Kool & the Gang
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Kool & the Gang is a highly successful American jazz/R&B/soul/funk/disco group. They originally formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA in 1964. They went through several musical phases in their career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, becoming practitioners of R&B and funk, progressing to a smooth disco ensemble, and ended the successful period of their career producing pop/R&B crossovers. Probably best-known for their single "Celebration", "Summer Madness" is a cult favorite.
Albums
| Year | Album | U.S. | UK | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Kool and the Gang | - | - | Debut album |
| 1971 | Live at the Sex Machine | 122 | - | Live album |
| 1971 | The Best of Kool and the Gang | 157 | - | Compilation album |
| 1971 | Live at PJ's | 171 | - | Live album, recorded 29 May 1971 in Hollywood, California |
| 1972 | Music Is the Message | - | - | |
| 1972 | Good Times | 142 | - | |
| 1973 | Wild and Peaceful | 33 | - | |
| 1974 | Kool Jazz | 187 | - | Compilation album |
| 1974 | Light of Worlds | 63 | - | |
| 1975 | Kool & the Gang Greatest Hits! | 81 | - | Compilation album |
| 1975 | Spirit of the Boogie | 48 | - | |
| 1976 | Love & Understanding | 68 | - | |
| 1976 | Open Sesame | 110 | - | |
| 1976 | Behind the Eyes | - | - | |
| 1978 | The Force | 142 | - | |
| 1978 | Everybody's Dancin' | - | - | |
| 1979 | Ladies' Night | 13 | - | |
| 1980 | Celebrate! | 10 | - | |
| 1981 | Something Special | 12 | 10 | |
| 1982 | As One | 29 | - | |
| 1983 | Twice as Kool (The Hits of Kool & The Gang) | - | 4 | Compilation album |
| 1983 | In the Heart | 29 | 18 | |
| 1984 | Emergency | 13 | - | |
| 1986 | Forever | 25 | - | |
| 1988 | Everything's Kool & the Gang: Greatest Hits & More | 109 | - | Compilation album |
| 1988 | The Singles Collection | - | 28 | Compilation album |
| 1989 | Sweat | - | - | |
| 1993 | Unite | - | - | |
| 1993 | The Best Of Kool & The Gang (1969-1976) | - | - | Compilation album |
| 1996 | State of Affairs | - | - | |
| 2001 | Gangland | - | - | |
| 2007 | Still Kool | - | - |
Singles
| Year | Title | U.S. | U.S. R&B | U.S. Dance | UK | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | "Kool and the Gang" | 59 | 19 | - | - | Kool and the Gang |
| 1970 | "Let the Music Take Your Mind" | 78 | 19 | - | - | |
| "Funky Man" | 87 | 16 | - | - | Live at the Sex Machine | |
| 1971 | "I Want to Take You Higher" | - | 35 | - | - | |
| "Who's Gonna Take the Weight (Part One)" | - | 28 | - | - | ||
| 1972 | "Love the Life You Live, Part I" | - | 31 | - | - | Music Is the Message |
| 1973 | "Funky Stuff" | 29 | 5 | - | - | Wild and Peaceful |
| 1974 | "Jungle Boogie" | 4 | 2 | - | - | |
| "Hollywood Swinging" | 6 | 1 | - | - | ||
| "Higher Plane" | 37 | 1 | - | - | Light of Worlds | |
| 1975 | "Rhyme Tyme People" | 63 | 3 | - | - | |
| "Summer Madness" 1 | 35 | 36 | - | 17 | ||
| "Spirit of the Boogie" | 35 | 1 | - | - | Spirit of the Boogie | |
| "Caribbean Festival" | 55 | 6 | - | - | ||
| 1976 | "Love and Understanding (Come Together)" | 77 | 8 | - | - | Love & Understanding |
| "Universal Sound" | - | 71 | - | - | ||
| 1977 | "Open Sesame" | 55 | - | 13 | - | Saturday Night Fever soundtrack |
| 1978 | "Slick Superchick" | - | 19 | - | - | The Force |
| 1979 | "Ladies' Night" | 8 | 1 | 5 | 9 | Ladies' Night |
| 1980 | "Too Hot" | 5 | 3 | - | 23 | |
| "Hangin' Out" | - | - | - | 52 | ||
| "Celebration" 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | Celebrate! | |
| 1981 | "Jones vs. Jones" 1 | 39 | 33 | - | 17 | |
| "Take It to the Top" 2 | - | 11 | 1 | 15 | ||
| "Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)" 3 | 17 | 1 | 16 | 29 | Something Special | |
| "Get Down on It" 3 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 3 | ||
| 1982 | "Steppin' Out" 3 | 89 | 12 | 16 | 12 | |
| "Big Fun" | 21 | 6 | - | 14 | As One | |
| "Hi De Hi, Hi De Ho" | - | - | - | 29 | ||
| 1983 | "Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh La, La, La)" | 30 | 7 | - | 6 | |
| "Street Kids" | - | 78 | - | - | ||
| "Straight Ahead" | - | - | - | 15 | In the Heart | |
| "Joanna" | 2 | 1 | - | 2 | ||
| 1984 | "Tonight" | 13 | 1 | - | - | |
| "When You Say You Love Somebody (In the Heart)" | - | - | - | 7 | ||
| "Misled" | 10 | 3 | - | - | Emergency | |
| 1985 | "Fresh" | 9 | 1 | 1 | 11 | |
| "Cherish" | 2 | 1 | - | 4 | ||
| "Emergency" | 18 | 7 | 41 | 50 | ||
| 1986 | "Victory" | 10 | 2 | 35 | 30 | Forever |
| 1987 | "Stone Love" | 10 | 4 | 41 | 45 | |
| "Holiday" | 66 | 9 | - | - | ||
| "Special Way" | 72 | - | - | - | ||
| 1988 | "Rags to Riches" | - | 38 | - | - | Greatest Hits & More |
| 1989 | "Raindrops" | - | 27 | - | - | Sweat |
| "Never Give Up" | - | 74 | - | - | ||
| 2005 | "Hollywood Swinging" | - | - | 5 | - | Be Cool soundtrack |
- 1 "Jones vs. Jones"/"Summer Madness" - charted as double A-side in the UK in 1981.
- 2 "Celebration"/"Take It to the Top" - charted together on U.S. dance chart.
- 3 "Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)"/"Steppin' Out"/"Get Down on It" - charted together on U.S. dance chart.
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