Adam Ant is a British post-punk, new wave artist. He was the lead singer of Adam & the Ants until their split in early 1982, by which time they had recorded three studio albums. Ant, however, would go solo, and release an additional five studio albums throughout the 1980s and early 1990s (one other album recorded during this period remains unreleased but circulates widely as a bootleg). After a gap of nearly 18 years, his sixth released solo studio album came out in early 2013. A planned follow-up album recorded the following year currently officially remains at developmental stage.
| Adam Ant discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 11 |
| EPs | 3 |
| Live albums | 3 |
| Compilation albums | 13 |
| Singles | 25 |
| Video albums | 9 |
| Music videos | 26 |
| Box sets | 4 |
His greatest UK chart success was Adam & the Ants' 1980 album Kings of the Wild Frontier which was number one in the UK Albums Chart for a total of twelve weeks. However, it was the follow-up album, Prince Charming which produced the biggest hit singles with "Stand and Deliver" and the title track, achieving five weeks and four weeks respectively as number one singles on the UK Singles Chart.
In the United States, Ant's biggest chart success was his solo debut, 1982's Friend or Foe album, which reached the Top 20 on the Billboard 200. Three other Ant albums have reached the middle area of the Top 100. Friend or Foe also included the hit single "Goody Two Shoes" which was a Top 20 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as a third number one single for Ant on the UK Singles Chart. Ant would achieve further US singles chart success in the 1990s, with "Room at the Top" a second Top 20 hit in 1990 and the "Wonderful" title track a third Top 40 hit in 1995. Friend or Foe achieved US Gold Disc status within a year of its release, Kings of the Wild Frontier crawled to the same certification after nearly 14 years.[1]
Besides regular studio albums there are a number of live albums, box sets and compilations. The three Peel Sessions first appeared in 1990 (minus two tracks from the first session), while the complete integral one collection appeared in 2001.[2][3]
Albums
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [4][5] |
UK Indie [6][7] |
AUS [8][9] |
AUT [10] |
CAN [11] |
GER [12] |
NL [13] |
NZ [14] |
SWE [15] |
US [16] | ||||
| As Adam & the Ants | |||||||||||||
| Dirk Wears White Sox | 16 [A] |
1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Kings of the Wild Frontier |
|
1 | — | 2 | 18 | 21 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 44 | ||
| Prince Charming |
|
2 | — | 7 | — | 45 | 21 | 5 | 43 | 29 | 94 | ||
| As Adam Ant | |||||||||||||
| Friend or Foe |
|
5 | — | 60 | — | 14 | 55 | 33 | — | 36 | 16 | ||
| Strip |
|
20 | — | — | — | 84 | — | 44 | — | — | 65 |
| |
| Vive Le Rock |
|
42 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 131 | ||
| Manners & Physique |
|
19 | — | 138 | — | 76 | — | — | — | — | 57 | ||
| Persuasion |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Wonderful |
|
24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 143 | ||
| Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter |
|
25 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Bravest of the Brave |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Live albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Live |
|
| Live at The Bloomsbury |
|
| Kings of the Wild Frontier Disc Two |
|
Compilation albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [4][5] | |||
| Hits |
|
— |
|
| Antics in the Forbidden Zone |
|
— | |
| Peel Sessions |
|
— | |
| Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant |
|
6 | |
| B-Side Babies |
|
— | |
| Super Hits |
|
— | |
| The Very Best of Adam and the Ants | 33 |
| |
| The Complete Radio 1 Sessions |
|
— | |
| The Essential Adam Ant |
|
— | |
| Redux |
|
— | |
| Stand and Deliver: The Very Best of Adam & the Ants |
|
39 |
|
| Dandy Highwaymen: The Best Of |
|
— | |
| Playlist: The Very Best of Adam Ant |
|
— | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Box sets
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK [19] | ||
| Antbox |
|
— |
| Adam Ant Remastered |
|
188 |
| Original Album Classics |
|
— |
| Kings of the Wild Frontier Super Deluxe Edition |
|
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||
EPs
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK [4] | ||
| The B-Sides |
|
46 |
| Four Play Volume Twelve |
|
— |
| Save the Gorilla |
|
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [4][5] |
AUS [8][9][20] |
BEL (FL) [21] |
CAN [22] |
GER [12] |
IRE [23] |
NL [24] |
NZ [25] |
US [26] |
US Dance [27] | ||||
| As Adam & the Ants | |||||||||||||
| "Young Parisians" | 1978 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Zerox" | 1979 | —[C] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Cartrouble" (re-recording[D]) | 1980 | —[C] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Dirk Wears White Sox (contains original recording) | |
| "Kings of the Wild Frontier" | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | Kings of the Wild Frontier | ||
| "Dog Eat Dog" | 4 | 22 | — | — | — | 16 | — | 31 | — |
| |||
| "Antmusic" | 2 | 1 | 30 | — | — | 4 | 41 | 6 | — | ||||
| "Young Parisians" (re-release) | 9 | — | — | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | — |
|
Non-album singles | |
| "Zerox" (re-release) | 1981 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Cartrouble" (re-release) | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Dirk Wears White Sox (contains original recording) | ||
| "Kings of the Wild Frontier" (re-release) | 2 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | Kings of the Wild Frontier | ||
| "Stand and Deliver" | 1 | 12 | 7 | — | 8 | 2 | 4 | 32 | — | 38 |
|
Prince Charming | |
| "Prince Charming" | 1 | 4 | 8 | — | 10 | 1 | 8 | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Ant Rap" | 3 | 43 | — | — | 40 | 4 | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Deutscher Girls" | 1982 | 13 | — | — | — | 66 | 14 | — | — | — | — | Jubilee soundtrack | |
| As Adam Ant | |||||||||||||
| "Goody Two Shoes" [E] | 1982 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 29 | 12 | — |
|
Friend or Foe |
| "Friend or Foe" | 9 | 49 | — | — | 31 | 3 | 19 | — | — | — | |||
| "Desperate But Not Serious" | 33 | — | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | 66 | — | |||
| "Puss 'n Boots" | 1983 | 5 | 84 | 26 | — | 67 | 5 | 22 | — | — | — |
|
Strip |
| "Strip" | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 42 | — | |||
| "Apollo 9" | 1984 | 13 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | Vive Le Rock | |
| "Vive Le Rock" | 1985 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | ||
| "Out of Bounds" (with Stewart Copeland; US-only release) | 1986 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Out of Bounds soundtrack | |
| "Room at the Top" | 1990 | 13 | 116 | — | 30 | — | 21 | — | — | 17 | 3 | Manners & Physique | |
| "Rough Stuff" | — | 160 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | |||
| "Can't Set Rules About Love" | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Wonderful" | 1995 | 32 | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | 39 | — | Wonderful | |
| "Beautiful Dream" (withdrawn & promo-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Gotta Be a Sin" | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Cool Zombie" | 2012 | 154 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Videos
editVideo albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
US [28] | ||
| King of the Wild Frontier – Live in Japan | — | — | |
| The Prince Charming Revue |
|
— | — |
| Hits |
|
4[29] | — |
| Antics in the Forbidden Zone |
|
— | 24 |
| Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant |
|
1[30] | — |
| Antvideo |
|
— | — |
| Stand and Deliver: The Very Best of Adam & the Ants |
|
46[31] | — |
| The Blueblack Hussar | 2[32] | — | |
| Dirk Live at the Apollo |
|
— | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||
Music videos
edit| Title | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| "Plastic Surgery" [F] | 1977 | unknown |
| "Tabletalk" [G] | 1979 | Stephanie Gluck/Clive Richardson |
| "Cartrouble pt2" | ||
| "Zerox" [H] | ||
| "Kings of the Wild Frontier" [I] | 1980 | |
| "Dog Eat Dog" [J] | (Top of the Pops outtake licensed to CBS) | |
| "Antmusic" | Steve Barron/Daniel Kleinman | |
| "Dog Eat Dog"/"Kings of the Wild Frontier"/"Physical (You're So)" (live in Manchester) [K] | Steve Barron | |
| "Stand and Deliver" | 1981 | Mike Mansfield/Adam Ant |
| "Prince Charming" | ||
| "Ant Rap" | ||
| "Goody Two Shoes" | 1982 | |
| "Friend or Foe" [L] | Adam Ant | |
| "Desperate But Not Serious" | Mike Mansfield/Adam Ant | |
| "Puss 'n Boots" | 1983 | |
| "Strip" | ||
| "Apollo 9" | 1984 | Daniel Kleinman |
| "Vive Le Rock" | 1985 | Frances de Lea |
| "Room at the Top" | 1990 | Daniel Kleinman |
| "Rough Stuff" | ||
| "Can't Set Rules About Love" | ||
| "Wonderful" | 1995 | Tony Kunewalder |
| "Beautiful Dream" | ||
| "Gotta Be a Sin" | ||
| "Cool Zombie" | 2012 | Adam Ant/Adam Ross |
Notes
edit- ^ This position was reached in February 1981, 15 months after release, essentially on the strength of the commercial success of the next album.
- ^ Was planned for released in 1992/1993; however bootlegs do exist.
- ^ a b "Zerox" and "Cartrouble" did not enter the UK Singles Chart when originally released, but both did top the UK Independent Singles Chart.[6]
- ^ "Cartrouble" the single is a re-recorded version of Part 2 of the track "Cartrouble Parts 1 & 2" which featured on Dirk Wears White Sox. The single featured also different personnel including new band member Marco Pirroni and session drummer Jon Moss (later of Culture Club). Nonetheless, it was recorded and released while Dirk Wears White Sox was the current album, and to fulfil the same contract with Do It Records as under which the album was released. As such, it qualifies as a single from Dirk Wears White Sox.
- ^ Some UK copies of the single "Goody Two Shoes" were credited to Adam and the Ants although it was intended as the first Adam Ant solo release (with Marco Pirroni as co-songwriter and guitarist and Chris 'Merrick' Hughes as drummer and producer). The album version of the song is a different mix from the single, which was released months before the album and not long after Adam and the Ants had split up, thus causing some UK copies to be credited under the old bandname. The US edition of the single featured the album version and hit its chart peak in early 1983, nearly a year after the UK.
- ^ Support video footage for the Derek Jarman film Jubilee of the Ants (including Kenny Morris guesting on drums) performing in an empty studio. This video was used in the film as a television screen image in a scene of Ant's character Kid watching himself and his band on TV performing on Top of the Pops. Although Jarman directed the film, he was not present for this video shoot. This footage should not be confused with the performance of this song filmed at Drury Lane Theatre and featured elsewhere in the film to represent Kid's audition for media mogul character Borgia Ginz.
- ^ This video and "Cartrouble pt2" were demonstration videos made as audition footage for Malcolm McLaren and were filmed in Richardson's back garden.
- ^ Surviving footage from "video film" project "Xerox Machine" filmed at the studio of artist Laurie-Rae Chamberlain. There is one complete take of Ant performing the song in front of a set of neon lights plus short takes of Ant singing the outro while sat in a dentist's chair and a slideshow of "Xerography" still images created by Chamberlain of this and other video footage from the session. "Xerography" includes images of other takes of the song, including one performed in front of a stack of art equipment illuminated by disco lights.
- ^ Stills from this video (and alternative takes, of which at least one survives) were used for the sleeve art for the Kings of the Wild Frontier album and "Dog Eat Dog" single.
- ^ Alternative take of performance of the song on 16 October 1980 edition of Top of the Pops. This has represented the song on video compilations since Antmusic – The Very Best of Adam Ant in 1993
- ^ Concert footage from Manchester Apollo, 16 December 1980. Footage of "Dog Eat Dog" represented that single on the 1986 Hits video compilation. Footage of "Physical (You're So)" has represented The Antmusic EP on video compilations since Antmusic - The Very Best of Adam Ant in 1993
- ^ Although made in the same general style as the Ant/Mansfield collaborations of 1981–1983, this video was directed by Ant alone.
References
edit- ^ a b c "American certifications – Adam Ant". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ Dick, Charlie (5 March 1991). "Peel Sessions review". Q Magazine. 55: 84.
- ^ Adam & The Ants - The Complete Radio 1 Sessions, retrieved 24 July 2022
- ^ a b c d "Adam and the Ants | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ a b c "ADAM ANT | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ a b Lazell, Barry (1997). "Adam & the Ants". Indie Hits 1980–1989: The Complete U.K. Independent Charts (Singles & Albums). Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-95172-069-4. Archived from the original on 25 February 2004. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50 - 27 January 2013 - 02 February 2013", Official Charts Company
- ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 12. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b "Week commencing 25 June 1990". Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "austriancharts.at - Austria charts portal". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
- ^ Peak positions for Adam Ant's albums in Canada:
- King of the Wild Frontier: "RPM 50 Albums". RPM. Vol. 35, no. 4. 4 July 1981. Retrieved 9 March 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- Prince Charming: "RPM 50 Albums". RPM. Vol. 35, no. 22. 26 December 1981. Retrieved 9 March 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- Friend or Foe: "RPM 100 Albums". RPM. Vol. 38, no. 2. 12 March 1983. Retrieved 9 March 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- Strip: "RPM 100 Albums". RPM. Vol. 39, no. 16. 17 December 1983. Retrieved 9 March 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- Manners & Physique: "RPM 100 Albums". RPM. Vol. 52, no. 5. 16 June 1990. Retrieved 9 March 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ a b "Suche - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "charts.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com - Swedish charts portal". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
- ^ "Adam Ant – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "British certifications – Adam Ant". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 March 2022. Type Adam Ant in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ a b c "Billboard Vol. 94, No. 23: Majors Flight Economics with Quirky Rock Originals". Billboard. 6 December 1982. p. A-NZ 8. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: A - Azzido Da Bass". www.zobbel.de. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Week commencing 1 October 1990". Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ Peak positions for Adam Ant's singles in Canada:
- "Goody Two Shoes": "RPM 50 Singles". RPM. Vol. 37, no. 25. 19 February 1983. Retrieved 9 March 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- "Room at the Top": "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 52, no. 2. 26 May 1990. Retrieved 9 March 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- "Wonderful": "RPM 100". RPM. Vol. 61, no. 25. 24 July 1995. Retrieved 9 March 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Adam Ant – The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Adam Ant – Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Top Music Videos" (PDF). Billboard. 24 November 1990. p. 57. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Music Video" (PDF). Music Week. 11 October 1986. p. 18. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Music Video" (PDF). Music Week. 18 September 1993. p. 26. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Official Music Video Chart Top 50 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Official Music Video Chart Top 50 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
