Free discography
Studio albums6
Live albums2
Compilation albums18
Video albums2
EPs1
Singles16
Photograph of the four band members
Band members of Free. Left to right standing: Paul Kossof and Simon Kirk. Sitting: Paul Rodgers and Andy Fraser

Free were an English rock band formed in London in 1968, by vocalist Paul Rodgers, guitarist Paul Kossoff, bassist Andy Fraser and drummer Simon Kirke, the group signed with Island Records.

The group is best known for their hit songs "All Right Now” and "Wishing Well". Free's discography consists of six studio albums, two live albums, 18 compilation albums, one EP, 16 singles and two video albums. The band released their debut album Tons of Sobs in 1969.[1] The album entered the US Billboard 200 chart at number 197.[2] Free's self-titled second album failed in sales and charts, before the 1970 follow-up Fire and Water peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart,[3] supported by the popular single "All Right Now" which reached the same position on the UK Singles Chart.[4] The single also reached the top ten in a number of other regions, including the United States where it peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.[5]

Free's fourth album Highway reached number 41 on the UK Albums Chart,[3] while its lead single "Stealer" charted at number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100.[5] Free broke up in 1971 due to tensions between members of the band.[1] In September, the group's first live album Free Live! was released, reaching number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and number 89 on the Billboard 200.[3][6] The non-album single "My Brother Jake", released the same year, peaked at number 4 in the UK.[4] Free reunited the following year, releasing Free at Last in June 1972 which reached the top ten of the UK Albums Chart.[3] In early 1973 the band released Heartbreaker, which was recorded primarily by Rodgers and Kirke due to Fraser's departure and Kossoff's drug problems.[1]

The band broke up permanently later in 1973, with Rodgers and Kirke going on to form Bad Company later that year.[1] Island issued the first Free compilation at the end of the year, The Free Story, which reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[3][7] Many more compilations followed in the subsequent years, including The Best of Free: All Right Now in 1991, which reached the top ten in the UK, and Chronicles in 2005, which reached number 42 on the chart.[3] The Very Best of Free & Bad Company Featuring Paul Rodgers, released in 2010, which also features tracks by Bad Company, peaked at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified silver by the BPI.[3][7] The band reached the top ten on the UK Singles Chart again in 1991, with a remixed version of "All Right Now" which peaked at number 8.[4]

Albums

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
UK
[3]
AUS
[8]
CAN
[9]
FIN
[10]
GER
[11]
NOR
[12]
US
[13]
Tons of Sobs
  • Released: 14 March 1969
  • Label: Island
  • Format: LP
197
Free
  • Released: October 1969
  • Label: Island
  • Format: LP
2228 8632177
Fire and Water
  • Released: 26 June 1970
  • Label: Island
  • Formats: LP, CS
225 34 17301917
Highway
  • Released: December 1970
  • Label: Island
  • Formats: LP, CS
4111 43190
Free at Last
  • Released: May 1972
  • Label: Island
  • Format: LP
932 69
Heartbreaker
  • Released: January 1973
  • Label: Island
  • Format: LP
729 26 947
"—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not issued in that region.

Live albums

List of live albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
UK
[3]
UK
Rock

[14]
AUS
[8]
GER
[11]
US
[6]
Free Live!
  • Released: September 1971
  • Label: Island
  • Format: LP
4184589
Live at the BBC
  • Released: 1 April 2006
  • Label: Island
  • Formats: CD, DL
12715——
"—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not issued in that region.

Compilations

List of compilation albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
[3]
UK
Bud.

[15]
UK
Rock

[16]
UK
Vinyl

[17]
US
[18]
AUS
[8]
The Free Story
  • Released: 31 December 1973
  • Label: Island
  • Format: 2LP
234
Best of Free 120
Free & Easy, Rough & Ready
  • Released: 1976
  • Label: Island
  • Format: LP
Completely Free
  • Released: 1982
  • Label: Island
  • Formats: LP, CS
55
The Best of Free: All Right Now
  • Released: 1 February 1991
  • Label: Island
  • Formats: CD, LP, CS
929
Molten Gold: The Anthology
  • Released: 5 October 1993
  • Labels: Island, Chronicles
  • Format: 2CD
Walk in My Shadow: An
Introduction to Free
Songs of Yesterday
  • Released: 10 October 2000
  • Label: Island
  • Formats: 5CD, DL
15011
All Right Now
  • Released: 18 September 2001
  • Label: Spectrum
  • Format: CD
13
Classic Free
  • Released: 2001
  • Labels: Island, Universal
  • Format: CD
8
20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Free
  • Released: 6 August 2002
  • Label: A&M
  • Format: CD
Chronicles
  • Released: 5 April 2005
  • Labels: Universal, Chronicles
  • Format: 2CD
4210
Walking in My Shadow: The
Free Collection
  • Released: 7 May 2007
  • Label: Universal
  • Format: 2CD
Rock Legends
  • Released: 28 January 2008
  • Labels: Island, Universal
  • Format: CD
The Very Best of Free & Bad
Company Featuring Paul
Rodgers
(with Bad Company)
  • Released: 6 April 2010
  • Labels: Rhino, UMTV
  • Format: CD
10
Wishing Well: The Collection
  • Released: 2010
  • Label: Spectrum
  • Formats: 2CD, DL
All Right Now: The Collection
  • Released: 29 October 2012
  • Label: Spectrum
  • Formats: CD, DL
The Vinyl Collection
  • Released: 16 September 2016
  • Label: Island
  • Format: 7LP
2619
"—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not issued in that region.

Video albums

List of video albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Album details Peak Certifications
UK
[19]
Free
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Island
  • Format: VHS
Forever
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: Island
  • Format: 2DVD
1
"—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not issued in that region.

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak
UK
[4]
The Free EP
  • Released: 1978
  • Label: Island
  • Format: LP
11

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
[4]
AUT
[20]
BEL
(FL)

[21]
CAN
[22][23]
FIN
[10]
GER
[11]
NED
[24]
NOR
[12]
SWI
[25]
US
[5]
"Walk in My Shadow" 1969 Tons of Sobs
"Broad Daylight" Free
"I'll Be Creeping"
"Fire and Water" 1970 Fire and Water
"All Right Now" 261042658944
"Stealer" 51[upper-alpha 1]16403749 Highway
"Ride on a Pony"
"The Highway Song" 1971
"My Brother Jake" 4 Non-album single
"Little Bit of Love" 1972 13119 Free at Last
"Wishing Well" 747112 Heartbreaker
"Travellin' in Style" 1973 51[upper-alpha 1]
"The Hunter" 1976 58[upper-alpha 1] Tons of Sobs
"Wishing Well" (remix) 1985 96 Non-album single
"All Right Now" (remix) 1991 8 The Best of Free: All Right Now
"My Brother Jake" (remix)
"—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not issued in that region.

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. 1 2 3 Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ankeny, Jason. "Free: Biography & History". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  2. "Top 200 Albums: The Week of September 13, 1969". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Guinness British Hit Singles & Albums, Edition 18, published 2005
    • 1 2 3 4 5 "Free Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • 1 2 3 "The Hot 100: Free Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • 1 2 "Top 200 Albums: The Week of October 2, 1971". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2017. Note: User must manually define search field as "Free" and click 'Search' in order to yield results.
    • 1 2 3 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 118. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
    • Canada, Library and Archives (2013-07-17). "Search: RPM". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
    • 1 2 Timo (13 August 2015). "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit FRE - FÄL". Sisältää hitin. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
    • 1 2 3 "Discographie Free". germancharts.de (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • 1 2 "Discography Free". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • US Billboard 200 peak positions for Free studio albums:
    • "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40: 01 October 2006 - 07 October 2006". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • "Chart Log UK: Adam F – FYA". zobbel.de. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart peak positions for Free compilation albums:
    • "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40: 16 September 2016 - 22 September 2016". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • "Top 200 Albums: The Week of June 14, 1975". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • "Official Music Video Chart Top 50: 08 October 2006 - 14 October 2006". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • "Discographie Free". austriancharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • "Discografie Free". ultratop.be (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • "RPM Top 100 Singles - November 7, 1970" (PDF).
    • "RPM Top 100 Singles - January 9, 1971" (PDF).
    • "Discografie Free". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
    • "Discographie Free". swisscharts.com (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
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