Harry Chapin discography

In 1972, Chapin switched his career focus to music. After a bidding war broke out over him, he signed a recording contract with Elektra Records. The contract was unprecedented as it granted him free recording time.

His 1972 debut album, Heads & Tales was an international success. It sold 1.1 million units. It was boosted by the Billboard Hot 100 top 20 single, Taxi. The song was also a top 5 hit in Canada. The song is based on Chapin's ex-girlfriend, who wanted to be an actress, selling out her dreams and marrying a rich man. While Chapin originally wanted to be a pilot, and he is now "flying" in his taxi. The story-line, however, is from a dream he had the weekend before he was supposed to start driving a taxi. He got a film job and didn't have to drive the taxi.

The follow-up album, Sniper and Other Love Songs was released the same year. The single, Sunday Morning Sunshine became a top 30 Billboard Adult Contemporary hit. The album's signature song, Sniper, is an almost 10 minute long ballad about the University of Texas tower shooting. The album also contained the Chapin anthem, Circle. The album sold 350,000 units.

His next album, Short Stories was released in 1973. It sold 1 million units. The album produced another worldwide hit, W·O·L·D. The single became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, a top 10 in Canada, and top 10 and 20 in various other countries. The song is about an aging disc jockey who has given up his entire life to continue his career. The song is sung in the point of view of the jockey to his ex-wife. The song was inspired by Jim Connors when Chapin listened to him during a phone call to his ex-wife while at the WMEX studio. WOLD is an actual radio station in Marion, Virginia but there is no relation. The name simply comes from getting old, hence the "O*L*D*".

In 1974, he released his most successful album, Verities and Balderdash. It sold 2.5 million units. It was boosted by the #1 hit, Cat's in the Cradle. The single itself sold 1.3 million units. The song is about a dad who didn't have time for his son during his childhood, and then quickly turns into his son not having time for him. The song is from a poem his wife, Sandra Chapin, wrote. A second single from the album, I Wanna Learn a Love Song, was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary. The song is based on how he met his wife. Another notable song from the album is 30,000 Pounds of Bananas. Although not released as a single, the song was extremely popular. It is based on a real truck crash in Scranton, Pennsylvania that was hauling bananas.

In 1975, he released his fifth studio album, Portrait Gallery. The album was less successful than the last, but contained the top 40 Billboard Adult Contemporary hit, Dreams Go By. The album sold 350,000 units. However, he was working on a Broadway play, The Night That Made America Famous. The play earned a total of 4 award nominations.

In 1976, he released two albums. The first was Greatest Stories Live. The album sold 2.1 million units. It was his first live album featuring a select number of songs from the previous albums. He also released On the Road to Kingdom Come. The album had no single release, but contained two popular songs, Corey's Coming and The Mayor of Candor Lied. The album sold 350,000 units.

In 1977, he released his seventh studio album, Dance Band on the Titanic. The album had no single release, but was named London's album of the year. The album sold 500,000 units.

In 1978, he released his ninth studio album, Living Room Suite. Despite the economic recession, the top 20 Irish hit, Flowers Are Red, was produced. The album sold 350,000 units.

In 1979, he released his second live album, Legends of the Lost and Found. Still in the economic recession, the album sold 250,000 units.

In 1980, his recording contract was up. He signed a new one-album deal with Boardwalk Records. He released the final album of his lifetime, Sequel. The single release, Sequel, was a follow up to his first hit single, Taxi. The song was a top 20 near miss on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #23. It is considered to be his fastest breaking album. The album sold 500,000 units.

In 1981, Chapin was killed in a car crash on the Long Island Expressway. He was buried at the Huntington Rural Cemetery. Millions of fans throughout the world mourned him following the news of his death.

On December 7, 1987, on what would have been his 45th birthday, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his campaigning on social issues, particularly his highlighting of hunger around the world and in the United States. His work on hunger included being widely recognized as a key player in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger (under 39th President Jimmy Carter) in 1977. There was also a tribute concert held at the Carnegie Hall to commemorate his 45th birthday if he were alive, and also to award him the Congressional Gold Medal which was presented to his son Joshua Chapin and laid to rest on an empty stool with Harry's guitar leaning against it. Various artists contributed, including Bruce Springsteen, Richie Havens, and Pat Benatar, whom Harry taught to sing rock & roll. It was hosted by Harry Belafonte.

Harry Chapin was featured on many TV shows throughout his career. Most notably on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He was on the show a total of 14 times. He made history as the first performer to be called back the next night to perform on the show. This was due to performance of Taxi.

He became friends with fellow songwriter, John Denver, often appearing on TV with him. John said that he wished he had written the songs Harry did. Denver hosted the pilot episode of The Midnight Special in which Harry was one of the first performers on the show.

− The following are all the currently known TV shows and movies Harry Chapin was on or has songwriting credits on:[1]

• 15th Annual Grammy Awards
• 17th Annual Grammy Awards
• 20 to One
• American Bandstand
• Behind the Music
• Blue Water White Death
• Book of Chapin
• Cutting Loose
• Cotton Patch Gospel
• Cougar Town
• De Mike Burstyn Show
• Dick Cavett Show
• Dinah!
• Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
• Duel in the Wind: In Defense of America's Cup
• Friday Night, Saturday Morning
• Friday Night With Steve Edwards
• Get a Life
• Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
• Goodnight America
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Happy Endings
• Harry Chapin: The Final Concert
• Harry Chapin Tribute
• How I Met Your Mother
• Last Vegas
• Legendary Champions
• Let's Sing Out
• Make a Wish
• Merv Griffin Show
• Mike Douglas Show
• Modern Family
• Mother and Daughter: The Loving War
• Mr. Jealousy
• My Music
• Mystery Science Theater 3000
• Remember When: The Anthology
• Robot Chicken
• Rock Music Awards
• Rockpalast
• Rude(ish) Tube
• Saturday Night Live
• Scrubs
• Shrek the Third
• Solid Gold
• Soundstage
• That '70s Show
• The Circle (1972)
• The David Frost Show
• The Ernie Sigley Show
• The Goldbergs
• The Jim Nabors Show
• The Midnight Special
• The N.S.V.I.P.'s
• The Office
• The Simpsons
• There's a Lotta Lonely People Tonight
• 'Til Death
• Welcome to the Basement
• Wonderama

• Sales figures with a * are estimated based on album sales.

• An Evening With... Harry Chapin (1998)
• Rockpalast Live (2002)
• Remember When: The Anthology (2005)
• You Are the Only Song (2006)