15 Albums That Generated The Most Singles

Photo:: Selbymay, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Our 15 Albums That Generated The Most Singles article presents a series of albums that all released at least seven singles. Hundreds of albums released six singles, but the pickings become pretty slim when it comes to seven. Most albums that release seven or more singles fall into the pop music category. Harder rock bands, with the exception of a few, just don’t release many singles. This list may be surprising as to who is not on it as opposed to those who are. One might have expected to see bands and artists like Prince, Madonna, Huey Lewis, Hall & Oats, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, or even Elvis Presley. These were all artists that had great success on the pop charts. However, none of those artists ever released an album with more than six singles. As for The Beatles, we only counted the original U.K. studio albums. The U.S. versions were compilation albums of stand-alone single releases and songs picked from various U.K. records. So many other artists also fall into that category.

We are not counting greatest hits packages or albums reissued in deluxe versions with more songs. This list only looks at original studio albums and the singles released from those records That is what this list is all about. The singles can be released in the U.S. or U.K. or both. A single is a single, it does not matter what county it has been released in. However, our gold standard for counting number-one singles remains the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

# 15 – Adrenalize – Def Leppard – Seven Singles

Def Leppard’s Adrenalize was released in 1992. The album was a showcase for pop rock singles. Seven songs were released as singles from Def Leppard’s fifth album. The album found most of its commercial success on the Billboard Rock Charts as opposed to the Billboard Hot 100.

“Let’s Get Rocked”
“Make Love Like a Man”
“Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad”
“Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)”
“Heaven Is
“Tonight”
“I Wanna Touch U”

# 14 – Pyromania – Def Leppard – Seven Singles

The second of three in a row from the legendary band Def Leppard. It’s amazing that this group released twenty one singles from just three studio albums. It defines how popular this group was in the 1980s and 90s. One of the most successful rock bands of all time that was able to merge the genres of rock, metal and pop into a sound that just about everyone loved. The Pyromania album was released in 1983. None of the singles made the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. However, a couple of the singles did hit number one on the Billboard Rock Charts.

“Photograph”
Rock Of Ages“
“Foolin”
“Too Late For Love”
“Comin’ Under Fire”
“Billy’s Got A Gun,”
“Action! Not Words”

# 13 – Hysteria – Def Leppard – Seven Singles

Continuing with our run of three Def Leppard albums in a row that released seven singles, we turn to the great Hysteria album. The popular album was released in 1987. This was by far Def Leppard’s most successful album on the charts. The album had three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also spawned a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. A feat that is difficult for rock bands to do. The Hysteria album was released in 1987.

“Animal”
“Women”
“Pour Some Sugar on Me”
“Hysteria”
“Armageddon It”
“Love Bites” (Number One)
“Rocket”

# 12 – Teenage Dream – Katy Perry – Seven Singles

Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream album was not only one of the biggest selling albums of the 21st century, the album tied Michael Jackson’s record of five number one singles released from a single studio album.

“California Gurls” (Number One)
“Teenage Dream” (Number One)
“Firework” (Number One)
“E.T. (Number One)
“Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” (Number One)
“The One That Got Away”
“Hummingbird Heartbeat”

# 11 – Control – Janet Jackson – Seven Singles

Janet Jackson’s Control album was the record that turned her into a major star. She would become one of the biggest selling artists of the 1980s and 90s. The Control album yielded seven singles. Five of the seven singles broke the Billboard Hit 100’s Top five spots. The Control album was released in 1986.

“What Have You Done for Me Lately?
“Nasty”
“When I Think of You” ( Number One)
“Control”
“Let’s Wait Awhile”
“The Pleasure Principle”
“Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)”

# 10 – Born In The U.S.A – Bruce Springsteen – Seven Singles

Bruce Springsteen was never a singles artist until he released the Born In The U.S.A. album. In 1984 Bruce Springsteen became one of the most popular musical artists of all time. He already had an incredibly large loyal following of fans and had sold out concerts for years. Born In The U.S.A. just took him to a level of stardom equal to Elvis Presley. The album generated seven singles.

“Dancing in the Dark”
“Cover Me”
“Born in the U.S.A.”
“I’m on Fire
“Glory Days”
“I’m Goin’ Down”
“My Hometown”

# 9 – Thriller – Michael Jackson – Seven Singles

While most people might of thought that Thriller would be the album with the most single releases, the truth is Epic Records only released seven singles. There are many reasons for that. First off is the fact that this was an album released before the CD revolution. Albums were much shorter before CDs were introduced, The average album usually had between eight and ten songs with some exceptions in either direction. The Thriller album had only nine songs. Only two songs on the album were not released as singles. So in the end it makes sense. However, of course we should not forget the fact that Thriller is the biggest selling studio album of all time. That pretty much trumps everything else. On one more note, all seven singles from the Thriller album were top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

“The Girl Is Mine”
“Billie Jean” (Number One)
“Beat It” (Number One)
“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'”
“Human Nature”
“P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
“Thriller”

# 8 – The Woman In Me – Shania Twain – Eight Singles

Shania Twain had her moment in the sun with her smash album The Woman In Me. This album stands as one of the biggest selling albums of all time fueled by eight singles released from the record. The album was released in 1995.

“Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?”
“Any Man of Mine”
“The Woman in Me (Needs the Man in You)”
“(If You’re Not in It for Love) I’m Outta Here!”
“You Win My Love”
“No One Needs to Know”
“Home Ain’t Where His Heart Is (Anymore)”
“God Bless the Child”

# 7 – Hello, I Must Be Going! – Phil Collins – Eight Singles

The legendary drummer of Genesis and also very successful solo artist named Phil Collins continues our round of albums with at least eight singles released from an album. Phil Collins second solo album entitled Hello, I Must Be Going! stands as his most successful as far as the amount of singles released. The album was released in 1982. Only one of the eight singles hit number one. Some of the singles were only released in Europe, but they still count towards the total amount of singles released from the album.

“Thru These Walls”
“You Can’t Hurry Love” (Number One)
“I Don’t Care Anymore”
“Don’t Let Him Steal Your Heart Away”
“Why Can’t It Wait ‘Til Morning”
“I Cannot Believe It’s True”
“It Don’t Matter to Meeline
“Like China”

# 6 – Let’s Talk About Love – Celine Dion – Eight Singles

Celine Dion’s album Let’s Talk About Love album rode the wave of fame and hysteria created by the motion picture Titanic. Fueled by the massive success of the movie’s theme song “My Heart Will Go On,” Celine Dion’s fifth album yielded eight singles.

“Tell Him”
“Be the Man”
“The Reason”
“My Heart Will Go On” (Number One)
“To Love You More
“Immortality”
“Miles to Go (Before I Sleep)”
“Treat Her Like a Lady”

# 5 – Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 – Janet Jackson – Eight Singles

Janet Jackson makes her second of three appearances on this list with her highly praised album Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814. This highly successful album was released in 1989. The album generated eight singles. Out of those eight singles, incredibly seven of them broke the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10. Four of them went all the way to number one.

“Miss You Much” (Number One)
“Rhythm Nation”
“Escapade” (Number One)
“Alright”
“Come Back to Me”
“Black Cat” (Number One)
“Love Will Never Do (Without You)” (Number One)
“State of the World”

# 4 – Janet – Janet Jackson – Eight Singles

Two in a row for Janet Jackson who had such an incredible run in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The very successful album entitled Janet was released in 1993. The album issued eight singles. Out of those eight singles released, six of them broke the Billboard Top 10. Out of those six, two of them hit number one on the Hot 100.

“That’s the Way Love Goes (Number One)
“If”
“Again” (Number One)
“Because of Love”
“Any Time, Any Place”
“You Want This”
“Whoops Now”
“What’ll I Do”

# 3 – Dangerous – Michael Jackson – Nine Singles

At number two and three on this list we have a tie between Michael Jackson’s Dangerous and Bad albums. Both albums released nine singles. Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album was released in 1991. The album spawned nine singles. Four of those singles broke the Billboard top 10. The album’s lead single “Black Or White,” was the only single from the album to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Below is the list of singles from the album.

“Black or White” (Number One)
“Remember the Time”
“In the Closet”
“Jam”
“Who Is It”
“Heal the World”
“Give In to Me”
“Will You Be There”
“Gone Too Soon”

# 2 – Bad – Michael Jackson – Nine Singles

Michael Jackson’s Bad album comes in just a little ahead of Dangerous in this tie simply because the album celebrated more number one singles than Dangerous, even though both albums released nine singles. Of course, Bad was a much more popular and successful album than Dangerous. Five years in the making, (although it only took one year to record) Michael Jackson and his record company made sure to make as much money from this album as they could by releasing all these singles. The Bad album celebrated five straight number one singles breaking all records for the most number one singles from a studio album at the time

“I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” (Number One)
“Bad” (Number One)
“The Way You Make Me Feel (Number One)
“Man in the Mirror” (Number One)
“Dirty Diana” (Number One)
“Another Part of Me”
“Smooth Criminal”
“Leave Me Alone”
“Liberian Girl”

# 1 – Come On Over – Shania Twain

Just when we thought we had finished this list, another Mikey reminded us of this incredible album by Shania Twain. Thanks Mikey. This one tops them all, we think. Twelve songs released as singles counting both the U.S. and U.K releases. The album was released in 1997.

“Love Gets Me Every Time”
“Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)”
“You’re Still the One”
“From This Moment On”
“When”
“Honey, I’m Home”
“That Don’t Impress Me Much”
“Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”
“You’ve Got a Way”
“Come On Over”
“Rock This Country!”
“I’m Holdin’ On to Love (To Save My Life)”

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4 Comments

Stefan T November 23, 2021

Amazing that (at least) five of these 15 albums was produced by Robert John ”Mutt” Lange! He produced the albums by Def Leppard and Shania Twain.

He also produced AC/DC, Foreigner, Boomtown rats, and a bunch of other bands. (And one of my personal favourites City Boy.

He should be worth an article by himself!!
- Brian Kachejian November 24, 2021
  
  I agree and we will get right on that
Aveeno January 18, 2022

Red, 1989, and reputation by Taylor Swift all have 7 singles.
TROY WILLIAMS July 19, 2022

Even more incredible, Janet Jackson either sang on, wrote on, produced on and performed instruments on 4 of these albums. On “Thriller” she sang background on “P.Y.T.” and of course there are the remaining credits on all of her own albums. She is the “Ruler of Music”.