Photo: Published by Asylum Records. Photographer uncredited and…, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Pianists · b. 1949

Tom Waits

American singer-songwriter and actor (born 1949)

Born: 7 December 1949
Pomona
Country: United States
Active: 1969–
Record labels: Island Records, Asylum Records, Anti-, Epitaph Records
Discography: 137 albums

Biography

Tom Waits is a jazz musician who plays piano, guitar, celesta and voice. Tom Waits was born on 7 December 1949 in Pomona. The music is usually filed under jazz, blues and rock music. Record labels: Island Records, Asylum Records, Anti- and Epitaph Records. The discography here lists 137 albums, from “Closing Time” (1973) to “1975-08-12: PBS Soundstage, WTTW Studios, Chicago, IL” (2025). Honours include Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2011).

Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, composer and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underbelly and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the folk scene during the 1970s, but his music since the 1980s has reflected the influence of such diverse genres as rock, jazz, Delta blues, opera, vaudeville, cabaret, funk and experimental techniques verging on industrial music.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Closing Time 1973 · Asylum Records

Remasters, Volume 4: Live in Denver 1974 1974 · Live

The Heart of Saturday Night 1974 · Asylum Records Nighthawks at the Diner 1975 · Live · Asylum Records

Remasters, Volume 5: Live in Denver 1975 1975 · Live

Troubadour Nightclub 1975 · Live

Live at the New York Bottom Line – December 18th, 1976 1976 · Live

Small Change 1976 · Asylum Records Foreign Affairs 1977 · Asylum Records

Invitation to the Blues 1977 · Live

Remasters, Volume 1: Live in Bremen 1977 · Live

The Ritz Memphis - TX 1977 · Live

1978-11-21: Warner Theater, Washington, DC, USA 1978 · Live

Blue Valentine 1978 · Asylum Records

Remasters, Volume 2: Live in Austin 1978 · Live

1979-05-11: Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, USA 1979 · Live

Australia 1979 - Fast Women and Slow Horses 1979 · Live

Live in Sydney, Australia – May 2nd, 1979 1979 · Live

Remasters, Volume 3: Live in Sydney 1979 · Live

Romeo Is Bleeding 1979 · Live

Heartattack and Vine 1980 · Asylum Records One From the Heart 1982

Shadows of Intolerance 1982 · Live

Swordfishtrombones 1983 · Island

On Broadway 1984 · Live

1985-11-07: Buitensociëteit, Zwolle, Holland 1985 · Live

1985-11-08: De Doelen, Rotterdam 1985 · Live

1985-11-08: De Doelen, Rotterdam, Netherlands 1985 · Live

1985-11-16: Paris At Midnight, France 1985 · Live

1985: Something About Paris, France 1985 · Live

Rain Dogs 1985 · Island

1987-12-05: Audimax, Hamburg, Germany 1987 · Live

Franks Wild Years 1987 · Island Big Time 1988 · Live · Island

Mainstreet 1990 · Live

Night on Earth 1991 · Island Bone Machine 1992 · Island Records Group

Downtown Blues 1992 · Live

TV Dinner 1992

The Black Rider 1993 · Island The Black Rider (studio recording with the original 1998 cast) 1998 · Theater Metropol

121 Tears in a Short Glass 1999 · Live

1999-04-01: Grand Weepers and Grim Reapers: Burbank Airport, Los Angeles, CA, USA 1999 · Live

1999-07-14: At the Cirkus: Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden 1999 · Live

1999-07-20: Whiskey in the Jar, Netherlands 1999 · Live

At the Terminal: Burbank Airport ’99 1999

Invitation to the Blues 1999 · Live

Jockey Full of Bourbon 1999 · Live

Mule Variations 1999 · Anti‐

Remasters, Volume 6: Live in Stockholm 1999 · Live

Remasters, Volume 7: Live in Florence 1999 · Live

Remasters, Volume 8: Live in Austin 1999 1999 · Live

School Teacher’s Son 1999 · Live

Tales For the Audience Part 3 1999 · Live

Under the Bridge: The Classic Benefit Show 1999 · Live

2000-05-30: Rex Theatre, Paris, France 2000 · Live

Tales for the Audience 2 2001

The Dime Store Novels, Volume 1: Live at Ebbets Field 2001 · Live

Alice 2002 · Anti‐ Blood Money 2002 · Anti‐

2003-07-31: Victoria Theatre, San Francisco, CA, USA 2003 · Live

2003-09-23: Healing the Divide: Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, NY, USA 2003 · Live

2004-10-16: The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC 2004 · Live

2004-11-13: Bourlesque, Belgium 2004 · Live

My Set Purpose 2004

Real Gone 2004 · Anti‐

Remasters, Volume 9: Live in Berlin 2004 2004 · Live

Tomcat Waits to Smoke 2005

2006-08-01: The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA, USA 2006 · Live

2006-08-04: Orpheum Theatre, Memphis, TN, USA 2006 · Live

2006-08-07: Palace Theatre, Louisville, KY, USA 2006 · Live

2006-08-13: Live At The Civic Theatre Akron, USA 2006 · Live

1988‐12‐31: The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA 2007 · Live

Live at the Bridge School Benefit 2007 · Live

2008-06-20: The Plaza Theatre, El Paso, Texas, USA 2008 · Live

2008-06-22: Glitter and Doom: Jones Hall, Houston, TX, USA 2008 · Live

2008-06-23: The Palladium, Dallas, TX, USA 2008 · Live

2008-07-01: Live At Moran Theatre, Jacksonville 2008 · Live

2008-07-05: Glitter and Doom: Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA, USA 2008 · Live

Every Time I Hear This Melody... Live in Hamburg '77 2008 · Live

Glitter and Doom Live: The Orpheum Theatre 2008 2008 · Live

San Diego Serenade 2008 · Live

The Unrealized Tom Waits’ Mohawks at the Diner 2008

Glitter and Doom: Live 2009 · Live · Anti‐

Glitter and Doom: Live Preview 2009 · Live

Romeo Bleeding: Live From Austin 2009 · Live

Bad as Me 2011 · Anti‐

Round Midnight: The Minneapolis Broadcast 1975 2011 · Live

2013-10-27: Bridge School Benefit, CA, USA 2013 · Live

My Father's Place 2013 · Live

A Small Affair in Ohio: FM Radio Broadcast, Live in Cleveland, 1977 2014 · Live

Nighthawks on the Radio 2014 · Live

Virginia Avenue: Live at Ivanhoe Theater, Chicago · November 21, 1976 2014 · Live

Easy Street 2015 · Live

Live at the Bottom Line in New York December 18, 1976 2015 · Live

1979-11-05: Live in New York, USA 2016 · Live

Live in Boston @ Paradise Theater 1977 2016 · Live

Live At My Father's Place, WLIR-FM Broadcast, Roslyn NY, 10th October 1977 2017 · Live

Under The Covers - The Songs He Didn't Write 2017

Live on the Scene 1973 (live) 2018 · Live · Cult Legends

Real Gone in Amsterdam 2019 · Live

Storytellers 2019 · Live

Like It's 1999 2021 · Live

Tickets for the Bachelors (live 1977) 2021

After the Fox 2022 · Live

Akron 2022 · Live

1975-08-12: PBS Soundstage, WTTW Studios, Chicago, IL 2025 · Live

1975‐08‐16: Troubadour Nightclub, West Hollywood, CA · Live

1996-02-04: Don Hyde Benefit, Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA, USA · Live

1996-08-11: Raven Theatre, Healdsburg, CA, USA · Live

1999-03-20: SXSW, Austin, TX, USA · Live

1999-09-23: Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, USA · Live

1999-10-18: Seattle, WA, USA · Live

2000-05-26: Sala Kongresawa, Warsaw, Poland · Live

2004-11-16: Theater des Westens, Berlin, Germany · Live

2004-11-21: Theater Carré, Amsterdam, The Netherlands · Live

2006-08-05: Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, USA · Live

2006-08-09: Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL, USA · Live

2006-08-13: House of Blues, Cleveland, OH, USA · Live

Blue · Live

Cold Beer on a Hot Night · Live

Drink at the Bar · Live

Last Call · Live

Live From the Cleveland Agora: 12-13-76 · Live

Live in Firenze · Live

Live in Florence (1999) · Live

Nighthawks on the Radio

One Night Stand · Live

Rats & Angry Flowers · Live

Rendezvous at Midnight · Live

Seven Dollar Suits · Live

Sleepin' at Drew's House · Live

Storyteller In Austin

Texas Hall, Arlington, USA: 25 October 1975 · Live

The Agora Ballroom '77 · Live

The Blue Hour

Also plays on

Albums where Tom Waits is credited as a sideman

1979	Hollywood Madness — Richie Cole	vocals
1993	Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet — Gavin Bryars	vocals
2001	Witness — Dave Douglas	spoken vocals
2018	Songs of Resistance 1942-2018 — Marc Ribot	acoustic guitar

Awards

2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument does Tom Waits play?

Tom Waits is known for playing piano, guitar, celesta and voice.

When and where was Tom Waits born?

Tom Waits was born 7 December 1949 in Pomona.

What are Tom Waits's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Closing Time (1973), The Heart of Saturday Night (1974), Nighthawks at the Diner (1975), Small Change (1976) and Foreign Affairs (1977).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.