# Bobby Caldwell discography
The American singer and songwriter **Bobby Caldwell** (August 15, 1951 – March 14, 2023) released a discography of studio albums spanning 1978 to 2019, built around a crossover blend of R&B, soft rock, and jazz, and anchored by his 1978 debut single "[What You Won't Do for Love](https://www.edgepedia.org/what-you-wont-do-for-love-song)."[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) His official discography lists seventeen albums, beginning with the 1978 debut and ending with the 2019 anthology *The Time Has Come*.[2](https://bobbycaldwell.com/discography/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Debut | *Bobby Caldwell* (1978), later retitled *What You Won't Do for Love*; the title single reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) • [3](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/139a00a8-6b21-47c3-9315-60ac5ab2c715) |
| Debut album chart peak | Number 21 on the Billboard 200 and number seven on the R&B chart[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) |
| Studio albums | Sixteen albums listed on his official discography, 1978 to 2019[2](https://bobbycaldwell.com/discography/) |
| 1990s jazz chart run | *Stuck on You*, *Where Is Love*, *Soul Survivor*, and *Blue Condition* all reached the Top Ten of Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) |
| Standards peak | *Come Rain or Come Shine* (1999) reached number eight on the Traditional Jazz Albums chart[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) |
| Late-career peak | *Perfect Island Nights* (2005) hit number two on the Contemporary Jazz chart; *Cool Uncle* (2015) hit number seven[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) • [4](https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2023/J605) |
| Sampling legacy | His songs and samples have contributed to more than $40 million in sales, with samples by Tupac Shakur, the Notorious B.I.G., and others[4](https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2023/J605) |
## Debut and the 1978 breakthrough
Caldwell signed with the TK-distributed Clouds label and made his debut with the 1978 album *Bobby Caldwell*, a production mixing soft rock, R&B, and disco. "What You Won't Do for Love" was a late addition to the record and became his signature hit, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and helping the album reach number 21 on the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) 200 and number seven on the R&B chart.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) [MusicBrainz](https://www.edgepedia.org/musicbrainz) records that the album was later retitled *What You Won't Do for Love*.[3](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/139a00a8-6b21-47c3-9315-60ac5ab2c715)
## The 1980s albums
Caldwell returned in 1980 with *Cat in the Hat*, which produced the Hot 100 hit "Coming Down from Love."[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) More albums followed through the decade: *Carry On* (1982), *August Moon* (1983), and *Heart of Mine*, adopting progressively more jazz and traditional pop flavors.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography)
Release dates for two of these albums differ between sources. MusicBrainz and Caldwell's official website place *Heart of Mine* in 1989 and *Stuck on You* in 1991, while AllMusic's discography table lists *Heart of Mine* in 1987 and *Stuck on You* in 1992.[3](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/139a00a8-6b21-47c3-9315-60ac5ab2c715) • [2](https://bobbycaldwell.com/discography/) • [1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography)
## The 1990s: contemporary jazz and standards
In the 1990s Caldwell fully embraced a polished crossover approach, balancing smooth R&B with Sinatra-style crooning. Four albums reached the Top Ten of Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart: *Stuck on You*, *Where Is Love* (1993), *Soul Survivor*, and *Blue Condition* (1996).[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) AllMusic's narrative dates *Soul Survivor* to 1996, but its own discography table and the official website place it in 1995.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) • [2](https://bobbycaldwell.com/discography/)
He closed the decade with a jazz standards set, *Come Rain or Come Shine* (1999), which reached number eight on the Traditional Jazz Albums chart.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography)
## The 2000s and 2010s
Through the 2000s Caldwell toured frequently and performed from his catalog. In 2005 *Perfect Island Nights*, an album of original soft-soul and jazz-influenced pop, reached number two on the Contemporary Jazz chart.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) Another standards album, *The Consummate Bobby Caldwell*, arrived in 2010, followed by a return to original songs with *House of Cards* in 2012 and *After Dark* in 2014.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography) • [2](https://bobbycaldwell.com/discography/)
**Cool Uncle (2015).** Caldwell made *Cool Uncle* with the R&B producer Jack Splash; the album featured guest appearances by [Deniece Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/deniece-williams), CeeLo Green, and [Jessie Ware](https://www.edgepedia.org/jessie-ware), reached number seven on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart, and was called "2015's smartest retro-soul revival" by *Rolling Stone*.[4](https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2023/J605) His final album-length release was *The Time Has Come: The Ultimate Anthology* in 2019.[2](https://bobbycaldwell.com/discography/) • [3](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/139a00a8-6b21-47c3-9315-60ac5ab2c715)
## Full album list
The official discography lists these releases, with the official site's dates:[2](https://bobbycaldwell.com/discography/)
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1978 | *What You Won't Do for Love* (originally *Bobby Caldwell*) |
| 1980 | *Cat in the Hat* |
| 1982 | *Carry On* |
| 1983 | *August Moon* |
| 1989 | *Heart of Mine* |
| 1991 | *Stuck on You* |
| 1993 | *Where Is Love* |
| 1995 | *Soul Survivor* |
| 1996 | *Blue Condition* |
| 1999 | *Come Rain or Come Shine* |
| 2005 | *Perfect Island Nights* |
| 2007 | *Live at the Blue Note* |
| 2010 | *The Consummate Bobby Caldwell* |
| 2012 | *House of Cards* |
| 2014 | *After Dark* |
| 2015 | *Cool Uncle* |
| 2019 | *The Time Has Come: The Ultimate Anthology* |
AllMusic's table also lists the albums with the Sin-Drome Records imprint for most titles and Universal for *August Moon*.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography)
## Sampling legacy
Caldwell's catalog became a recurring source for hip-hop and R&B producers. "What You Won't Do for Love" is his most sampled song, and three songs in particular secured his place in sampling history: "What You Won't Do for Love," "My Flame," sampled by the Notorious B.I.G. on "Sky's the Limit," and "Open Your Eyes," sampled by Common on "The Light."[5](https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/03/16/from-2pac-to-biggie-these-are-the-greatest-songs-that-sample-bobby-caldwells-soulful-sound) • [6](https://thegrio.com/2023/03/16/love-flame-light-how-bobby-caldwells-place-in-black-music-history-was-secured-with-just-three-songs/) According to a [New York State Senate](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-state-senate) memorial resolution, his songs and samples contributed to more than $40 million in sales, with sampling artists including [Tupac Shakur](https://www.edgepedia.org/tupac-shakur), Roberta Flack, Go West, Vanessa Williams, and the Notorious B.I.G., and more recently [Lil Nas X](https://www.edgepedia.org/lil-nas-x) and Chance the Rapper.[4](https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2023/J605) AllMusic credits also list him as a composer on releases by other artists, including Boyz II Men's *Throwback* (2004) and John Legend's *Love in the Future* (2013).[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography)
## References
1. [Bobby Caldwell — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-caldwell-mn0000061045/discography)
2. [Discography, Bobby Caldwell Official Website](https://bobbycaldwell.com/discography/)
3. [Bobby Caldwell, MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/139a00a8-6b21-47c3-9315-60ac5ab2c715)
4. [New York State Senate, Resolution J605 (2023)](https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2023/J605)
5. [From 2Pac to Biggie: These are the greatest songs that sample Bobby Caldwell's soulful sound, Euronews](https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/03/16/from-2pac-to-biggie-these-are-the-greatest-songs-that-sample-bobby-caldwells-soulful-sound)
6. [The Bobby Caldwell songs that inspired hip-hop classics, theGrio](https://thegrio.com/2023/03/16/love-flame-light-how-bobby-caldwells-place-in-black-music-history-was-secured-with-just-three-songs/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Discographies and musical catalogues › Artist and group discographies › Pop, R&B, and Christian/gospel artist discographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license