Weather Report discography: History and Key Facts

The discography of Weather Report, an American jazz band with a career lasting sixteen years between 1970 and 1986, consists of fourteen studio albums, three live albums, eleven compilation albums, five singles, one B-side, and six video albums.

Weather Report's self-titled debut album Weather Report, released in 1971, caused a sensation in the jazz world and is still considered a classic of early fusion. It was awarded Album of the Year by Down Beat magazine's polls that year. In 1972 Weather Report released its second album, I Sing the Body Electric. The first side featured new studio recordings, while the second side was taken from live recordings of a concert in Tokyo, Japan. On 1973's Sweetnighter, Weather Report began to take a new more funk and groove-oriented direction.

Breakout album Mysterious Traveller, released in 1974, was the second of Weather Report's albums to win Down Beat's "Album of the Year" award. Released in 1975, Tale Spinnin' was Weather Report's most solid album to date. It won the Down Beat best album award for 1975.

By 1976's Black Market album, Weather Report's music had evolved further from open-ended funk jams into more melody and rock-oriented and concise forms. It continued Weather Report's ongoing run of success, selling well and being the fourth of the band's albums to win Down Beat's album of the year award. The band's next album was 1977's acclaimed Heavy Weather, which proved to be the band's most successful recording. It would dominate Weather Report's disc awards, including their last Down Beat "Album of the Year" award.

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