The Roots discography

The Roots discography

The Roots performing in Toronto, Ontario on March 24, 2007.
Releases
Studio albums 14
Live albums 2
Compilation albums 3
Singles 18
Music videos 24

The discography of The Roots, an American hip hop band, consists of eleven solo studio albums, 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.[1] 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.[2] Do You Want More?!!!??! peaked at only number 104 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US.[3] Illadelph Halflife, the third album by the Roots, peaked at number twenty-one on the Billboard 200.[3] In 1999, The Roots' fourth album Things Fall Apart became the band's biggest success. The album was certified gold in the US,[4] 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.[5] "You Got Me" won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2000.[6] 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.[5]

The Roots founded the company Okayplayer, and released The Tipping Point in 2004.[2] 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.

Albums

Studio albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
US
[3]
US
R&B
[3]
AUS
[7]
CAN
[3]
FIN
[8]
FRA
[9]
GER
[10]
NLD
[11]
NOR
[12]
SWE
[13]
SWI
[14]
UK
[15]
1993 Organix
  • Released: May 19, 1993
  • Label: Remedy
  • Format: CD, cassette, digital download
93
1995 Do You Want More?!!!??!
  • Released: October 24, 1994
  • Label: DGC (24714)
  • Format: CD, cassette, digital download
28 5 87
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 84
2002 Phrenology
  • Released: November 26, 2002
  • Label: MCA (112996)
  • Format: CD, digital download, LP
28 11 14 117 54 57 112
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)
8 3 42 16 95 69 6 29 15 26
2011 Betty Wright: The Movie
(with Betty Wright)
  • Released: November 15, 2011
  • Label:
  • Format: CD, digital download, LP
197 27
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[16]
  • 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
[3]
US
R&B
[3]
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
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Live albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions
US
[3]
US
R&B
[3]
1999 The Roots Come Alive
  • Released: November 2, 1999
  • Label: MCA (12059)
  • Format: CD, cassette, digital download, LP
50 12
2003 Nagoya Blue Note: Live In Japan - September 7, 2004
  • Released: 2003
  • Label: Geffen
  • Format: LP
"—" 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 Album
US
[5]
US
R&B

[5]
US
Rap

[5]
FIN
[8]
FRA
[9]
GER
[10]
NLD
[11]
NZL
[17]
SWI
[14]
UK
[15]
1994 "Distortion to Static" 96 25 Do You Want More?!!!??!
1995 "Proceed" 123[A] 79 13
"Silent Treatment" 105[A] 31
1996 "Clones" 101[A] 62 11 Illadelph Halflife
"What They Do" (featuring Raphael Saadiq) 34 21 5 49
1998 "Adrenaline!" 73 29 Things Fall Apart
"You Got Me" (featuring Erykah Badu and Eve) 39 11 19 28 25 46 37 15 31
1999 "The Next Movement" (featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff and Jazzyfatnastees) 103[A]
"Don't See Us"
"What You Want" 82 The Roots Come Alive
2002 "Break You Off" (featuring Musiq Soulchild) 99 55 59 Phrenology
2003 "The Seed (2.0)" (featuring Cody ChesnuTT) 5 67 31 22 33
2004 "Don't Say Nuthin'" 66 66 27 92 The Tipping Point
"I Don't Care" (featuring Dom) 54 97
"Stay Cool" 53[B] 31[B]
2006 "Don't Feel Right" (featuring Maimouna Youssef) 48[B] 200 Game Theory
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 Over
2010 "Let It Be" (Jennifer Hudson featuring The Roots) 98 19[C] 97 Hope for Haiti Now
"Dear God 2.0" (featuring Monsters of Folk) How I Got Over
"The Fire" (featuring John Legend)
"Wake Up Everybody" (with John Legend featuring Common & Melanie Fiona) 53 21 62 179 Wake Up!
"Hard Times" (with John Legend)
"Well, Well, Well" (with Duffy) 11 24 58 19 41 Endlessly
2011 "Shine" (with John Legend) 64 Wake Up!
"Make My" (featuring Big K.R.I.T.) Undun
"Tip the Scale" (featuring Dice Raw)
2014 "When the People Cheer" …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Music videos

References

  1. "The Roots". Bonaroo. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Bush, John. "The Roots > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "The Roots > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Gold & Platinum: The Roots". RIAA. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "The Roots > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  6. "The Roots > Charts & Awards > Grammy Awards". allmusic. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  7. "Discography The Roots". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Discography The Roots". Finnishcharts.com (in Finnish). Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  9. 9.0 9.1 "Discographie The Roots". Lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Peak chart positions for The Roots in Germany:
  11. 11.0 11.1 "Discografie The Roots". Dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  12. "Discography The Roots". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  13. "Discography The Roots". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  14. 14.0 14.1 "Discographie The Roots". Hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  15. 15.0 15.1 Peak chart positions for The Roots in the United Kingdom:
  16. http://pitchfork.com/news/54685-the-roots-share-new-single-when-the-people-cheer-announce-album-release-date/
  17. "Discography The Roots". Charts.org.nz. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  18. "Billboard chart search" (XML). Billboard.com. Retrieved June 10, 2010.