: Gold 2004"Don't Say Nuthin'"—66———66——2792The Tipping Point"I Don't Care" (featuring Dom)————————5497"Stay Cool"5331———————— 2006"Don't Feel Right" (featuring Maimouna Youssef)—48———————200Game Theory2007"Marathon Man (Remix)"—————————— 2008"Birthday Girl" (featuring Patrick Stump)——————————Rising Down"Rising Up" (featuring Chrisette Michele and Wale)——————————2009"How I Got Over" (featuring Dice Raw)——————————How I Got Over2010"Dear God 2.0" (featuring Monsters of Folk)——————————"The Fire" (featuring John Legend)——————————"Wake Up Everybody" (with John Legend featuring Common & Melanie Fiona)—53————21—62179Wake Up!"Hard Times" (with John Legend)—————————— 2011"Shine" (with John Legend)—64————————"Make My" (featuring Big K.R.I.T.)——————————Undun"Tip the Scale" (featuring Dice Raw)——————————2014"Glitches"——————————...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin"When the People Cheer"—————————— "—" denotes a release that did not chart.
A. Charted only on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles or Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles charts, 25-song extensions to the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts respectively. B. Charted only on the Hot Singles Sales or Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales charts. C. Charted only on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs chart.
Other appearances † = vocals by Black Thought YearSongAlbum1994"Believe (Roots Remix)" (with Galliano)†A Thicker Plot - Remixes '93/'94"I'm Doin Fine"(with MC Solaar)†Prose Combat1996 "Da Jawn" (with Bahamadia)† Kollage"I Confess (The Roots Remix)" (with Bahamadia)"Au Natural (After Midnight Remix)" Sweetback featuring Bahamadia"Montara (The Roots Remix)" Bobby Hutcherson with Jazzyfatnastees and Fatin DantzlerThe New Groove: The Blue Note Remix Project "The Good, The Bad and The Desolate"† High School High: The Soundtrack1997"Brain" Jungle BrothersRaw Deluxe "The 'Notic" (with D'Angelo)† Men in Black: The Album"Sometimes"/"Sometimes (Mix #9)" Erykah BaduBaduizm"All Night Long" Common & Erykah BaduOne Day It'll All Make Sense "The Show"† In Tha Beginning...There Was Rap1998 "Why?" (with Eric Benét) Ride (soundtrack)"Summertime" (with Bobby Womack)Red Hot + Rhapsody: The Gershwin Groove"Closer (Roots Remix)" Mondo GrossoThe Man from Sakura Hills"Let It Go" (with Jazzyfatnastees)Down in the Delta (soundtrack)"Three Ring Government" (with Jazzyfatnastees)Schoolhouse Rocks the Vote"Tabou (Roots Remix)" (with Les Nubians)†Princesses Nubiennes"Take It There" (Remix) (with Nonchalant)†1999"It's All About You (Not About Me Remix)"(with Tracie Spencer)†"Burnin' and Lootin' (Remix)" (with Bob Marley)†Chant Down Babylon "Ya' All Know Who!"† The Wood (soundtrack)"Suga Sista" (with Rahzel and Aaron Hall)†Make the Music 2000"Rafiki" (with Zap Mama)†A Ma Zone 2000 "Hurricane" (with Common, Mos Def, Jazzyfatnastees, Dice Raw and Flo Brown)† Hurricane (soundtrack)"The Roots (Interlude)"Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1"Masquerade"; "Till She Comes"; "Nothing but Your Love (Roots Remix) Toshinobu KubotaNothing But Your Love "Work" (with Alechia James)† Bait (soundtrack)"Lift Your Fist" (with Guru)†Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul"Blackman Know Yourself (Roots Remix)" Femi KutiShoki Shoki "Burned Hollywood Burned" (with Chuck D and Zack de la Rocha)† Bamboozled (soundtrack)2001"Caravan"†Red Hot + Indigo"War" Dilated PeoplesExpansion Team"Keep Playin' Me" Sandra St. VictorGemini- Both Sides2002 "Tao of the Machine" (with BT)† Blade II (soundtrack) / Emotional Technology "Act Too (Love of My Life) [Remix]"† Brown Sugar (soundtrack)2004"Funky Kingston" Toots and the MaytalsTrue Love2005"Set Em on Fire" (with Porn & Dice Raw)NBA 2K6 2006 "Boom! (Live Album Version)" (with Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane)† Dave Chapelle's Block Party2009"Walkin My Baby Back Home" Nat King ColeRe:Generations 2010 "I'll Stand by You" Shakira"Hard Times Come Again No More" Mary J. Blige"Let It Be" Jennifer Hudson Hope for Haiti Now 2012 "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round" Soundtrack for a Revolution (soundtrack)"Twice" Robert Glasper featuring SolangeBlack Radio Rediscovered: The Remix EP2016Bittersweet (Side A + B) (with Stella Artois)†Le Savoir "No John Trumbull (Intro)"†"My Shot (Rise Up Remix)"(with Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz and Nate Ruess)†"You'll Be Back"(with Jimmy Fallon)"Who Tells Your Story"(with Common and Ingrid Michaelson)† The Hamilton MixtapeChampion† NBA Finals 2016 Theme Song 2017 "It Ain't Fair" (with Bilal)† Detroit (soundtrack)2019"Feel It (You Got It)" (with Tish Hyman)†2020"This Land (Remix)" (Gary Clark Jr.)†
Music videos 1993: "Pass the Popcorn" (as The Square Roots) 1994: "Distortion to Static" (Do You Want More?!??!) 1994: "Proceed" (DYWM) 1994: "Proceed II" (Red Hot + Cool) 1995: "Silent Treatment" (DYWM) 1996: "Clones" (Illadelph Halflife) 1996: "Concerto of the Desperado" (IH) 1996: "What They Do" (IH) 1998: "Take It There (Remix)" (Nonchalant featuring The Roots) 1999: "You Got Me" (Things Fall Apart) 1999: "The Next Movement" (TFA) 1999: "Rafiki" (Zap Mama featuring The Roots) 1999: "What You Want" (The Best Man [Soundtrack]} 2001: "Glitches" (Down to Earth [Soundtrack]) 2002: "Break You Off" (Phrenology) 2002: "The Seed 2.0" (P) 2004: "Don't Say Nothin'" (The Tipping Point) 2004: "Star" (TP) 2004: "I Don't Care" (TP) 2006: "In the Music/Here I Come/Don't Feel Right" (Game Theory) 2008: "75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)" (Rising Down) 2008: "Get Busy" (RD) 2008: "Birthday Girl" (RD) 2008: "Rising Up" (RD) 2009: "How I Got Over" (How I Got Over) 2010: "Dear God 2.0" (HIGO)