Public Enemy Discography

Public Enemy Discography

The discography of Public Enemy, an American hip hop group, consists of twelve studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, two remix albums, one soundtrack album, four video albums, thirty-nine singles, four promotional singles and thirty-nine music videos. The group released their debut studio album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, in February 1987; it peaked at number 125 on the United States Billboard 200. The album spawned the singles "Public Enemy No. 1" and "You're Gonna Get Yours". Public Enemy released their second studio album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, in April 1988. The album peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200. It has since sold 1.3 million copies in the US, earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Four of the album's singles charted on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart: "Bring the Noise", "Don't Believe the Hype", "Night of the Living Baseheads" and "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos". The former three, along with the single "Rebel Without a Pause", also charted in the United Kingdom.

Fear of a Black Planet, the group's third studio album, was released in April 1990. The album peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of one million copies. Fear of a Black Planet also charted in countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The album spawned five singles; "Fight the Power" and "911 Is a Joke" both topped the US Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart and charted in countries such as the Netherlands and the UK. "Welcome to the Terrordome", "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" and "Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man" all became top 25 hits on the Hot Rap Songs chart and top 40 hits in New Zealand. The group's fourth studio album, Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black, was released in October 1991. The album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200; its first single, "Can't Truss It", peaked at number 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and gave the band their first hit on the chart. Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age followed in August 1994, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard 200. The album's lead single "Give It Up" peaked at number 33 on the Hot 100, becoming the group's most commercially successful single in the United States. In 1998, the group recorded the soundtrack for the film He Got Game. The film's soundtrack album peaked at number 26 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the commercially successful single "He Got Game".

Following a shift of labels from Def Jam Records to Atomic Pop, the group released There's a Poison Goin' On, their sixth studio album. The album only managed to find success in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number 55 and its only single, "Do You Wanna Go Our Way???", peaked at number 66. Public Enemy then signed to Koch Records, releasing Revolverlution in July 2002. Revolverlution peaked at number 110 on the Billboard 200 and has sold 71,000 copies in the US. The group collaborated with American rapper Paris on their ninth studio album, Rebirth of a Nation, which was released on Paris' own Guerrilla Funk label; it peaked at number 180 on the Billboard 200. How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul? followed in August 2007 and spawned three singles. "Harder Than You Think", the album's third single, peaked at number four in the UK; it became the group's first top ten single in the country. In 2012, the group released two studio albums: Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp in July and The Evil Empire of Everything in October.