The discography of Irish new wave group The Boomtown Rats consists of seven studio albums, seven compilation albums, 23 singles and three video albums. The Boomtown Rats' debut release was the 1977 single "Lookin' After No. 1" which was originally written by frontman Bob Geldof in 1975 while waiting for his local unemployment office to open in his native Dun Laoghaire then a major port an hour south of central Dublin. The group's next single "Mary of the 4th Form" was released in the same year, along with their self-titled debut album.
| The Boomtown Rats discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 7 |
| EPs | 1 |
| Live albums | 4 |
| Compilation albums | 7 |
| Singles | 23 |
| Video albums | 3 |
Albums
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [1] |
AUT [2] |
CAN [3] |
GER [4] |
NED [5] |
NZ [6] |
NOR [7] |
SWE [8] |
UK [9] |
US [10] | |||||
| The Boomtown Rats |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | — | |||
| A Tonic for the Troops |
|
95 | — | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | 8 | 112 |
| ||
| The Fine Art of Surfacing |
|
11 | — | 6 | 35 | 33 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 73 | |||
| Mondo Bongo |
|
24 | 19 | 22 | 16 | — | 50 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 116 |
| ||
| V Deep |
|
— | — | 37 | — | — | — | 27 | — | 64 | 103 | |||
| In the Long Grass |
|
— | — | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 188 | |||
| Citizens of Boomtown |
|
— | 73 | — | 41 | — | — | — | — | 48 | — | |||
| "—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Live albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Live in the UK 2013, Dublin |
|
| Live in the UK 2013, London |
|
| Rewind Festival - Aug 17 2014 |
|
| Live Germany 78 |
|
Compilation albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRE [13] |
SCO [14] |
UK [9] | ||||||||||||
| Ratrospective |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||||
| The Boomtown Rats' Greatest Hits |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||||
| Loudmouth |
|
— | 33 | 10 | ||||||||||
| The Best of The Boomtown Rats |
|
75 | 41 | 43 |
| |||||||||
| 20th Century Masters: The Best of The Boomtown Rats - Millennium Collection |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||||
| Back to Boomtown: Classic Rats Hits |
|
35 | — | — | ||||||||||
| So Modern – The Boomtown Rats Collection |
|
— | — | — | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
EPs
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
Ratlife
|
|
Singles
edit| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRE [16] |
AUS [17] |
CAN [18] |
GER [19] |
NED [20] |
NZ [21] |
NOR [22] |
SWE [23] |
UK [9] |
US [24] | |||||
| 1977 | "Lookin' After No. 1" | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | The Boomtown Rats | ||
| "Mary of the 4th Form" | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | — | ||||
| 1978 | "She's So Modern" | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | A Tonic for the Troops | ||
| "Like Clockwork" | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — |
| |||
| "Rat Trap" | 2 | 94 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| |||
| 1979 | "I Don't Like Mondays" | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 73 | The Fine Art of Surfacing | ||
| "Diamond Smiles" | 3 | 42 | — | — | 42 | — | — | — | 13 | — | ||||
| 1980 | "Someone's Looking at You" | 2 | — | 86 | — | 48 | — | 6 | — | 4 | — | |||
| "Banana Republic" | 3 | 18 | 47 | 3 | 35 | — | 3 | 7 | 3 | — |
|
Mondo Bongo | ||
| 1981 | "The Elephants Graveyard (Guilty)" | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | — | |||
| "Up All Night" | — | — | — | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Go Man Go" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Never in a Million Years" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 62 | — | V Deep | |||
| 1982 | "House on Fire" | 19 | — | — | 67 | — | — | — | — | 24 | — | |||
| "Charmed Lives" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1984 | "Tonight" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 73 | — | In the Long Grass | ||
| "Drag Me Down" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 50 | — | ||||
| "Dave" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 81 | — | ||||
| 1985 | "A Hold of Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 78 | — | |||
| 1994 | "I Don't Like Mondays" (re-issue) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | — | Loudmouth | ||
| 2020 | "Trash Glam Baby"[25] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Citizens of Boomtown | ||
| "There's No Tomorrow Like Today"[26] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Here's a Postcard (Hot Mix)"[27] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Videography
editVideo albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The Boomtown Rats on Film 1976–1986: Someone's Looking At You |
|
| Live at Hammersmith Odeon 1978 |
|
| On a Night Like This |
|
| Live in Germany '78 (DVD/CD) |
|
Music videos
edit| Title | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Rat Trap" | 1978 | David Mallet[28][29] |
| "I Don't Like Mondays" | 1979 | |
| "Diamond Smiles" | ||
| "Up All Night"[30] | 1981 | Unknown |
| "Never in a Million Years" | 1982 | David Mallet |
| "Drag Me Down" | 1984 | Nigel Dick[31] |
| "Dave" | ||
| "Tonight" | Mike Brady |
References
edit- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 42. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Austrian Albums". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ Canadian Albums:
- "The Fine Art of Surfacing" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- "Mondo Bongo" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- "V Deep" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- "In the Long Grass" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Discographie von The Boomtown Rats". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ^ "Dutch Albums". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "New Zealand Albums". charts.nz. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Norwegian Albums". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Swedish Albums". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ a b c "UK chart peaks". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "US Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "BPI Certification". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ^ a b "Canadian Certification". Music Canada. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ^ "Irish Albums". irish-charts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ Scottish Albums:
- "Loudmouth". OCC. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- "The Best of The Boomtown Rats". OCC. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Ratlife - EP by The Boomtown Rats on Amazon Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ "Irish Singles". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ Canadian singles:
- "I Don't Like Mondays" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- "Someone's Looking at You" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- "Banana Republic" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ German singles:
- "I Don't Like Mondays" (in German). Gfk. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- "Banana Republic" (in German). Gfk. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- "Up All Night" (in German). Gfk. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- "House on Fire" (in German). Gfk. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Dutch Singles". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "New Zealand Singles". charts.nz. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Norwegian Singles". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Swedish Singles". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "US Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Trash Glam Baby - Single by The Boomtown Rats on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "There's No Tomorrow Like Today - Single by The Boomtown Rats on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "Here's a Postcard (Hot Mix) - Single by The Boomtown Rats on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Video Killed the Radio Star". Throng Ltd. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ^ "Boomtown Rats: Diamond Smile (1979)". Davidmallet.com. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ^ "Bob Geldof". Tony Denton Promotions. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
- ^ "Productions 1983-1984". Nigeldick.com. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
External links
edit- The Boomtown Rats at AllMusic
- The Boomtown Rats discography at Discogs