Bill Haley & His Comets recorded many singles and albums. The following list references only their original release and generally does not include compilation albums (with a few exceptions) or single reissues. This list does not include releases on which the Comets worked as session musicians, and primarily focuses on releases during Haley's lifetime.
Studio albums
1956 – Rock 'n' Roll Stage Show (Decca 8345) 1957 – Rockin' the Oldies (Decca 8569)
1958 – Rockin' Around the World (Decca 8692) 1959 – Bill Haley's Chicks (Decca 8821) 1959 – Strictly Instrumental (Decca 8964) 1960 – Bill Haley and His Comets (Warner Bros. 1378) 1960 – Haley's Juke Box (Warner Bros. 1391) 1961 – Twist (Dimsa 8255); Latin America release only 1961 – Bikini Twist (Dimsa 8259); Latin America release only 1962 – Twist Vol. 2 (Dimsa 8275); Latin America release only 1962 – Twist en Mexico (Dimsa 8290); Latin America release only 1963 – Madison (Orfeon 12339); Latin America release only 1963 – Carnaval de Ritmos Modernos (Orfeon 12340); Latin America release only
1964 – Rock-a-Round the Clock King (Guest Star 1454) 1964 – Surf Surf Surf (Orfeon 12354); Latin America release only 1966 – Whisky a Go-Go (Orfeon 12478) – studio album with simulated "live" audience overdubbed; re-recordings and new tracks; Latin America release only 1966 – Bill Haley a Go-Go (Dimsa 8381) – re-recordings; Latin America release only 1968 – Biggest Hits (re-recordings plus new tracks) (Sonet 9945); issued in England as Rock Around the Clock (Hallmark SHM 668) and in North America as Rockin' (Pickwick SPC 3256) 1971 – Rock Around the Country (Sonet 623); issued in North America by GNP-Crescendo (LP 2097) and as Travelin' Band on Janus (JLS 3035) 1973 – Just Rock 'n' Roll Music (Sonet 645); issued in North America by GNP-Crescendo (LP 2077) as Rock 'n' Roll 1976 – R-O-C-K (re-recordings) (Sonet 710); issued in North America by Sun International Records (Sun 143) in 1979 1978 – Golden Country Origins (previously unissued pre-Comets recordings from c.1948–1951) (Grassroots Records); Australia release only 1979 – Everyone Can Rock and Roll (Sonet 808); European release only
Live albums 1962 – Twistin' Knights at the Roundtable (Roulette SR-25174) – recorded in New York City, March 1962 1968 – On Stage Vol. 1: Rock Around the Clock (Sonet SLP-63) – recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, June 1968 1968 – On Stage Vol. 2: Rock the Joint (Sonet SLP-69) – recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, June 1968 The above two albums have been reissued in many forms, including by Janus Records in North America as the two-album set, Razzle-Dazzle (Janus JX2S-7003), and numerous releases on the Pickwick and Hallmark labels in North America and UK. 1970 – Bill Haley's Scrapbook (Kama Sutra/Buddah KSBS-2014) – recorded in New York City, December 1969 1974 – Live in London '74 (Antic 51501) - recorded March 1974
In addition, two previously unissued live recordings were included on the 1973 soundtrack album for the concert film Let the Good Times Roll (Bell 9002), recorded in Detroit, Michigan.
Above list does not include live recordings issued after Haley's death.
Notable compilations 1954 – Rock with Bill Haley and the Comets (Essex ESLP 202) – compilation of singles recorded 1952–1953 1955 – Shake, Rattle and Roll (Decca DL5560) – singles recorded 1954–1955 1955 – Rock Around the Clock (Decca DL8225) – singles recorded 1954–1955; an extended version of the above album 1958 – Rockin' the Joint (compilation of singles recorded 1955–1958 with several unreleased tracks) (Decca DL8775) 1963 – Bill Haley & His Comets (compilation of tracks recorded 1956–1959 with several unreleased tracks) (Vocalion 3696) 1968 – Bill Haley's Greatest Hits! (Decca DL5027; later reissued on MCA Records MAP1015) 1972 – Golden Hits (Decca DXSE7-211; later reissued on MCA LPS1035) 1975 – Golden Favorites (compilation of Decca recordings with unreleased tracks from 1958–1959) (MCA Coral 7845P) 1985 – From the Original Master Tapes (first official CD issue of Decca recordings) (MCA Records MCAD-5539) 1994 – Rock The Joint! (The Original Essex Recordings 1951–1954) (includes tracks recorded in 1951-52 for Holiday Records) (School Kids' Records SKR-1529)
Other 1976 – Rudy's Rock: The Sax That Changed the World (billed as Rudy Pompilli and the Comets; recorded without Haley) (Sonet 696); European release only
Singles
As Bill Haley and the 4 Aces of Western Swing
1948 "Too Many Parties and Too Many Pals"/"Four Leaf Clover Blues" (Cowboy CR1201) August 1948Billboard Record Review Aug 14, 1948 page 121
1949 "Tennessee Border"/"Candy Kisses" (Cowboy CR1202) March 1949Billboard Advance Folk Record Releases Mar 19, 1949 page 38
As Bill Haley & the Saddlemen (and variations of the name) Note: Haley recorded several singles with other groups prior to the Saddlemen that are not listed here.
1950 "Deal Me a Hand" / "Ten Gallon Stetson" (Keystone 5101) "Susan Van Dusan" / "I'm Not to Blame" (Keystone 5102) "Why Do I Cry Over You?" / "I'm Gonna Dry Ev'ry Tear with a Kiss" (Atlantic 727) "My Sweet Little Girl from Nevada" / "My Palomino and I" (Cowboy 1701) – released as Reno Browne and Her Buckaroos 1951 "Rocket 88" / "Tearstains on My Heart" (Holiday 105) "Green Tree Boogie" / "Down Deep in My Heart" (Holiday 108) "I'm Crying" / "Pretty Baby" (Holiday 110) – both with Loretta Glendenning "A Year Ago This Christmas" / "I Don't Want to Be Alone for Christmas" (Holiday 111) 1952 "Juke Box Cannon Ball" / "Sundown Boogie" (Holiday 113) "Icy Heart" / "Rock the Joint" (Essex 303) "Dance with a Dolly" (With a Hole in Her Stockin')" / "Rocking Chair on the Moon" (Essex 305)
As Bill Haley & His Comets (and name variations thereof)
Year Titles (A-side, B-side)Both sides from same album except where indicated Chart positions US US R&BAUS UK1952 "Stop Beatin' Round The Mulberry Bush"b/w "Real Rock Drive"———— 1953 "Crazy Man, Crazy"b/w "What'cha Gonna Do"12——— "Pat-A-Cake"b/w "Fractured" [B-side charted]24——— "Live It Up!"b/w "Farewell, So Long, Goodbye"25——— "I'll Be True"b/w "Ten Little Indians"———— 1954 "Chattanooga Choo Choo"b/w "Straight Jacket"———— "Yes Indeed!"b/w "Real Rock Drive"———— "Rock Around the Clock"b/w "Thirteen Women"1311 "Shake, Rattle and Roll"b/w "A.B.C. Boogie"7——4 "Dim, Dim the Lights (I Want Some Atmosphere)"b/w "Happy Baby"1110—— 1955 "Birth of the Boogie"/"Mambo Rock"2618—14—14 "Razzle-Dazzle"b/w "Two Hound Dogs"15—1813 "Burn That Candle"/"Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie"9419———4 1956 "See You Later, Alligator"b/w "The Paper Boy (On Main Street, U.S.A.)"67377 "R-O-C-K"/"The Saints Rock 'N' Roll"161815—36—5 "Hot Dog Buddy Buddy"/"Rockin' Through the Rye"6078—25—3 "Rip It Up"/"Teenager's Mother"3068—204— "Rudy's Rock"b/w "Blue Comet Blues"34——26 "Don't Knock the Rock"/"Choo Choo Ch'Boogie"———— 1957 "Don't Knock the Rock"b/w "Calling All Comets"———7 "Forty Cups of Coffee"/"Hook, Line and Sinker"70——— "(You Hit the Wrong Note) Billy Goat"b/w "Rockin' Rollin' Rover"60—30— "The Dipsy Doodle"b/w "Miss You"———— "Rock the Joint"(re-recording of their 1952 track)b/w "How Many"———— "Rock The Joint"(UK-only reissue of original 1952 track)b/w "Yes Indeed!"———20 1958 "Skinny Minnie"b/w "Sway with Me"22——— "Lean Jean"b/w "Don't Nobody Move"67—86— "Whoa Mabel!"b/w "Chiquita Linda"——86— "Corrine, Corrina"b/w "B.B. Betty"———— 1959 "I Got A Woman"b/w "Charmaine"———— "A Fool Such As I"b/w "Where'd You Go Last Night"———— "Caldonia"b/w "Shaky"———— "Joey's Song"b/w "Ooh Looka There, Ain't She Pretty"46—1— "Skokiaan (South African Song)"b/w "Puerto Rican Peddler"70——— 1960 "Tamiami"b/w "Candy Kisses"———— "Chick Safari"b/w "Hawk"———— "Music! Music! Music!"b/w "Strictly Instrumental"———— "So Right Tonight"b/w "Let the Good Times Roll, Creole"———— 1961 "Flip, Flop and Fly"b/w "Honky Tonk"———— "The Spanish Twist"b/w "My Kind of Woman"———— "Riviera"b/w "War Paint"———— 1963 "Dance Around the Clock"b/w "What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry?"———— "Tandy"b/w "You Call Everybody Darlin'"———— "Tenor Man"b/w "Up Goes My Love"———— 1964 "The Green Door"b/w "Yeah! She's Evil"———— "Lean Jean"b/w "Skinny Minnie"———— 1965 "Burn That Candle"b/w "Stop, Look and Listen"———— "Tongue Tied Tony"b/w "Haley A Go Go"———— 1968 "Rock Around the Clock" (re-release)b/w "Shake, Rattle and Roll"——420 1969 "That's How I Got To Memphis"b/w "Ain't Love Funny, Ha Ha Ha"———— 1971 "A Little Piece At A Time"b/w "Travelin' Band"———— 1974 "Rock Around the Clock" (re-release)b/w "Shake, Rattle and Roll"39——12 "See You Later, Alligator" (re-release)b/w "Rudy's Rock"———52 1978 "Yodel Your Blues Away"b/w "Within This Broken Heart of Mine"———— 1981 "Haley's Golden Medley"b/w "A.B.C. Boogie"———50
Billboard Year-End performances Year Song Year-EndPosition 1954 "Shake, Rattle and Roll" 26 1955 "Rock Around the Clock" 2 1956 "See You Later, Alligator" 33
Other As The Down Homers:
1946 Out Where The West Winds Blow/Who's Gonna Kiss You When I'm Gone (Vogue R736)
1947 Baby I Found Out All About You/Boogie Woogie Yodel (Vogue R786)
As Johnny Clifton and His String Band:
1950 Stand Up and Be Counted/Loveless Blues (Center C102)
As The Kingsmen:
1958 Weekend/Better Believe It (East West EW 115) The Cat Walk/ Conga Rock (East West EW 120)
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.
Unreleased recordings As with Elvis Presley and other contemporaries of the 1950s, a large stock of previously unreleased recordings by Bill Haley exist and have been released periodically in the years following his death. Many of these are early country and western tracks recorded as demos or, for some reason, unreleased. However, occasionally tracks from the 1950s and 1960s have emerged, as have live recordings. Since the early 1990s several European labels have released a number of previously unreleased recordings, including Hydra Records, Rollercoaster Records, Rockstar Records, Buddah Records, and Bear Family Records.
Notable discoveries that have been commercially released have included:
Several 1946 radio recordings Haley made with the Down Homers (Rock n' Roll Arrives box set, Bear Family Records, 2006); A large cache of country-western recordings made by Haley in the 1946–51 era, before the formation of the Comets (also released on Rock 'n' Roll Arrives); An April 1955 concert in Cleveland, Ohio including the earliest known live recordings of "Rock Around the Clock" (Rock 'n' Roll Show, Hydra Records, 1995); A concert recording (Paris) from the European tour of 1958 (Vive La Rock 'n' Roll, Big Beat Records, 2002); A 1957 radio recording from Haley's tour of Australia; Soundtrack recordings from the 1958 film Here I Am, Here I Stay and the 1954 short film Round Up of Rhythm (On Screen, Hydra Records, 1998); Previously unreleased live recordings from the 1969 Bill Haley's Scrapbook sessions at the Bitter End (CD release of Bill Haley's Scrapbook (Kama Sutra/Buddah, 1993) and The Warner Brothers Years and More box set (Bear Family, 1999); Two Christmas recordings and a version of "Flip Flop and Fly" from the 1968 United Artists sessions; In-studio discussion recordings and alternate takes from the 1979 Everyone Can Rock and Roll sessions (The Journey to Fame, Denton Media, 2004); Assorted demos and alternate takes from the Decca and Warner Bros. era from the period 1958–1961, as well as additional alternate takes and unreleased tracks from the various labels Haley recorded with in the mid-1960s (The Decca Years and More box set (Bear Family, 1991) and The Warner Brothers Years and More box set (Bear Family, 1999); and Two 1962 broadcasts for Armed Forces Radio (On the Air, Hydra Records, 2001). Several live recordings from the 1958 European Tour (book "Rock ´n´ Roll Conquers Europe - Rockin´ Around Europe 1958" including a CD, Hydra Records 2024)
Later Comets recordings Several of the post-Haley contingents of Comets had their own single and album releases: