Complete List Of Bill Withers Songs From A to Z

Feature Photo: Kathy Hutchins licensed from Shutterstock

Bill Withers grew up in Slab Fork, West Virginia, a small coal-mining town that shaped both his worldview and the grounded tone of his songwriting. Raised in a working-class family, he was the youngest of six children. At age 17, he joined the United States Navy, where he served for nine years. That experience came well before his recording career and provided the discipline and life perspective that later informed the plainspoken authority of his music.

After leaving the Navy, Withers moved to Los Angeles and worked at an aircraft company while writing songs on the side. He did not pursue music through the traditional industry pipeline, and he was already in his early 30s when his career began to take shape. His self-financed demos led him to Sussex Records, where Booker T. Jones produced his debut album, Just as I Am. Released in 1971, the album included “Ain’t No Sunshine,” which became a major hit and established Withers as a distinctive new voice in R&B and soul.

Across his recording career, Bill Withers released eight studio albums between 1971 and 1985: Just as I Am, Still Bill, +’Justments, Making Music, Naked & Warm, Menagerie, ’Bout Love, and Watching You, Watching Me. His official album catalog also includes the 1973 concert recording Live at Carnegie Hall. The body of work produced enduring songs including “Lean on Me,” “Use Me,” “Lovely Day,” “Grandma’s Hands,” and “Just the Two of Us,” his collaboration with Grover Washington Jr.

Withers achieved significant commercial success during the 1970s and early 1980s. “Lean on Me” reached Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972, while “Use Me” reached Number 2 that same year. “Just the Two of Us,” recorded with Grover Washington Jr., reached Number 2 in 1981. His music consistently crossed between pop and R&B audiences, reflecting its emotional accessibility without relying on studio excess or vocal theatrics.

Bill Withers won three Grammy Awards as a songwriter. “Ain’t No Sunshine” earned Best R&B Song in 1972, “Just the Two of Us” won the same award in 1982, and Club Nouveau’s recording of “Lean on Me” brought Withers another Best R&B Song Grammy in 1988. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

What set Withers apart was not only his music but the decisions he made outside the industry. He stepped away from recording after Watching You, Watching Me in 1985, choosing a private life over continued commercial visibility. His earlier Navy service remained an important part of his identity, and he often credited it with shaping his independence and resistance to industry pressure. The songs remained, moving easily across soul, pop, jazz, gospel, and R&B because their language was direct, humane, and built to last.

Complete List Of Bill Withers Songs From A to Z

A–E

“Ain’t No Sunshine” – Just as I Am (1971)
“All Because of You” – ‘Bout Love (1979)
“Another Day to Run” – Still Bill (1972)
“Better Off Dead” – Just as I Am (1971)
“Can We Pretend” – +’Justments (1974)
“City of the Angels” – Naked & Warm (1976)
“Close to Me” – Naked & Warm (1976)
“Cold Baloney” – Live at Carnegie Hall (1973), live performance in the “Harlem / Cold Baloney” medley
“Dedicated to You My Love” – ‘Bout Love (1979)
“Do It Good” – Just as I Am (1971)
“Don’t It Make It Better” – ‘Bout Love (1979)
“Don’t Make Me Wait” – Watching You, Watching Me (1985)
“Don’t You Want to Stay?” – Making Music (1975)
“Dreams” – Naked & Warm (1976)
“Everybody’s Talkin’” – Just as I Am (1971)