Not listed here are soundtrack albums on which a Richard Thompson recording or composition is merely included, without further involvement from Thompson. Listed here are soundtracks in which Thompson had a significant creative role in creating new music.
Only studio albums recorded whilst Richard Thompson was a member of Fairport Convention are listed here. After Thompson left the group, he continued to appear sporadically as a guest musician on subsequent albums, which are listed in the session work discography.
Albums on which Thompson has guested or worked as a session musician are not shown here (see sections below). Listed here are albums on which Thompson played a significant creative role in the group or project.
Albums in which Thompson is credited on the front cover as a featured artist (rather than simply in the notes of the musicians playing) are covered here.
Original recordings of new or existing compositions on 'various artist' compilations. Only the first release the recording is on is listed.
| Year | Album | Song or tune | Notes |
|---|
| 1985 | Feed the Folk | "Old Horse" | With Martin Carthy, John Kirkpatrick and Howard Evans, alternative take to the one on Carthy's Out of the Cut |
| 1989 | Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival 1988 | "Turning of the Tide" | Live recording from the festival |
| 1989 | Time Between – A Tribute to The Byrds | "Here Without You" | With Clive Gregson and Christine Collister |
| 1990 | Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival 1988, Vol. 2: Mementos | "Two Left Feet" and "The Choice Wife" | Live recording from the festival |
| 1991 | All Through the Year — A Calendar in Music & Song | "Late November" | With Fairport Convention, Vikki Clayton and Jerry Donahue, live at Cropredy 1991 |
| 1991 | The Best of Mountain Stage, Volume One | "Shoot Out the Lights" | Live solo version for the radio programme |
| 1991 | Bringing It All Back Home, Music From The BBC TV Series | "The Dimming of the Day" | With Mary Black |
| 1991 | Turn of the Decade 1989-90: Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival | "She Moves Through The Fair" | Live from the festival |
| 1992 | Studio Brussel Update Live
| "I Misunderstood" | Live radio session, mistitled on the sleeve as simply 'Misunderstood' |
| 1992 | Ferrington Guitars | "The Job of Journey Work" | Instrumental, from the CD with the book 'Ferrington Guitars' |
| 1992 | Tanz & Folkfest Rudolstadt '92 | "Read About Love" | Live from the festival |
| 1993 | The World is a Wonderful Place | "The World is a Wonderful Place" | With Linda Thompson, previously unreleased, unlisted track 13 |
| 1993 | KBCO The Best of Studio C, Volume 3
| "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live radio session from 1992 |
| 1994 | In Their Own Words, Vol 1 | "I Feel So Good" | Live, solo radio session from 1992 |
| 1994 | ONXRT: Live From The Archives, Volume 2 | "I can't wake up to save my life" | Live radio session from 1994 |
| 1994 | Broadcasts Vol. 2 | "Dimming of the Day" | Live radio session on KGSR from 1994 |
| 1994 | Where Are My Headphones? Live From Studio A, Volume 2 | "Taking my Business Elsewhere" | Live, solo radio session on WCBE |
| 1995 | Live at the World Cafe, Vol. 1 | "Beeswing" | Live radio session from 1992 |
| 1995 | KFOG Radio 104.5\97.7, Live From The Archives II | "I Feel So Good" | Live from the Suasalito Art Festival, 1994 |
| 1995 | Troubadours of British Folk, Volume 3: An Evolving Tradition | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live version only previously available on a promotional EP for "I Misunderstood" |
| 1997 | Live at the Iron Horse, Volume 1 | "From Galway to Graceland" | Live, solo radio session from 1990 |
| 1997 | Folk, Live from Mountain Stage | "Beat the Retreat" | Live radio session |
| 1997 | Georgia on Our Mind | "Georgia on My Mind" and "John the Gun" | The first as part of the Deep Sea Ensemble, the second with the Richard Thompson Band, live in 1985 |
| 1997 | E-Town Live | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live radio session in Boulder City, Nevada from 1996 |
| 1998 | From the Heart of Studio A: The Folkscene Collection | "Waltzing's for Dreamers" | Live radio session for Roz and Howard Larman's 'FolkScene' on KFPK in Los Angeles |
| 1998 | Where Have All the Flowers Gone?: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol 1 | "If I Had a Hammer" | With Nancy Griffith and friends, vocals |
| 1999 | Bringing It All Back Home, Volume 2 | "Waltzing's For Dreamers" | With Mary Black and Dolores Keane |
| 1999 | Other Enz: Split Enz & Beyond | "Persuasion" | With Tim Finn |
| 2000 | 107.1 KGSR Broadcasts, Vol. 8 | "Sights and Sounds of London Town" | Live radio session |
| 2000 | Fish Out of Water: Music Outside The Mainstream | "Waltzing's For Dreamers" | With Cry Cry Cry, live performance |
| 2000 | Live At The World Cafe, Vol. 10 | "Cooksferry Queen" | Live radio session |
| 2000 | Heart of England: In Aid of Teenage Cancer Trust | "I want to see the bright lights tonight" | Live |
| 2000 | KINK Live Thr3e | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live radio session from 1999 |
| 2000 | The Riversound Cafe | "Sights and Sounds of London Town" | Live radio session recorded live at WRSI |
| 2000 | Mixx On The Fly - Live From Studio A - WCBE Vol. 7 | "Uninhabited Man" | Live radio session |
| 2001 | Philadelphia Folk Festival 40th Anniversary
| "Walk Awhile" and "Beeswing" | Live from previous festivals. Former with Fairport Convention, 1970; latter unknown. |
| 2001 | Live At The Night, Vol. 1 | "Crawl Back" | Live radio session from 2000 |
| 2002 | Shining Bright: The Songs of Lal & Mike Waterson | "Red Wine Promises" | Cover of Lal Waterson song |
| 2002 | Live at the World Cafe, Vol. 14: The Next Decade | "Persuasion" | Live radio session |
| 2002 | Heart of England, Volume 2: In Aid of Teenage Cancer Trust | "Sights and Sounds of London Town" | Live from Hampstead |
| 2002 | | "La Chanson D'Une Fille De Quinze Ans" and "Les Flammes D'Enfer" | Former with Ann Savoy, latter solo |
| 2003 | Crossing Jordan [soundtrack] | "Season of the Witch" | Donovan cover for TV soundtrack |
| 2003 | Live @ The World Café, Vol. 17: Three Flights Up | "I'll Tag Along" | Live radio session |
| 2003 | City Folk Live VI | "She Said It was Destiny" | Live radio session |
| 2005 | The Bootlegs (Vol. 1 Celebrating 35 Years at First Avenue) | "Cooksferry Queen" | Live radio session from 1999 |
| 2006 | The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited | "The Coo Coo Bird" | With Eliza Carthy, live in Los Angeles, 2001 |
| 2006 | | "Mingulay Boat Song" | Cover of a song by Sir Hugh S. Roberton |
| 2006 | Live At The World Cafe, Vol. 21: In The Cards | "The Hots for the Smarts" | Live radio session from 2005 |
| 2007 | Cool as Folk | "Tear Stained Letter" | The Richard Thompson Band, live at Cambridge Folk Festival, 2001 |
| 2007 | KFOG Radio 104.5\97.7: Live From The Archives 14 | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live radio session from 2005 |
| 2013 | | "Go Leave" | With Linda Thompson, live cover from London, 2010 |
| 2013 | | "General Taylor" | With Jack Shit (aka Johnny Depp) |
| 2013 | The Beautiful Old Turn-Of-The-Century Songs | "The Band Played On" | With Christine Collister and Garth Hudson |
| 2013 | Live at the World Cafe, Vol. 36 | "Good things happen to bad people" | Live radio session |
| 2014 | Cambridge Folk Festival (Celebrating 50 Years) | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live, solo recording from the 2011 festival |
| 2017 | Sincerely, L. Cohen: A Live Celebration of Leonard Cohen | "Bird on the Wire" and "Story of Isaac" | Recorded live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn |
| 2017 | Live At The World Cafe, Vol. 41: 25th Anniversary Edition | "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" | Live radio session from 2005 |
| 2019 | If You're Going to the City: A Tribute to Mose Allison | "Parchman Farm" | Live cover, with George Galt |
| 2019 | Vision & Revision: The First 80 Years of Topic Records | "The Light Bob’s Lassie" | Solo performance of traditional song |
| 2019 | Jan Douwe Kroeske Presents the Best of 2 Meter Sessions, 1987-2009 | "I Feel So Good" | Live solo version |
| 2019 | Jan Douwe Kroeske Presents 2 Meter Sessions, Volume 3 | "I Misunderstood" | |
| 2021 | Dylan Revisited | "This Wheel's on Fire" | With Zara Phillips on backing vocals, album with Uncut in the UK |
| 2023 | Heal the Sky | "Lament for Mariupol" | Guitar instrumental |
| 2024 | Proxy Music | "I Used to Be So Pretty" and "Those Damn Roches" | With Ren Harvieu on "I Used to Be So Pretty" and Teddy Thompson on "Those Damn Roches", from an album of various artists performing songs written by Linda Thompson | |
These are compilations dedicated to a single musician but featuring their work with several bands and featured artists from across their career. Only releases with newly released material are covered.
| Year | Title | Artist | Notes |
|---|
| 1968 | The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter | The Incredible String Band | Uncredited vocals on 'The Minotaur's Song' |
| 1969 | Five Leaves Left | Nick Drake | Overdubbed electric guitar on 'Time has told me' |
| 1969 | Love Chronicles | Al Stewart | Guitar, under pseudonym Marvyn Prestwyck |
| 1969 | Marc Ellington | Marc Ellington | |
| 1969 | Matthews' Southern Comfort | Matthews' Southern Comfort | |
| 1969 | Dudu Phukwana and the "Spears" | Dudu Phukwana and the "Spears" | Thompson played on an 'album of mostly unreleased 1969 recordings' that were released in 2020 packaged with the group's 1968 self-titled debut. |
| 1970 | Bryter Layter | Nick Drake | Electric guitar on 'Hazey Jane II' |
| 1971 | Bless the Weather | John Martyn | Guitar |
| 1971 | If You Saw Thro' My Eyes | Iain Matthews | Electric and acoustic guitar, accordion |
| 1971 | The North Star Grassman and the Ravens | Sandy Denny | Electric guitar and acoustic guitars, bass, accordion, vocals |
| 1971 | Rains/Reins of Changes | Marc Ellington | |
| 1971 | Smiling Men with Bad Reputations | Mike Heron | Guitar on 'Flowers of the Forest' |
| 1971 | Stargazer | Shelagh McDonald | |
| 1971 | Strange Fruit | Gary Farr | |
| 1971 | 4th English Album | Francoise Hardy | |
| 1971 | Street Singer | Mick Softley | |
| 1972 | Bright Phoebus | Lal and Mike Waterson | Guitar on all tracks except 'Red Wine & Promises' |
| 1972 | Jump at the Sun | John Kirkpatrick | Under pseudonym Agnes Mirren |
| 1972 | Sandy | Sandy Denny | Electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin |
| 1972 | Those Pleasant Days | Stefan Grossman | |
| 1972 | Tigers Will Survive | Iain Matthews | |
| 1973 | Rosie | Fairport Convention | Electric and 12-string guitars on the track 'Rosie' |
| 1973 | Solid Air | John Martyn | Mandolin on 'Over the Hill' |
| 1973 | A Favourite Garland | Shirley Collins | |
| 1973 | Urban Cowboy | Andy Roberts | |
| 1974 | Like an Old Fashioned Waltz | Sandy Denny | |
| 1974 | Fear | John Cale | |
| 1975 | Fantasies From a Corner Seat | Harvey Andrews & Graham Cooper | |
| 1975 | Is Having a Wonderful Time | Geoff Muldaur | |
| 1975 | Marc Time | Marc Ellington | |
| 1975 | Mike Heron's Reputation | Mike Heron | |
| 1976 | Vanishing Trick: Poems And Songs | Brian Patten | |
| 1977 | Rendezvous | Sandy Denny | |
| 1978 | Rise Up Like the Sun | The Albion Band | |
| 1978 | Julie Covington | Julie Covington | |
| 1979 | Slide Away the Screen | Ralph McTell | |
| 1980 | Night Owl | Gerry Rafferty | |
| 1981 | Smiddyburn | Dave Swarbrick | |
| 1981 | The Sound of the Sand and Other Songs of the Pedestrian | David Thomas & the Pedestrians | |
| 1981 | Teddy Boys Don't Knit | Vivian Stanshall | |
| 1981 | Thunderin' On The Horizon | Arizona Smoke Review | |
| 1981 | Voices | Murray Head | |
| 1982 | Water of Dreams | Ralph McTell | |
| 1982 | Out of the Cut | Martin Carthy | |
| 1983 | 8 | J. J. Cale | |
| 1983 | Any Trouble | Any Trouble | |
| 1983 | Fame and Wealth | Loudon Wainwright III | |
| 1983 | Flittin | Dave Swarbrick | |
| 1983 | Proof Through the Night | T Bone Burnett | |
| 1984 | Behind the Trap Door | T-Bone Burnett | |
| 1984 | Wrong End of the Race | Any Trouble | |
| 1985 | I'm Alright | Loudon Wainwright III | |
| 1985 | Rackbag | Folk och Rackare | |
| 1985 | Visions of Excess | The Golden Palominos | |
| 1985 | Gladys' Leap | Fairport Convention | |
| 1986 | An Hour with Cecil Sharp and Ashley Hutchings | Ashley Hutchings | |
| 1986 | Bridge of Sighs | Ralph McTell | |
| 1986 | Electric Bluebirds | Electric Bluebirds | |
| 1986 | Expletive Delighted! | Fairport Convention | |
| 1986 | More Love Songs | Loudon Wainwright III | |
| 1986 | Raptures of the Deep | The Deep Sea Jivers | |
| 1986 | Supply and Demand | Dagmar Krause | |
| 1987 | As Real as Disneyland | Julian Dawson and the Flood | |
| 1987 | Time of No Reply | Nick Drake | A compilation of previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1967 and 1974 |
| 1987 | Slam Dance (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Mitchell Froom | |
| 1987 | Blue Balloon | John Kirkpatrick | |
| 1987 | Studio Romantic | Saeko Suzuki | |
| 1988 | The Auld Folks on the Wa’ and other Bothy Ballads | Charlie Allan | |
| 1988 | Temple of Low Men | Crowded House | |
| 1989 | Maria McKee | Maria McKee | |
| 1989 | Therapy | Loudon Wainwright III | |
| 1989 | Surprise | Syd Straw | |
| 1990 | Michael Doucet & Cajun Brew | Michael Doucet | |
| 1991 | Cajun Conja | BeauSoleil | |
| 1991 | Drunk with Passion | The Golden Palominos | |
| 1991 | Luck of the Draw | Bonnie Raitt | |
| 1991 | Hope You Like Our New Direction | Henry Kaiser | |
| 1991 | Orphans and Outcasts Volume 1 | Iain Matthews | |
| 1991 | Places I Have Never Been | Willie Nile | |
| 1992 | | Suzanne Vega | |
| 1992 | Be Headed | Chris Harford and the First Rays of the New Rising Sun | |
| 1992 | Fat City | Shawn Colvin | |
| 1992 | His Master's Choice – The Songs Of Richard Thompson | Dave Burland | |
| 1992 | The Hunter | Jennifer Warnes | |
| 1993 | The Assassin's Apprentice | Stephen Fearing | |
| 1993 | Before & After | Tim Finn | |
| 1993 | Fate of Nations | Robert Plant | |
| 1994 | Amplified Heart | Everything but the Girl | |
| 1994 | Cut and Run | Danny Carnahan and Robin Petrie | |
| 1994 | Longing in Their Hearts | Bonnie Raitt | |
| 1995 | Camouflage | Iain Matthews | |
| 1996 | Dreams Fly Away: A History of Linda Thompson | Linda Thompson | |
| 1996 | Baptist Hospital | Boo Hewerdine | |
| 1996 | Blue Aconite | Christine Collister | |
| 1996 | Norma Waterson | Norma Waterson | |
| 1997 | Move Over Darling | Julian Dawson | |
| 1997 | Who Knows Where the Time Goes? | Fairport Convention | |
| 1997 | L'Amour Ou La Folie | BeauSoleil | |
| 1998 | Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) | Nanci Griffith | |
| 1998 | The Dark Gift of Time | Christine Collister | |
| 1999 | Memory of the Future | Eric Andersen | |
| 1999 | Spark | Julian Dawson | |
| 1999 | Orphans and Outcasts Volume 3 | Iain Matthews | |
| 1999 | Songbird | Christine Collister | |
| 1999 | The Very Thought of You | Norma Waterson | |
| 1999 | Bent in Gent | Crowded House | Recorded live in 1991 |
| 2000 | Long Expectant Comes At Last | Cathal McConnell | |
| 2000 | Teddy Thompson | Teddy Thompson | |
| 2001 | Give Me a Sad Song | Linda Thompson | Richard Thompson plays on a previously unreleased song 'Restless Boy', as well as previously released material |
| 2001 | Mazurka Berzerker | John Kirkpatrick | |
| 2002 | Taxi - Montreal | Crowded House | Recorded live in 1991 |
| 2002 | Fashionably Late | Linda Thompson | |
| 2002 | Spremenite Protokol | Andrej Sifrer | |
| 2003 | 12 Arrows | Judith Owen | |
| 2003 | Go Tell It on the Mountain | The Blind Boys of Alabama | |
| 2003 | So Damn Happy | Loudon Wainwright III | |
| 2004 | The Common Stone | Bob Davenport | |
| 2004 | The Ride | Los Lobos | |
| 2005 | Always | June Tabor | Thompson plays on his song 'Mrs Rita' from the BBC Radio 1 documentary The Last Shift, a different recording to that on Hard Cash |
| 2005 | Lost and Found | Judith Owen | |
| 2005 | Separate Ways | Teddy Thompson | |
| 2006 | Nothing Like a Dame | Julian Dawson | |
| 2007 | Crazy Hair Day | Barney Saltzberg | |
| 2007 | Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John | Peter Case | |
| 2007 | Release the Stars | Rufus Wainwright | |
| 2007 | South of Delia | Richard Shindell | |
| 2007 | Strange Weirdos | Loudon Wainwright III | |
| 2007 | Happy This Way | Judith Owen | |
| 2007 | Upfront & Down Low | Teddy Thompson | |
| 2007 | Rewind: Unreleased Recordings | JJ Cale | Recorded between 1971 and 1993. Thompson appears on 'Seven Day Woman'. |
| 2008 | A Piece of What You Need | Teddy Thompson | |
| 2011 | Bella | Teddy Thompson | |
| 2011 | Purpose and Grace | Martin Simpson | |
| 2012 | 20 | Kate Rusby | |
| 2012 | Connected | Danny Thompson | |
| 2012 | Find the One | The Coal Porters | |
| 2012 | Marvin Country! | Marvin Etzioni | Guest on 'It Don't Cost Much', which he co-wrote with Etzioni |
| 2013 | Won't Be Long Now | Linda Thompson | |
| 2014 | Tell 'Em I'm Gone | Yusuf | |
| 2014 | Salt | Boris Grebenshchikov | |
| 2015 | Emerald | Dar Williams | |
| 2015 | Just Me and You | Emitt Rhodes | Single |
| 2015 | This Wall Between Us | Emitt Rhodes | Single, different version to that on the album Rainbow Ends |
| 2015 | What's a man to do | Emitt Rhodes | Single, different version to that on the album Rainbow Ends |
| 2016 | 75th Birthday Celebration | Joan Baez | |
| 2016 | Cayamo: Sessions at Sea | Buddy Miller | |
| 2016 | Rainbow Ends | Emitt Rhodes | |
| 2018 | Smalls Change | Derek Smalls | |
| 2018 | Letters Never Read | Dori Freeman | |
| 2019 | Second Hand Sexbot | Judith Owen | |
| 2020 | Meditation and KitKats | Zara Phillips | |
| 2020 | Song to a Refugee | Diana Jones | Guest on "We Believe You" |
| 2021 | Red Willow | Michael Hays | Guest on "Road Will Rise" |
| 2022 | The Admiralty Lights: Complete Studio, Live and Rare 1964-2009 | Al Stewart | Thompson plays on some radio sessions from 1972 |
| 2024 | Julian Dawson | Julian Dawson | Guest on "Jesus and Judas" and "That's why God made Saturday night" | |
