John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer and guitarist who recorded from 1948 to 2001. His discography includes recordings issued by various record companies in different formats.
"Boogie Chillen'" (Detroit, September 1948) – Modern 627 (11/48) R&B #1 (Crown LP The Blues)
"Hobo Blues" (Detroit, September 1948) – Modern 663 (3/49) R&B #5 (Crown LP The Blues)
"Crawlin' King Snake" (Detroit, September 1948) – Modern 714 (10/49) R&B #6 (Crown LP The Blues)
"I'm In the Mood" (Detroit, August 7, 1951) – Modern 835 (9/51) R&B #1 (Crown LP The Blues)
"The Syndicator" with "Hug and Squeeze" (Detroit, early 1955) – Modern 966 (8/55) (Crown LP Sings The Blues)
"Dimples" (Chicago, March 17, 1956) – Vee-Jay 205 (8/56) (VJ LP I'm John Lee Hooker)
"I Love You Honey" (Chicago, June 10, 1958) – Vee-Jay 293 (9/58) R&B #29 (VJ LP I'm John Lee Hooker)
"No Shoes" (Chicago, March 1, 1960) – Vee-Jay 349 (4/60) R&B#21 (VJ LP Travelin')
"Boom Boom" (Chicago, late 1961) – Vee-Jay 438 (4/62) R&B #16 (VJ LP Burnin')
"It Serves Me Right (To Suffer)" (Chicago, mid 1964) – Vee-Jay 708 (11/65) (VJ/Dynasty LP In Person)
The Detroit Years (recordings 1948–1955)
1959 – House of the Blues (Chess)
1960 – The Blues (Crown) – early Modern tracks
1960 – Sings Blues (Modern) – under the name "Texas Slim", reissued on King
1961 – Sings the Blues (Crown) – Modern tracks
1961 – Plays and Sings The Blues (Chess) – 1950–52 tracks
1961 – John Lee Hooker Sings the Blues (King) – reissued as Moanin' and Stompin' and Don't You Remember Me, Texas Slim 1948–50 tracks
1962 – Folk Blues (Crown) – Modern tracks
1963 – The Great John Lee Hooker (Crown) – Modern tracks
1963 – Don't Turn Me from Your Door (Atco) – 1953 and 1961 recordings
1963 – John Lee Hooker & Big Maceo Merriweather (Fortune)
1964 – Original Folk Blues (Kent)
1966 – John Lee Hooker & His Guitar (Advent)
1969 – No Friend Around (Advent/Red Lightnin')
1970 – Alone (Specialty)
1971 – Goin' Down Highway 51 (Specialty)
1971 – Coast to Coast Blues Band – Any Where – Any Time – Any Place (United Artists)
1972 – Johnny Lee (GreeneBottle) – 2LP
1973 – John Lee Hooker's Detroit (United Artists) – 3LP
1973 – Mad Man Blues (Chess) – 2LP compilation
1973 – Hooker, Hopkins, Hogg (Specialty-Sonet)
1973 – Slim's Stomp (Polydor) – King tracks
1979 – Southern Blues (Savoy)
1981 – Blues for Big Town (Chess) – various artists compilation featuring unissued early 1950s recordings
1987 – Gotham Golden Classics – Rare Recordings (Collectables)
1987 – Detroit Blues (Krazy Kat)
1989 – 40th Anniversary Album (DCC) – reissued on Demon as Detroit Lion
1990 – Boogie Awhile (Krazy Kat) – 2LP
1999 – Savoy Blues Legends, 1948–1949 (SavoyJazz/Atlantic) – reissued on Savoy
2000 – The Unknown John Lee Hooker (Krazy Kat) – 1951 tracks, reissued 2004 on Eagle as Jack O'Diamonds
The Chicago Years (recordings 1955–1964)
1959 – I'm John Lee Hooker (Vee-Jay)
1960 – Travelin (Vee-Jay)
1961 – The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker (Vee-Jay)
1962 – Burnin' (Vee-Jay)
1962 – The Big Soul of John Lee Hooker (Vee-Jay)
1962 – The Best of John Lee Hooker (Vee-Jay) – compilation
1963 – John Lee Hooker on Campus (Vee-Jay) – I Want To Shout The Blues on European Stateside, reissued as Big Band Blues on Buddah
1965 – … And Seven Nights (Verve-Folkways) – 1964 British recordings, reissued with brass overdubs as On the Waterfront on Wand and several later versions
1965 – Is He the World's Greatest Blues Singer? (Vee-Jay) – compilation, reissued on Exodus
1974 – Gold (Vee-Jay) – compilation, contains I'm John Lee Hooker and The Big Soul of
1974 – The Best of John Lee Hooker (GNP Crescendo) – 20 classic Vee-Jay tracks
1974 – In Person (Vee-Jay/Dynasty) – late Vee-Jay tracks
1989 – The Hook – 20 Years of Hits & Hot Boogie (Chameleon) – compilation of Vee-Jay licensed recorings
1993 – John Lee Hooker on Vee-Jay 1955–1958 (Vee-Jay) – compilation
2014 – I'm Going Home (Devils Tunes) – June 10, 1958, Vee-Jay rehearsal session with rare recordings
The Folk Years (recordings 1959–1963)
1959 – The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker (Riverside) – reissued 1963 on Battle as How Long Blues
1960 – That's My Story – JLH Sings the Blues (Riverside) – reissued 1963 on Battle as The Blues Man
1962 – John Lee Hooker (Galaxy) – reissued as The King of Folk Blues (America)
1963 – Live at Sugar Hill (Galaxy)
1964 – Burning Hell (Riverside) – recorded 1959
1964 – Concert at Newport (Vee-Jay) – reissued on Fantasy with bonus tracks as Live at Newport
1966 – Teachin' the Blues (Guest Star) – 1961 recordings
1969 – That's Where It's At! (Stax) – 1961 recordings
1971 – Detroit Special (Atlantic) – compilation, Don't Turn Me From Your Door plus bonus tracks
1972 – Boogie Chillun (Fantasy) – Live at Sugar Hill plus bonus tracks, reissued on Ace as Live at Sugar Hill Vol. 1 & 2
1972 – Black Snake (Fantasy 2-set) – reissue of Riverside "The Country Blues and That's My Story
1979 – Sittin' Here Thinkin' (Muse) – 1961 Savoy recordings, reissued as Sad and Lonesome
2002 – Live at Sugar Hill, Vol. 2 (Fantasy) – unissued 1961 recordings featuring a third session
The ABC Years (recordings 1965–1974)
1965 – It Serves You Right to Suffer (Impulse!)
1966 – The Real Folk Blues (Chess) – new Chicago recordings
1967 – Live at the Café Au Go-Go (Bluesway)
1967 – Urban Blues (Bluesway)
1968 – On the Waterfront (Wand) – … And Seven Nights with brass overdubs
1969 – Simply the Truth (Bluesway)
1969 – If You Miss 'Im … I Got 'Im (Bluesway)
1970 – I Wanna Dance All Night (America) – European recordings, reissued on Festival with the next as Black Rhythm 'n' Blues
1970 – I Feel Good (Carson) – European recordings, reissued on Jewel (1972)
1971 – Get Back Home in the USA (Black & Blue) – European recordings reissued with bonus tracks as Get Back Home
1971 – Hooker 'n Heat (Liberty) – reissued on Rhino as Infinite Boogie
1971 – Endless Boogie (ABC)
1972 – Never Get Out of These Blues Alive (ABC)
1972 – Live at Kabuki Wuki (Bluesway)
1973 – Live at Soledad Prison (ABC)
1973 – Born in Mississippi, Raised Up in Tennessee (ABC)
1974 – Free Beer and Chicken (ABC)
1991 – More Real Folk Blues – The Missing Album (Chess) – also issued with The Real Folk Blues as The Complete Chess Folk Blues Sessions
The Rosebud Years (recordings 1975–2001)
1976 – Alone Vol 1 (Labor) – live recordings, reissued on Tomato
1976 – Alone – Live in New York Vol 2 (MMG) – reissued on Tomato
1978 – Live + Well (Ornament)
1978 – The Cream (Tomato) – live recordings, reissued with bonus tracks on Charly
1979 – Live in 1978 (Lunar)
1981 – Hooker 'n' Heat Recorded Live at the Fox Venice Theatre (Rhino, various artists)
1986 – Jealous (Pulsa) – reissued on Point Blank 1996 and Shout! Factory with bonus tracks
1989 – The Healer (Chameleon)
1990 – The Hot Spot – featuring Miles Davis
1991 – Mr. Lucky (Pointblank)
1992 – Boom Boom (Pointblank) – reissued on Shout!Factory with bonus tracks
1995 – Chill Out (Pointblank) – reissued on Shout!Factory with bonus tracks
1997 – Don't Look Back (Pointblank/Virgin) – reissued on Shout!Factory with bonus tracks
1998 – The Best of Friends (Pointblank) compilation 1986–1998 incl one new track – reissued on Shout!Factory download with bonus track
2003 – Face to Face (Eagle) new recordings
2016 – Boom Boom - Live On Air 1976 (Laser media) 14 classics, live (bootleg on air) recordings with guitars, bass, and drums
Compilation CDs (selected)
1990 – That's My Story/The Folk Blues of (Ace) – the two original Riverside LPs on one CD
1990 – That's Where It's At (Stax) reissue of Florida recordings from 1961
1991 – The Ultimate Collection 1948–1990 (Rhino 2CDbox)
1991 – Half a Stranger (Mainstream) Modern tracks 1948–1955 incl unedited masters
1991 – Free Beer and Chicken (BeatGoesOn/MCA) recorded 1974
1991 – Don't Turn Me from Your Door (Atlantic/Atco) – 1953 and 1961 recordings with bonus tracks
1991 – Introducing ... John Lee Hooker (MCA)
1992 – Graveyard Blues (Specialty/Ace) 1948–1950 – Besman/Sensation tracks
1992 – The Best of John Lee Hooker 1965 to 1974 (Universal) – Impulse and ABC/Bluesway recordings
1993 – Everybody's Blues (Specialty/Ace) – Besman tracks of 1950–51 plus two 1954 sessions direct for Specialty
1993 – The Legendary Modern Recordings 1948–1954 (Flair/Ace) – the original singles
1993 – The Early Years (Tomato) – 2-set with 30 Vee-Jay classics
1994 – The Boogie Man (Charly DIG 5) – box 1948–1966 recordings, except Modern
1995 – Alternative Boogie – Early Studio Recordings, 1948–1952 (Capitol) – 3CD with Besman alternate takes
1995 – The Gold Collection – 40 Classic Performances (Retro) – 2CD Italian compilation on Phonocomp
1995 – Jazz & Blues Collection (Charly)
1996 – Live at the Café Au Go-Go (and Soledad Prison) (Universal) – 1966 with Muddy Waters' band and 1972
1998 – The Complete 50's Chess Recordings (Chess 2CD) – anthology featuring the tracks from House of the Blues and Plays and Sings the Blues (1951–52) plus several bonus tracks from Fortune 1954 incl Blues For Big Town
2000 – The Complete 1964 Recordings (RPM) – last Vee-Jay session 1964 plus British London recordings, the British tracks reissued with brass overdubs as The London 1965 Sessions on Sequel
2000 – I'm John Lee Hooker (Charly -with bonus tracks) – his very first LP, 1955–1959 recordings – reissued on SNAP in 2003 and without bonus tracks on Shout!Factory in 2007
2000 – Travelin' (Charly) - 1960 session with bonus tracks, reissued on SNAP in 2003
2000 – The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker (Charly) – his third VJ LP with bonus tracks, reissued on SNAP in 2003
2000 – Burnin' (Charly) – the fourth VJ LP 1962 with bonus tracks, reissued on SNAP in 2003
2000 – The Complete – Vol. 1 1948–49 (Body & Soul) – 2CD
2000 – The Complete – Vol. 2 1949 (Body & Soul) – 2CD
2001 – The Complete – Vol. 3 1949–50 (Body & Soul) – 2CD
2001 – House Rent Boogie (Ace) – rare early 1950s Modern recordings
2001 – Testament (Charly/Snapper) – 3CD box Vee-Jay recordings
2002 – The Complete – Vol. 4 1950–51 (Body & Soul) – 2CD
2002 – The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues (Chess) – 1966 recordings, reissue of 1991 CD The Complete Chess Folk Blues Sessions
2002 – Giant of Blues (FruitTree 2CD) – Charly license featuring 20 of the Testament tracks
2003 – Boogie Chillen' (Audio Fidelity) – 1949–1952 compilation by Besman and Siracuse (engineer)
2003 – Blues Kingpins – Blues Immortal (Virgin) – 1948–1955 Modern anthology
2004 – Early Years – The Classic Savoy Sessions (Metro Doubles 2CD) – recorded 1948 and 1961 from Savoy Blues Legends (Savoy in 1999 and 2003) and the 1961 Savoy recordings from Sittin' Here Thinkin' (32Blues in 2004 with the bonus track)
2004 – I'm a Boogie Man (Varèse Sarabande) – Vintage 1948–1953 Texas Slim and John Lee Booker (King/De Luxe tracks featuring all the King singles)
2004 – The Complete – Vol. 5 1951–53 (Body & Soul) – 2CD
2005 – The Complete – Vol. 6 1953–54 (Body & Soul) – 2CD
2005 – Blues Is the Healer (Membran) – 10-CD box set 149 songs from the early years
2006 – Hooker (Shout!Factory) – 4 CD chronological anthology covering entire career
2006 – The Boogie Man 1948–1955 (Charly) – 4-CD box set with some Modern recordings
2007 – Gold (Hip-O Select) – 2CD 1948–2001 chronological anthology
2009 – John Lee Hooker Anthology: 50 Years (Shout! Factory) – 2CD 1948–1998 chronological anthology
2009 – From Detroit to Chicago 1954–1958 (SagaBlues46) – Modern, Battle, and early Vee-Jay singles
2010 – At His Very Best (MetroUnionSquare 2CD) – Vee-Jay compilation with some live recordings
2010 – Blues in Transition (Jasmine 2CD) – Vee-Jay recordings 1956–1959 plus the two Riverside sessions 1959 (50 tracks)
2016 – The Modern, Chess & VeeJay Singles Collection 1949-62 (Acrobat Music 4CD) – all his singles for the three labels, A- and B-sides (101 tracks) including the very first from 1948 (Sally May c/w Boogie Chillen') - and up to "The Burnin'" singles issued in 1962
The Blues Brothers (1980)
John Lee Hooker & Furry Lewis DVD (1995)
John Lee Hooker Rare Performances 1960–1984 DVD (2002)
Come See About Me DVD (2004)
John Lee Hooker – Bits and Pieces About … DVD + CD (2006)
