Studio albums 30 Compilation albums 16 Singles 62 | Live albums 6 EPs 1 Tribute albums 6 | |
This page lists albums, singles, and compilations by the musician Elvis Costello, distinguishing between United States and United Kingdom release dates and record labels. Of note are the reissue series, Costello's back-catalogue having undergone that treatment three times by three different companies.
Contents
Rykodisc/Demon reissues
From 1993 to 1995, Rykodisc Records (US) and Demon Records (UK) reissued Costello's pre-Warner Bros. catalogue with bonus tracks for each album as well as a greatest hits compilation and the live album Live at the El Mocambo. This licensing deal ended in 2000
Rhino
Rhino Records acquired the rights to both Costello's Columbia back-catalogue, previously distributed by Rykodisc, and the Warner Bros. catalogue after Costello signed with Polygram in 1999. The label commenced its Costello reissue program with the Polygram compilation (see above) released less than two years previously. All were double-disc sets in slim-line jewel box cases, with the remaining installments in the series comprising the original studio albums on disc one, with disc two containing b-sides, outtakes, demo recordings, concert tracks, and previously unreleased material. All included a booklet with original lyrics and liner notes by Costello himself. All are currently out of print.
The project featured the direct participation and guidance of Costello, who wrote new liner notes for each album consisting of his thoughts on the music as well as anecdotes and reminiscences from the time. They were released in batches of three, with the exception of King of America, The Juliet Letters, and The Very Best of Elvis Costello, the last being an unaltered re-release of the Polygram compilation of 1999, which arrived in the stores singularly. The reissue dates are as follows:
- 17 April 2001: The Very Best of Elvis Costello
- 11 August 2001: My Aim Is True, Spike, All This Useless Beauty
- 19 February 2002: This Year's Model, Blood & Chocolate, Brutal Youth
- 19 November 2002: Armed Forces, Imperial Bedroom, Mighty Like a Rose
- 9 September 2003: Get Happy!!, Trust, Punch the Clock
- 3 August 2004: Almost Blue, Goodbye Cruel World, Kojak Variety
- 26 April 2005: King of America
- 21 March 2006: The Juliet Letters
The Almost Blue and Kojak Variety bonus discs were particularly notable as each contained, essentially, an entire new album's worth of material also performed but either not issued, or released as B-sides on singles originally. The Kojak bonus disc also included ten songs of the 'George Jones' tape, cover songs Costello intended to induce the famed country singer to perform on a subsequent album. The Get Happy bonus disc was also of note, with 30 additional tracks, bringing the total for the two disc set to 50 songs.
At the conclusion of Rhino's reissue series (My Aim Is True through All This Useless Beauty), Universal Music Enterprises announced their purchase of the early Costello catalogue. This licensing acquisition covers from My Aim Is True through Blood & Chocolate, excluding the Warner Bros. albums (Spike through All This Useless Beauty). These albums had all been re-released on Rhino, a Warner Music Group subsidiary. The press release says, "[l]eading the industry in online marketing with a dedicated department that manages its digital and mobile business, UMe also expects to mine Costello's catalogue for ringtones, digital box sets, and more." UMe announced that they would be reissuing the albums on their Hip-O Select label. Costello is quoted in the press release as saying, "[I]t's great to be able to do this through a company that has not only enjoyed major success with reissues but has done them with a genuine emphasis on quality." This reissue series will mark the fourth release of his Stiff/Radar/Demon catalogue (released by Columbia Records in the US) on compact disc.
Singles
The following is a list of all Costello's commercially available singles. The key for the Artist Credit below is as follows: