American singer Aaliyah released three studio albums, two compilation albums, and 32 singles. Aaliyah was born in Brooklyn, New York City and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At age 10, she appeared on Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed a deal with Jive Records and Blackground Records. During that time, she met R. Kelly through her uncle Barry Hankerson; eventually, he became her mentor, sole lead songwriter, and producer for her debut album. Released in 1994, Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold three million copies in the United States. Months after the release of her album, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records due to allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly.
In 1996, Aaliyah worked with unknown record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million. The album was a commercial success selling three million copies in the United States and over eight million worldwide. While working in between albums, she contributed to several movie soundtracks before starring in her debut feature film, Romeo Must Die, in 2000. Aaliyah executive produced the film's soundtrack and contributed four songs, including "Try Again". "Try Again" topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on radio airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this feat. Aaliyah earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist for the song.
After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah shot her second film Queen of the Damned and released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in 2001. A little over a month after her album's release, Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas after filming the music video for her single "Rock the Boat". In the wake of her death, Aaliyah has achieved commercial success with several posthumous releases.
As of December 2008, Aaliyah has sold 8.1 million albums in the United States and an estimated 24 to 32 million albums worldwide. On the Billboard Hot 100, Aaliyah has spent 289 weeks on the chart, while her three studio albums and two compilation albums have spent 202 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, as of June 2025.
Albums
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Singles
As lead artist
As featured artist
Other charted songs
Guest appearances
Video albums
Music videos
Guest appearances/cameos
Notes
- A "Are You Ready" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 42 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
- B "One in a Million" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 25 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. It did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
- C "4 Page Letter" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 55 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. It did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
- D "Hot Like Fire" and "The One I Gave My Heart To" charted as a double A-side single in the United Kingdom.
- E "Hot Like Fire" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 31 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
- F "Journey To The Past" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 28 on the US Adult Contemporary Chart.
- G "Are You That Somebody" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
- H "Come Back in One Piece" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 17 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which acts as a 25-song extension to the Hot 100.
- I "Don't Know What to Tell Ya" did not enter the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Top 100, but peaked at number 70 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart on September 27, 2003.
- J "Enough Said" did not enter the mainstream Germany charts, but peaked at number 12 on the Deutsche Urban Chart.
- K In the Netherlands, "Enough Said" did not enter the Dutch Singles Chart, but peaked at number 12 on the Dutch Urban Chart.
- L "Poison" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 15 on the Hot R&B Songs chart.
- M "Poison" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 33 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.
- N "Gone" did not enter the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop chart, but peaked at number one on the Adult R&B Airplay Chart, and at number 13 on the R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart.
- O "I Need You Tonight" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 3 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which acts as a 25-song extension to the Hot 100.
- P "Final Warning" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 23 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, which acts as a 25-song extension to the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
- Q "You Won't See Me Tonight" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 21 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which acts as a 25-song extension to the Hot 100.
- R "I Can Be" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 2 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, which acts as a 25-song extension to the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
- S "Where Could He Be" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 20 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, which acts as a 25-song extension to the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
- T Aaliyah's second studio album One in a Million, sold an extra 756,000 units through BMG Music club, Nielsen SoundScan does not count albums sold through clubs like the BMG Music Service, which were significantly popular in the 1990s.
- U Aaliyah's eponymous album sold an extra 350,000 units through BMG Music club, Nielsen SoundScan does not count albums sold through clubs like the BMG Music Service, which were significantly popular in the 1990s.
References
Further reading
External links