The Mountain Goats are an American, Durham, North Carolina–based band, led by American singer-songwriter John Darnielle. Darnielle began recording in 1991, and is known for his highly literate lyrics and (until 2002) his lo-fi recording style. The Mountain Goats' albums have featured a constantly changing line-up of musicians, with Darnielle the only constant; when performing live, the band commonly comprises only Darnielle backed by Peter Hughes on bass guitar and Jon Wurster playing drums. Their discography consists of 24 studio albums, four compilation albums, four live albums, six cassette-based releases, four demo albums, 18 solo extended plays, seven collaborative extended plays, and 24 singles. In addition, three unreleased albums circulate amongst collectors, and multiple unreleased or live-only tracks circulate as well.
Albums Studio albums + List of studio albums with selected chart positions and certifications Title Album details Peak chart positions US USIndie AUS Days: SCOPeaks in Scotland: Goths: In League with Dragons: Songs for Pierre Chuvin: Bleed Out: UKSales UKIndieZopilote MachineReleased: July 11, 1994 Label: Ajax, 3 Beads of Sweat Format: CD, vinyl — — — — — —SwedenReleased: August 7, 1995 Format: CD, vinyl — — — — — —Nothing for JuiceReleased: August 19, 1996 Label: Ajax Format: CD, vinyl — — — — — —Full Force GalesburgReleased: June 10, 1997 Label: Emperor Jones Format: CD, vinyl — — — — — —The Coroner's GambitReleased: October 17, 2000 Label: Absolutely Kosher Format: CD, vinyl — — — — — —All Hail West TexasReleased: February 19, 2002 Label: Emperor Jones Format: CD, vinyl 140 — — — — —TallahasseeReleased: November 5, 2002 Label: 4AD Format: CD, vinyl — — — — — —We Shall All Be HealedReleased: February 3, 2004 Label: 4AD Format: CD, vinyl — — — — — —The Sunset TreeReleased: April 26, 2005 Label: 4AD Format: CD, vinyl — — — — — —Get LonelyReleased: August 22, 2006 Label: 4AD Format: CD, vinyl 193 19 — — — —Heretic PrideReleased: February 19, 2008 Label: 4AD Format: CD, vinyl 194 28 — — — —The Life of the World to ComeReleased: October 6, 2009 Label: 4AD Format: CD, vinyl 110 14 — — — —All Eternals DeckReleased: March 29, 2011 Label: Merge Format: CD, vinyl 72 15 — — — —Transcendental YouthReleased: October 2, 2012 Label: Merge Format: CD, vinyl 86 16 — — — —Beat the ChampReleased: April 7, 2015 Label: Merge Format: CD, vinyl 65 5 — — — —GothsReleased: May 19, 2017 Label: Merge Format: CD, vinyl 89 4 — 85 — 25In League with DragonsReleased: April 26, 2019 Label: Merge Format: CD, vinyl 110 6 — 65 87 38Songs for Pierre ChuvinReleased: April 10, 2020 Label: Merge Format: Cassette, digital, vinyl 152 19 86 13 21 5Getting Into KnivesReleased: October 23, 2020 Label: Merge Format: CD, vinyl, cassette, digital 162 34 — — — 44Dark in HereReleased: June 25, 2021 Label: Merge Format: CD, vinyl, cassette, digital — 40 — — 73 31Bleed OutReleased: August 19, 2022 Label: Merge Format: CD, vinyl, cassette, digital — 37 — 73 67 22Jenny from ThebesReleased: October 27, 2023 Label: Merge Format: CD, vinyl, cassette, digital — — — — — 48Through This Fire Across from Peter BalkanReleased: November 7, 2025 Label: Cadmean Dawn Format: CD, vinyl, cassette, digital — 22 — 73 67 48DaysReleased: August 7, 2026 Label: Cadmean Dawn Format: CD, vinyl, cassette, digital — — 83 — 73 20 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Live albums Title Album details Peak chart positionsUSSalesPeak positions For The Jordan Lake Sessions: Volumes 1 & 2: For The Jordan Lake Sessions: Volumes 3 & 4: USFolkAUSThe Jordan Lake Sessions: 1 & 2Released: December 4, 2020 Label: Merge Format: digital59990The Jordan Lake Sessions: 3 & 4Released: November 5, 2021 Label: Merge Format: digital89——The Jordan Lake Sessions: 5 Released: November 18, 2022 Label: Merge Format: digital———Live Archive Vol. 1: Going to Princeton 10/20/24 Released: September, 2025 Label: Cadmean Dawn Format: vinyl———
Compilation albums No.Name Date Label Format1Protein Source of the Future...Now!1999AjaxCD2Bitter Melon Farm1999AjaxCD3Ghana20023 Beads of SweatCD4The Hound Chronicles/Hot Garden Stomp2012ShrimperCD
Cassette releases & Demo albums
Name Date Label FormatTaboo VI: The Homecoming1991ShrimperCassetteThe Hound Chronicles1992ShrimperCassetteTransmissions to Horace1993Sonic EnemyCassetteHot Garden Stomp1993ShrimperCassetteTaking the Dative1994Car in CarCassetteYam, the King of Crops1994OskaCassetteCome, Come to The Sunset Tree2005Self-releasedLPHeretic Pride Demos20084ADDigital downloadThe Life of the World in Flux20094ADCDAll Survivors Pack2011MergeCassette
Extended plays Title EP details Peak chart positionsUSIndieAUSSongs for PetroniusReleased: 1992 Label: Shrimper Formats: 7" — —Chile de ÁrbolReleased: 1993 Label: Ajax Formats: 7" — —Beautiful Rat SunsetReleased: 1994 Label: Shrimper Formats: 10", CD, digital download — —PhilyraReleased: 1994 Label: Theme Park Formats: 7" — —Songs for Peter HughesReleased: 1995 Label: Sonic Squid Formats: 7" — —Songs About FireReleased: 1995 Label: Cassiel Formats: 7" — —Nine Black PoppiesReleased: 1995 Label: Emperor Jones Formats: CD, digital download — —New Asian CinemaReleased: 1998 Label: Yoyo Formats: 12", digital download — —Isopanisad Radio HourReleased: 2000 Label: Yoyo Formats: 12", digital download — —On Juhu BeachReleased: 2001 Label: Nursecall Formats: MiniCD, digital download — —Devil in the ShortwaveReleased: 2002 Label: Yoyo Formats: 12", digital download — —DilaudidReleased: March 21, 2005 Label: 4AD Formats: Digital download — —Babylon Springs EPReleased: April 3, 2006 Label: 4AD Formats: CD, digital download — 86Satanic MessiahReleased: 2008 Label: Self-released Formats: 2x7", digital download — —Selected Goths in AmbientReleased: May 19, 2017 Label: Merge Formats: 12" — —Marsh Witch VisionsReleased: October 6, 2017 Label: Merge Formats: Digital download — —Hex of Infinite BindingReleased: September 7, 2018 Label: Merge Formats: Digital download 44 —Aquarium Drunkard's Lagniappe SessionReleased: November 30, 2018 Label: Merge Formats: Digital download — —
Split EPs Title EP detailsWhy You All So Thief?Released: 1994 Label: Sing, Eunuchs! Formats: 7"Orange Raja, Blood RoyalReleased: 1995 Label: Walt Formats: 7"Tropical Depression EPReleased: 1996 Label: Little Mafia Formats: 7"Bedside Recordings Vol. 1.2Released: 2003 Label: Bedside Formats: 7"Black Pear TreeReleased: 2008 Label: Cadmean Dawn Formats: 12"Moon Colony BloodbathReleased: 2009 Label: Cadmean Dawn Formats: 12"Takin' It Easy / Good Morning / Revolution Blues / Shot In The DarkReleased: February 2014 Label: Merge Formats: 2x7"
Singles Title Year Album"Jam Eater Blues"2002"See America Right"Tallahassee"Palmcorder Yajna"2003We Shall All Be Healed"Letter from Belgium"2004"Steal Smoked Fish" / "In The Shadow Of The Western Hills"2012Transcendental Youth"Who You Are"2014"Blood Capsules" / "Dub Capsules"2015Beat the Champ"Rain in Soho"2017Goths"Andrew Eldritch Is Moving Back To Leeds""From the Lake Trials"rowspan="2" "Song for Sasha Banks"2018Welcome to Passaic2019In League with Dragons"Younger""Sentries In The Ambush" / "Divided Sky Lane""Get Famous"2020Getting Into Knives"As Many Candles as Possible""Picture of My Dress""Mobile"2021Dark in Here"The Slow Parts On Death Metal Albums""Dark in Here""Training Montage"2022Bleed Out"Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome""Mark on You""Clean Slate"2023Jenny from Thebes"Fresh Tattoo""Murder at the 18th St. Garage""Armies of the Lord"2025Through This Fire Across from Peter Balkan"Cold at Night""Rocks in My Pockets""Put the Message in the Box" / "Migrations"2026"Charlie Sheen Reaches Out to the Feds"Days"Shallow Grave""Candlebox"
Certified songs YearTitleCertificationsAlbum2002"No Children" RIAA: GoldTallahassee
Other appearances Name Date Label Song contributedBack to the Egg, Asshole1991Shrimper"Wild Palm City (aka Within You, Without You)"A Munchies Kinda Christmas1992Sonic Enemy"The Pieman (live)"Pawnshop Reverb1992Shrimper"The Window Song"Hard Core Acoustic1993Shrimper"Going to Maine"I Like Walt1994Walt"Noche del Guajolote"You and What Army?1994Sing Eunuchs"Going to Bangor"Howl...A Farewell Compilation of Unreleased Songs1994Glitterhouse/Zuma"Against Agamemnon"I Present This1994Union Pole"Rain Song"Those Pre-Phylloxera Years1994Box Dog Sound"Faithless Bacchant Song"The Basement Tapes: Live Recordings at KSPC 1989–19951995KSPC"The Anglo-Saxons"The Long Secret1995Harriet"Duke Ellington"Corkscrewed1995Theme Park"Flight 717: Going To Denmark" and "The Admonishing Song"Cool Beans #41995Cool Beans"The Last Day of Jimi Hendrix's Life"Fast Forward 21995Brinkman"Noctifer Birmingham"The Wheel Method1995Pottery"Song for an Old Friend"The Wedding Record1995Walt"Going To Port Washington"Our Salvation Is in Hand1995Theme Park"Hand Ball" and "Alpha Omega"Goar #111995Goar"Creature Song" and "Pure Sound"Cyanide Guilt Trip1996Cactus Gum"Leaving Home"Dog So Large I Cannot See Past It1996Dark Beloved Cloud"Snow Song"In Release City1996Slowball"Black Molly"Hey Dan K.UnreleasedAjax"Going to Kirby Sigston" We'll Sail Out Far... Maybe a Little Too Far...1997Apartment"Please Come Home to Hamngatan"Object Lessons: Songs About Products1998Inconspicuous"Golden Boy"Acuarela Songs2001Acuarela"Saigon Shrunken Panorama"Gold Kiss Gala: I'll Wed You2001Dark Beloved Cloud"Un Reve Plus Long Que La Nuit"Comes with a Smile 11: Hope Isn't a Word2004Comes with a smile"Beat the Devil"Down in a Mirror: A Second Tribute to Jandek2005Summersteps Records"White Box" (Jandek cover)The Believer 2005 CD2005The Believer"Pet Politics" (Silver Jews cover)Like A Version 22006Australian Broadcasting Corporation"Wild World" (The Birthday Party cover)n/a (specially commissioned song)2008Weekend America"Down to the Ark"Score! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Covers!2009Merge Records"Drug Life" (East River Pipe cover)Stroke – Songs for Chris Knox2009Flying Nun"Brave" (Chris Knox cover)Smooth Sounds: The Future Hits of WCKR SPGT (A 20th Anniv. Shrimper Comp.)2010Shrimper"Predator Eyes"A.V. UNDERCOVER2011A.V. UNDERCOVER Studio"Boxcar" (Jawbreaker cover)Our First 100 Days2017Secretly Group"Etruscans"Almost Live From Joyful Noise2017Joyful Noise Recordings"From the Lake Trials"Tick, Tick... Boom! (film)2021Netflix"Only Takes a Few (bonus track)" (Jonathan Larson cover)
Unreleased Name Date Label FormatNall's Picks1993UnreleasedN/AHail and Farewell, Gothenburg1995UnreleasedN/AJack and Faye1996Unreleased7"
Notes
References
External links Discography on official site