The Doors Discography

The Doors Discography

The discography of the American rock band The Doors consists of nine studio albums, four live albums, twenty-two compilations, twenty Bright Midnight Archives and twenty-one singles. The list also includes fifteen video albums, a bibliography, and a filmography.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1965, the group consisted of Jim Morrison (vocals), Ray Manzarek (keyboards), John Densmore (drums), and Robby Krieger (guitar). The Doors became one of the most popular rock bands of their era. Their debut album, The Doors (1967), released by Elektra Records, charted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 and produced the group's most successful single, "Light My Fire." The album received several sales certifications including a 4 times multi-platinum from both the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and from the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). The Doors' second studio album, Strange Days (1967), often recognized as their most creative output, failed to produce a hit single as popular as "Light My Fire," and the album commercially did not perform as well as the debut. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in the United States and Canada. The Doors' third studio album Waiting for the Sun (1968) commercially was very successful and reached No. 1 in the US and France, and produced their second No. 1 single, "Hello, I Love You." Waiting for the Sun was the first Doors album to chart in the United Kingdom, where it peaked inside the Top 20. The album was certified gold in that country by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), as well as being certified gold and platinum in several other countries.

For the fourth studio album The Soft Parade (1969), The Doors chose to incorporate string and brass instruments into a number of their songs. The band was criticized by many for this, and referred to as "pop sellouts" and having "gone soft". Despite this, The Soft Parade became the band's fourth straight Top 10 album and it produced their third most successful single, "Touch Me." The album was certified platinum in both the US and Canada. To counter the artistic criticism of its last two albums The Doors next released Morrison Hotel (1970). The blues heavy LP was a critical and commercial success. Although having produced only one single that did not perform well on the charts, Morrison Hotel became another Top 10 album for the band and was certified platinum in the US, Canada, and in France, by the Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique (SNEP). The group next released Absolutely Live (1970), which was a live album containing snippets of performances edited together from fourteen different concerts recorded in nine different cities from 1969–70. These recordings make up a portion of what is known as the Bright Midnight Archives (BMA). Absolutely Live was very well received, it charted in the Top 10 in the US and Canada and was certified gold in both countries. L.A. Woman (1971), was the final Doors album with frontman Jim Morrison, who died in Paris, shortly after its release, of causes undetermined. The album was a triumph, praised by critics and a commercial success, it landed inside the Top 10 in the US and Canada and produced two very well performing singles, "Love Her Madly" and "Riders on the Storm." Like Morrison Hotel before it, L.A. Woman relied very heavily on the blues, which was a genre of music The Doors would often incorporate into their early live sets while they were the house band at the London Fog, a nightclub on the Sunset Strip, in Los Angeles. L.A. Woman was certified gold and platinum in several different countries.

After the death of Morrison, the three remaining Doors members released two more studio albums before they eventually disbanded, Other Voices (1971), and Full Circle (1972). Both albums appeared on the US and Canadian albums charts, and likewise both produced charting singles, but the success was limited and the three sought solo ventures. Five years later, Manzarek, Krieger, and Densmore reunited to record backing tracks over Morrison's spoken word poetry, and released The Doors' ninth and final studio album titled, An American Prayer (1978). Morrison had recorded the poetry in separate sessions in 1969–70. Upon release, the album received mixed reviews, but was commercially successful and was awarded platinum status in the US by the RIAA.

The use of the highly controversial Doors song "The End", from their debut album, in the popular Vietnam War film, Apocalypse Now (1979), created a resurgence in The Doors and the group's popularity continued to increase. In the 1980s, the band released concert films, and live and compilation albums to much commercial success. In 1991, The Doors, a feature film about the band, directed by Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone and starring Val Kilmer as Morrison, was released, which helped to expand The Doors' popularity even more. When You're Strange (2009), was a documentary about The Doors written and directed by Tom DiCillo and narrated by Johnny Depp. It was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Series and won a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Video. The band continues to release compilations through Rhino Records and new live material through both Rhino and their Bright Midnight Archives label.