Simple Minds - Discography (1979-2022)

Scotland’s Simple Minds evolved from artful late-’70s post-punks into global purveyors of pop grandeur with a string of U.K. chart-topping albums that include 1984’s Sparkle in the Rain and their global breakthrough Once Upon a Time. While the band was widely embraced in the U.K., Europe, and Oceania, it took the smash hit “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” from the film The Breakfast Club to break them in the U.S. Along with the similarly anthemic “Alive and Kicking,” it remains their best-known Stateside hit, though they remained one of the U.K.’s biggest bands through the remainder of the decade. After 1989’s Street Fighting Years and a series of personnel shuffles, Simple Minds’ popularity faded somewhat. Founding members Jim Kerr (vocals) and Charlie Burchill (guitar) have made up the band’s core partnership since its inception and over the subsequent decades have continued to mount successful tours and release high-quality late-period albums like 2014’s Big Music and 2018’s Walk Between Worlds. Following two live albums and a compilation, they returned to studio recording with 2022’s Direction of the Heart. ― by Allmusic

1. STUDIO ALBUMS:

1979. Life In A Day (2001, VI 646432, EU)

1979. Real To Real Cacophony (1985, CDV 2246, JP For UK)

1980. Empires And Dance (1985, CDV 2247, JP For UK)
1980. Empires And Dance (2000, CDV 2247, UK)

1981. Sons And Fascination, Sister Feelings Call (1985, CDV 2207, DE)

1982. New Gold Dream 81-82-83-84 (1984, CDV 2230, DE)
1982. New Gold Dream 81-82-83-84 (1984, CDV 2230, UK)

1984. Sparkle In The Rain (2000, CDV 2300, NL)
1984. Sparkle In The Rain (2015, 0602537973491, EU, 4CD)

1985. Once Upon A Time (1985, CD 5092, JP For US)

1989. Street Fighting Years (1989, CD 3927, US)
1989. Street Fighting Years (2003, SIMCD9, EU)
1989. Street Fighting Years (2020, 7701564, EU, 4CD)

1991. Real Life (1991, CDV 2660, NL)
1991. Real Life (1991, CDV 2660, UK)
1991. Real Life (2003, SIMCD10, EU)

1995. Good News From The Next World (1995, CDV 2760, NL)
1995. Good News From The Next World (1997, VJCP-25104, JP)
1995. Good News From The Next World (2003, SIMCD11, EU)

1998. Néapolis (1998, 7243 493712 2 4, NL)
1998. Néapolis (2002, WEB, Remaster)

2001. Neon Lights (2001, EAGCD194, DE)

2002. Cry (2002, EAGLT 196, DE)

2005. Black & White 050505 (2005, SANCD390, UK)

2009. Graffiti Soul (2009, 2703207, UK, 2CD, Deluxe Ed)
2009. Graffiti Soul (2009, 2706017, EU)

2014. Big Music (2014, 88875038622, EU, 2CD+DVD)

2016. Acoustic (2016, 00602557157215, EU)

2018. Walk Between Worlds (2018, WEB)

2022. Direction Of The Heart (2022, WEB)

2. LIVE ALBUMS:

2003. Live In The City Of Light (2025, WEB)

2014. Celebrate: Live At The Sse Hydro Glasgow (2025, WEB)