Lenny Kravitz Discography - Summary

Summary

All of Kravitz's albums have received certifications of gold or higher in the U.S., three of which have been declared multi-platinum. As of present, Kravitz has earned three gold albums, two platinum albums, two double platinum albums, and one triple platinum album. Kravitz's début album Let Love Rule (1989) peaked at #61 in the U.S., and while receiving generally positive reviews, it became a huge success in Europe but took a long time to reach success in the U.S. Its followers, Mama Said (1991) and Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993) became instant hits, being considered some of the finest recordings of the decade and achieving platinum and multi-platinum status respectively, establishing Kravitz in the music industry and expanding his success in Europe and South America. However, despite only a two-year gap between albums, personal issues such as substance abuse problems, the aftermath of divorce and his mother Roxie Roker's illness lead to a decline in commercial sales with Circus (1995), in comparison to his preceding success, remaining his least successful album to date. With 5 (1998), Kravitz embraced a fresh outlook towards his career and also experimented with electronic equipment such as pro-tools. Initially, the album received only mediocre reviews and it took a slow and steady process for it to achieve worldwide success after spinning off hits such as "I Belong to You" and "Fly Away" to ultimately become Kravitz's most successful studio album to date. It would be the album to establish his career at a higher level, with increasing worldwide popularity, especially in Europe, and would win him his first two Grammy Awards. Greatest Hits (2000) would prove to become Kravitz's most successful album to date, going on to sell over 10.5 million copies worldwide, earning him yet another Grammy. While Lenny (2001) would prove to be a very fast seller, although not quite comparing to 5 or Greatest Hits, it managed to win Kravitz his fourth consecutive Grammy. However, Baptism would prove to be somewhat of a commercial disappointment for the multi-platinum selling artist when compared to its predecessors. Most recently, his 2008 release It Is Time for a Love Revolution had Kravitz realising some of the best début positions and opening sales weeks worldwide in years, along with his best critical reviews since Lenny.

According to recent sales numbers, a number of his albums (Let Love Rule, Mama Said, 5 and Greatest Hits) have been confirmed to have achieved a sales status high enough to be certified at the next level within the sales threshold, but RIAA still has them certified at the sales level they are currently at, with no official word on whether/when the certifications may occur. In addition to writing and producing all of his own work, Kravitz has produced albums for other artists, some reaching great success. He personally has scored three Top 10 albums in the U.S., while having reached number one in both the UK and Australia. Kravitz has scored hits in virtually every continent: North America (USA and Canada), Central America (Bahamas), Europe (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Scandinavia), South America (Brazil, Argentina and Colombia), Asia (Japan), Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), and Africa (Republic of South Africa). Considered one of the most successful and best-selling rock artists of his time, Kravitz has had sales of approximately 40 million albums alone worldwide (not including singles and video releases).