Album · 50 years old this year
Jailbreak
Jailbreak is the sixth studio album by the Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy, released on 26 March 1976. It came out on Vertigo in the UK and Mercury in the US, and it sits between Fighting and Johnny the Fox, which followed later the same year. It blends hard rock, blues rock and a heavier edge.
This was the record that broke the band in America, and it remains the only Thin Lizzy album to earn a certification there, going Gold. Two singles came from it: the title track "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town". The latter is the group's biggest US hit and won the 1976 NME Award for Best Single. If you want the album that made Thin Lizzy's name across the Atlantic, start here.
Jailbreak: tracklist, credits and charts
9 tracks · 38:35Tracklist
- 1JailbreakPhil Lynott4:05
- 2Angel From the CoastPhil Lynott and Brian Robertson3:40
- 3Running BackPhil Lynott3:25
- 4Romeo and the Lonely Girl4:20
- 5WarriorsScott Gorham and Phil Lynott4:05
- 6The Boys Are Back in Town5:00
- 7Fight or FallPhil Lynott4:45
- 8Cowboy SongBrian Downey and Phil Lynott5:15
- 9EmeraldDowney, Gorham, Lynott, Robertson4:00
- Produced by
- John Alcock
- Recorded at
- Ramport (London)
- Recorded
- December 1975 – February 1976
- Labels
- Mercury Records, Mercury (US)
- Length
- 38:35
Line-up
- Brian Downey · drums (drum set)
- Scott Gorham · guitar
- Phil Lynott · acoustic guitar, bass guitar, lead vocals
- Brian Robertson · guitar
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1976–77 | 18 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1976–77 | 5 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1976–77 | 51 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada | Gold |
| United Kingdom | Gold |
| United States | Gold |
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
79.0
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
8.4k
ListenBrainz listeners
104k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
18k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 26 March
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More from Thin Lizzy
Full discography →
New Day
1971
Thin Lizzy
1971
Shades of a Blue Orphanage
1972
Vagabonds of the Western World
1973
Nightlife
1974
Fighting
1975
Remembering, Part 1
1976
Johnny the Fox
1976
Bad Reputation
1977
Live and Dangerous
1978
Black Rose: A Rock Legend
1979
The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans
1979
Chinatown
1980
Renegade
1981
Thunder and Lightning
1983
Dedication
1991
Dedication: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy
1991
BBC Radio 1: Live in Concert
1992
The Peel Sessions
1994
Wild One: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy
1996
Whisky in the Jar
1996
One Night Only
2000
Vagabonds Kings Warriors Angels
2001
Greatest Hits
2004
The Definitive Collection
2006
UK Tour 75
2008
Still Dangerous: Live at Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977
2009
A Song For While I’m Away
2024
The Acoustic Sessions
2024
Here I Go Again
2024
Whiskey in the Jar
2024
1976
2024
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1976 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 26 March 1976 | |
| Wikidata | 26 March 1976 | |
| US release | 1976 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1976 | earliest UK or European date |
24 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | US | Mercury Records | 042282278524 | other |
| — | XE | Mercury Records | 731453229426 | other |
| — | US | Vertigo | 0208314261263 | other |
| — | XW | UMC | 00600753320525 | deluxe |
| 1976 | US | Mercury Records | original | |
| 1976 | GB | Vertigo | original | |
| 1976 | SE | Vertigo | original | |
| 1976 | GB | Vertigo | original | |
| 1976 | GB | Vertigo | original | |
| 1976 | US | Mercury Records | 731453229426 | original |
| 5 February 1989 | JP | Vertigo | other | |
| 1990 | CA | Mercury Records | 042282278524 | other |
| 1990 | DE | Vertigo | 042282278524 | other |
| 1990 | US | Vertigo | 042282278524 | other |
| 20 April 1990 | US | Vertigo | 042282278524 | other |
| 18 March 1996 | DE | Vertigo | 731453229426 | other |
| 26 September 1997 | JP | — | 4988011354212 | other |
| 30 August 2006 | JP | Vertigo | 4988005438881 | other |
| 2011 | XE | Mercury Records | 0600753320525 | deluxe |
| 8 February 2011 | US | Mercury Records | other | |
| 24 January 2020 | XE | Universal Music Group International | 602508026317 | other |
| August 2022 | US | Vinyl Me, Please. | other | |
| 27 September 2024 | XE | Universal Music | 602448681393 | other |
| — | — | EMI | 00731453229426 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1425×1425 | upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |