The Boomtown Rats discography

The Boomtown Rats discography
Studio albums7
EPs1
Live albums4
Compilation albums7
Singles23
Video albums3

The discography of Irish new wave group The Boomtown Rats consists of seven studio albums, seven compilation albums, 23 singles and three video albums. The Boomtown Rats' debut release was the 1977 single "Lookin' After No. 1" which was originally written by frontman Bob Geldof in 1975 while waiting for his local unemployment office to open in his native Dun Laoghaire then a major port an hour south of central Dublin. The group's next single "Mary of the 4th Form" was released in the same year, along with their self-titled debut album.

Albums

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
AUS
[1] 		AUT
[2] 		CAN
[3] 		GER
[4] 		NED
[5] 		NZ
[6] 		NOR
[7] 		SWE
[8] 		UK
[9] 		US
[10]
The Boomtown Rats
  • Released: September 1977
  • Label: Ensign
 — — — — — — — — 18 —
A Tonic for the Troops
  • Released: June 1978
  • Label: Ensign
 95 — — — — 25 — — 8 112
The Fine Art of Surfacing
  • Released: October 1979
  • Label: Ensign
 11 — 6 35 33 10 7 10 7 73
Mondo Bongo
  • Released: January 1981
  • Label: Mercury
 24 19 22 16 — 50 17 5 6 116
V Deep
  • Released: March 1982
  • Label: Mercury
 — — 37 — — — 27 — 64 103
In the Long Grass
  • Released: May 1984
  • Label: Mercury
 — — 80 — — — — — — 188
Citizens of Boomtown
  • Released: March 2020
  • Label: BMG
 — 73 — 41 — — — — 48 —
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Live albums

Title Album details
Live in the UK 2013, Dublin
  • Released: 2013
  • Label: Concert Live
Live in the UK 2013, London
  • Released: 2013
  • Label: Concert Live
Rewind Festival - Aug 17 2014
  • Released: 2014
  • Label: Concert Live
Live Germany 78
  • Released: 2016
  • Label: Let Them Eat Vinyl

Compilation albums

Title Album details Peak chart
positions 		Certifications
IRE
[13] 		SCO
[14] 		UK
[9]
Ratrospective — — —
The Boomtown Rats' Greatest Hits
  • Released: 1987
  • Label: Columbia
 — — —
Loudmouth
  • Released: 27 June 1994
  • Label: Vertigo
 — 33 10
The Best of
The Boomtown Rats 		75 41 43
20th Century Masters:
The Best of The Boomtown Rats -
Millennium Collection
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: Mercury
 — — —
Back to Boomtown:
Classic Rats Hits 		35 — —
So Modern –
The Boomtown Rats Collection
  • Released: 2014
  • Label: Spectrum Audio
 — — —
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

EPs

Title Album details
Ratlife
  • 1. "The Boomtown Rats" (5:14)
  • 2. "Back to Boomtown (The Remix)" (4:05)
  • 3. "Ratlife" (4:49)
  • 4. "Ratified" (4:12)
  • Released: 21 October 2013 [15]
  • Label: Mercury

Singles

Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications Album
IRE
[16] 		AUS
[17] 		CAN
[18] 		GER
[19] 		NED
[20] 		NZ
[21] 		NOR
[22] 		SWE
[23] 		UK
[9] 		US
[24]
1977 "Lookin' After No. 1" 2 — — — — — — — 11 — The Boomtown Rats
"Mary of the 4th Form" 12 — — — — — — — 15 —
1978 "She's So Modern" 10 — — — — — — — 12 — A Tonic for the Troops
"Like Clockwork" 5 — — — — — — — 6 —
"Rat Trap" 2 94 — — — — — — 1 —
1979 "I Don't Like Mondays" 1 1 4 6 2 3 3 2 1 73 The Fine Art of Surfacing
"Diamond Smiles" 3 42 — — 42 — — — 13 —
1980 "Someone's Looking at You" 2 — 86 — 48 — 6 — 4 —
"Banana Republic" 3 18 47 3 35 — 3 7 3 — Mondo Bongo
1981 "The Elephants Graveyard (Guilty)" 7 — — — — — — — 26 —
"Up All Night" — — — 38 — — — — — —
"Go Man Go" — — — — — — — — — —
"Never in a Million Years" — — — — — — — — 62 — V Deep
1982 "House on Fire" 19 — — 67 — — — — 24 —
"Charmed Lives" — — — — — — — — — —
1984 "Tonight" — — — — — — — — 73 — In the Long Grass
"Drag Me Down" — — — — — — — — 50 —
"Dave" — — — — — — — — 81 —
1985 "A Hold of Me" — — — — — — — — 78 —
1994 "I Don't Like Mondays" (re-issue) — — — — — — — — 38 — Loudmouth
2020 "Trash Glam Baby"[25] — — — — — — — — — — Citizens of Boomtown
"There's No Tomorrow Like Today"[26] — — — — — — — — — —
"Here's a Postcard (Hot Mix)"[27] — — — — — — — — — —
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Videography

Video albums

Title Album details
The Boomtown Rats on Film 1976–1986: Someone's Looking At You
  • Released: 7 February 2005
  • Label: Mercury
  • Formats: DVD
Live at Hammersmith Odeon 1978
  • Released: 8 March 2005
  • Label: Eagle Vision
  • Format: DVD
On a Night Like This
  • Released: 15 September 2008
  • Label: Cherry Red
  • Formats: DVD
Live in Germany '78 (DVD/CD)
  • Released: 8 June 2015
  • Label: Gonzo
  • Formats: DVD/CD

Music videos

Title Year Director(s)
"Rat Trap" 1978 David Mallet[28][29]
"I Don't Like Mondays" 1979
"Diamond Smiles"
"Up All Night"[30] 1981 Un­known
"Never in a Million Years" 1982 David Mallet
"Drag Me Down" 1984 Nigel Dick[31]
"Dave"
"Tonight" Mike Brady

References

  1. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 42. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  2. ^ "Austrian Albums". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  3. ^ Canadian Albums:
  4. ^ "Discographie von The Boomtown Rats". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Dutch Albums". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  6. ^ "New Zealand Albums". charts.nz. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Norwegian Albums". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Swedish Albums". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  9. ^ a b c "UK chart peaks". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  10. ^ "US Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i "BPI Certification". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  12. ^ a b "Canadian Certification". Music Canada. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Irish Albums". irish-charts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  14. ^ Scottish Albums:
  15. ^ "Ratlife - EP by The Boomtown Rats on Amazon Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  16. ^ "Irish Singles". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  17. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  18. ^ Canadian singles:
  19. ^ German singles:
  20. ^ "Dutch Singles". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  21. ^ "New Zealand Singles". charts.nz. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  22. ^ "Norwegian Singles". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  23. ^ "Swedish Singles". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  24. ^ "US Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  25. ^ "Trash Glam Baby - Single by The Boomtown Rats on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  26. ^ "There's No Tomorrow Like Today - Single by The Boomtown Rats on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  27. ^ "Here's a Postcard (Hot Mix) - Single by The Boomtown Rats on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  28. ^ "Video Killed the Radio Star". Throng Ltd. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  29. ^ "Boomtown Rats: Diamond Smile (1979)". Davidmallet.com. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  30. ^ "Bob Geldof". Tony Denton Promotions. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  31. ^ "Productions 1983-1984". Nigeldick.com. Retrieved 19 October 2014.