Level 42 / discography

Lead singer Mark King, 1987

This discography is an overview of published sound recordings of the British new wave - band Level 42 . Between 1981 and 1994, the band's 10 studio albums made it into the UK charts . The most successful were World Machine (1985) and Running in the Family (1987), both of which were awarded double platinum awards. Running in the Family was also the most successful album in Germany, where it reached number four in the charts and received a gold record for it .

By far the most successful single from Level 42 is Lessons in Love (1986). The song was a number one hit in Germany and Switzerland, and a top 10 hit in Austria and the UK. According to sources and record awards, she has sold more than 3.3 million records to date, over 2.3 million of them in her home country alone.

Albums

Studio albums

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)						Remarks
		DE	AT	CH	UK	US	R&B
1981	Level 42	-	-	-	UK20th silver (18 weeks)UK	-	-	First published: August 1981 Producer: Mike Vernon
1982	The Early Tapes July – August 1980	-	-	-	UK46 (6 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: March 1982 Producers: Andy Sojka, Jerry Pike
	The pursuit of accidents	-	-	-	UK17th silver (16 weeks)UK	-	-	First published: September 1982 Producer: Mike Vernon
1983	Standing in the light	DE27 (10 weeks) DE	-	-	UK9 gold (13 weeks)UK	-	-	First published: August 1983 Producers: Larry Dunn, Verdine White
1984	True Colors	DE23 (9 weeks) DE	-	CH14 (6 weeks) CH	UK14th silver (8 weeks)UK	-	-	First published: October 1984 Producer: Ken Scott
1985	World Machine	DE12 (32 weeks) DE	AT14 (10 weeks) AT	CH14 (9 weeks) CH	UK3 × 2 Double platinum (72 weeks)UK	US18 (36 weeks) US	R&B64 (3 weeks) R&B	First published: September 1985 Producer: Level 42, Wally Badarou
1987	Running in the family	DE4th gold (24 weeks)DE	AT4 (14 weeks) AT	CH4 (16 weeks) CH	UK2 × 2 Double platinum (54 weeks)UK	US23 (34 weeks) US	-	First published: March 1987 Producer: Level 42, Wally Badarou
1988	Staring at the Sun	DE8 (12 weeks) DE	AT21 (6 weeks) AT	CH6 (8 weeks) CH	UK2 gold (11 weeks)UK	US128 (7 weeks) US	-	First published: September 1988 Producers: Level 42, Wally Badarou, Julian Mendelsohn
1991	Guaranteed	-	-	CH31 (2 weeks) CH	UK3 silver (5 weeks)UK	-	-	First published: September 1991 Producer: Level 42, Wally Badarou
1994	Forever Now	-	-	-	UK8 (3 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: March 1994 Producer: Level 42, Wally Badarou

gray hatching : no chart data available for this year

More albums

• 1988: Staring at the Sun (The Interview Album) (Promo, Interview with Mark King)
• 1992: The Remixes
• 2004: Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision (CD + DVD)
• 2006: Retroglide
• 2007: Best Level
• 2013: Sirens (mini album)

Live albums

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)						Remarks
		DE	AT	CH	UK	US	R&B
1985	A physical presence	DE45 (7 weeks) DE	-	CH21 (4 weeks) CH	UK28 (5 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: May 1985 double album, recording: March 1985 The Coronet Woolwich , The Hexagon Reading and Goldiggers Chippenham

More live albums

• 1996: Live at Wembley
• 2001: Live 2001 Reading UK
• 2005: Live at the Apollo, London 2003 (2 CDs)
• 2005: Greatest Hits Live
• 2005: The River Sessions (2 CDs)
• 2007: Greatest Hits Performed Live in Reading 2001
• 2007: The Retroglide Tour (2 CDs)
• 2010: The Acoustic Album

Compilations

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)						Remarks
		DE	AT	CH	UK	US	R&B
1989	Level Best	DE44 (11 weeks) DE	-	-	UK5 gold (15 weeks)UK	-	-	First published: October 1989
1998	The very best of	-	-	-	UK41 silver (2 weeks)UK	-	-	First published: October 1998
2006	The Definitive Collection	-	-	-	UK20th silver (3 weeks)UK	-	-	First published: June 2006
2020	The essential	-	-	-	UK53 (1 week) UK	-	-	First published: July 17, 2020

More compilations

• 1987: The Family Edition
• 1989: On the Level
• 1991: 1980–1989 Complete (box with 9 CDs)
• 1993: Lessons in Love - Best
• 1993: On a Level
• 1996: Level 42
• 1996: Turn It On
• 1996: Millennium Edition
• 1996: The Remix Collection
• 1998: Greatest Hits and More (2 CDs)
• 1999: Classic Level 42 - The Universal Masters Collection
• 2000: Running in the Family
• 2000: Physical Presence - Best Level
• 2000: True Colors / World Machine (2 CDs)
• 2000: The Pursuit of Accidents / Standing in the Light (2 CDs)
• 2000: Level 42 / The Early Tapes (2 CDs)
• 2002: The Ultimate Collection (remastered version of Level Best )
• 2003: The Collection
• 2004: Het Beste van Level 42
• 2005: gold
• 2005: The Ultimate Collection II: B-Sides Remixes & Rarities (3 CDs)
• 2007: Weave Your Spell: The Collection (2 CDs)
• 2007: The Essential Collection (2 CDs)
• 2010: Lessons in Love: The Collection (2 CDs)
• 2010: Living It Up (4 CDs)

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)						Remarks
		DE	AT	CH	UK	US	Dance
1980	Love Meeting Love The Early Tapes July – August 1980	-	-	-	UK61 (4 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: August 1980
1981	Love Games Level 42	-	-	-	UK38 (6 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: April 1981
	Turn It On Level 42	-	-	-	UK57 (6 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: July 1981
	Starchild Level 42	-	-	-	UK47 (4 weeks) UK	-	Dance57 (10 weeks) Dance	First published: November 1981
1982	Are You Hearing (What I Hear) The Pursuit of Accidents	-	-	-	UK49 (5 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: April 1982
	Weave Your Spell The Pursuit of Accidents	-	-	-	UK43 (4 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: September 1982
1983	The Chinese Way The Pursuit of Accidents	-	-	-	UK24 (8 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: December 1982
	Out of Sight - Out of Mind Standing in the Light	-	-	-	UK41 (4 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: April 1983
	The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up) Standing in the Light	-	-	-	UK10 (12 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: July 1983
	Micro kid standing in the light	-	-	-	UK37 (5 weeks) UK	-	Dance25 (8 weeks) Dance	First published: October 1983
1984	Hot Water True Colors	-	-	-	UK18 (9 weeks) UK	US87 (4 weeks) US	-	First published: August 1984
	The Chant Has Begun True Colors	-	-	-	UK41 (5 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: October 1984
1985	Something About You World Machine	-	-	-	UK6th silver (17 weeks)UK	US7 (27 weeks) US	Dance4 (17 weeks) Dance	First published: September 1985
	Leaving Me Now World Machine	-	-	-	UK15 (11 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: November 1985
1986	Lessons in Love Running in the Family	DE1 (20 weeks) DE	AT4 (12 weeks) AT	CH1 (16 weeks) CH	UK3 silver (13 weeks)UK	US12 (18 weeks) US	Dance12 (11 weeks) Dance	First published: April 1986
	World Machine (The Shep Pettibone Remix) World Machine	-	-	-	-	-	Dance23 (7 weeks) Dance	First published: November 1986 Remix: Shep Pettibone
1987	Running in the Family Running in the Family	DE12 (13 weeks) DE	AT12 (12 weeks) AT	CH5 (13 weeks) CH	UK6 (10 weeks) UK	US83 (4 weeks) US	-	First published: February 1987
	To Be with You Again Running in the Family	DE39 (8 weeks) DE	-	CH29 (2 weeks) CH	UK10 (7 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: April 1987
	It's over running in the family	-	-	-	UK10 (8 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: August 1987
	Children Say Running in the Family	-	-	-	UK22 (6 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: November 1987
1988	Heaven in My Hands Staring at the Sun	DE22 (10 weeks) DE	-	CH20 (5 weeks) CH	UK12 (5 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: August 1988
	Take a look staring at the sun	-	-	-	UK32 (4 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: October 1988
1989	Tracie Staring at the Sun	-	-	-	UK25 (5 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: January 1989
	Take Care of Yourself Level Best	-	-	-	UK39 (3 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: October 1989
1991	Guaranteed Guaranteed	DE51 (16 weeks) DE	-	-	UK17 (4 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: August 1991
	Overtime Guaranteed	-	-	-	UK62 (6 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: October 1991
1992	My Father's Shoes Guaranteed	-	-	-	UK55 (1 week) UK	-	-	First published: March 1992
1994	Forever Now Forever Now	DE51 (14 weeks) DE	-	-	UK19 (4 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: February 1994
	All Over You Forever Now	-	-	-	UK26 (2 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: April 1994
	Love in a Peaceful World Forever Now	-	-	-	UK31 (3 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: July 1994

More singles

• 1980: (Flying on the) Wings of Love (release: November)
• 1985: A Physical Presence (EP; release: May)
• 1985: Follow Me (EP)
• 1987: Untitled (with Leyden Zar and Kebekelektrik)
• 1987: The Platinum Edition Megamix
• 1988: I Don't Know Why
• 1989: Megamixes (release: December)
• 1992: The Hit Combination
• 1994: Learn to Say No (release: October)
• 1998: The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up) '98 Mix (release: October)
• 2001: Starchild (BMR with Level 42)
• 2006: The Way Back Home
• 2007: Lessons in Love 2007 (TCS vs. Level 42)
• 2013: Sirens (EP with 6 tracks)

statistics

Chart evaluation

DE  AT  CH  UK  US  R&B Number one albums DE-DE AT-AT CH-CH UK-UK US-US R&B-R&B Top 10 albums DE2DE AT1AT CH2CH UK7thUK US-US R&B-R&B Albums in the charts DE7thDE AT3AT CH6thCH UK14thUK US3US R&B1R&B

DE  AT  CH  UK  US  Dance Number one singles DE1DE AT-AT CH1CH UK-UK US-US Dance-Dance Top 10 singles DE1DE AT1AT CH2CH UK6thUK US1US Dance1Dance Singles in the charts DE6thDE AT2AT CH4thCH UK29UK US4thUS Dance5Dance

Awards for music sales

Golden record  Canada 1986: for the single Something about You 1987: for the single Lessons in Love 1988: for the album Staring at the Sun  Netherlands 1982: for the album Level 42 1986: for the single Lessons in Love 1988: for the album Staring at the Sun 1989: for the album Level Best  Spain 1988: for the album Running in the Family

Platinum record  Canada 1986: for the album World Machine 1987: for the album Running in the Family  Netherlands 1994: for the album Running in the Family

Note: Awards in countries from the chart tables or chart boxes can be found in these.

Country / Region	silver	gold	platinum	Sales	swell
Awards for music sales (country / region, awards, sales, sources)
Germany (BVMI)	-	gold1	-	250,000	musikindustrie.de
Canada (MC)	-	3 × gold3	2 × platinum2	350,000	musiccanada.com
Netherlands (NVPI)	-	4 × gold4th	platinum1	325,000	nvpi.nl
Spain (Promusicae)	-	gold1	-	50,000	Sólo éxitos: año año, 1959-2002
United Kingdom (BPI)	8 × silver8th	3 × gold3	4 × platinum4th	2,360,000	bpi.co.uk
All in all	8 × silver8th	12 × gold12	7 × platinum7th

swell

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Chart sources: Singles albums UK US
2. ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .
3. ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot Dance / Disco 1974-2003, ISBN 978-0-89820-156-7 .

Web links

• Level 42 at Allmusic (English)
• Level 42 at Discogs (English)