American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole released 28 studio albums and 1 live album. His career lasted nearly three decades, during which he achieved success and recorded over 100 songs that became popular on the pop charts. Cole began his career as a jazz pianist in the late 1930s when he formed the King Cole Trio, which became the most popular group (and the only Black act) on Capitol Records in the 1940s. His trio influenced the way small jazz groups were organized. Starting in 1950, he became a solo singer and was known as Nat King Cole.

Some of Cole's most well-known songs include "Unforgettable," "Smile," "L-O-V-E," "Nature Boy," "When I Fall in Love," "Let There Be Love," "Mona Lisa," "Autumn Leaves," "Stardust," "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "The Very Thought of You," "For Sentimental Reasons," "Embraceable You," and "Almost Like Being in Love." His 1960 Christmas album, The Magic of Christmas (also called The Christmas Song), was the best-selling Christmas album of the 1960s. It was listed as one of the 40 essential Christmas albums by Rolling Stone in 2019. In 2022, Cole's version of "The Christmas Song" set a record for the longest time to reach the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number nine 62 years after it first appeared on the chart. The recording was also chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry.

Capitol 78-rpm albums

Volumes 1–4 were released as separate booklets in 10-inch format. Booklet Volumes 1 and 2 contain 4 shellac records each. Booklet Volumes 3 and 4 contain 3 shellac records each. Volume 4 was also issued in a box set containing three 45-rpm records.

• 1945 – The King Cole Trio
• 1946 – The King Cole Trio, Volume 2
• 1947 – The King Cole Trio, Volume 3
• 1949 – The King Cole Trio, Volume 4

Capitol 10" albums

• 1950 – Nat King Cole at the Piano
• 1950 – Harvest of Hits
• 1951 – King Cole for Kids
• 1952 – Penthouse Serenade
• 1952 – Top Pops
• 1953 – Nat King Cole Sings for Two in Love
• 1954 – Unforgettable ( RIAA : Platinum)

Capitol 12" albums

• 1955 – Penthouse Serenade
• 1955 – Nat King Cole Sings for Two in Love
• 1955 – The Piano Style of Nat King Cole
• 1957 – Love Is the Thing (RIAA: Platinum)
• 1957 – After Midnight
• 1957 – Just One of Those Things
• 1958 – Cole Español
• 1958 – St. Louis Blues
• 1958 – The Very Thought of You
• 1958 – To Whom It May Concern
• 1959 – Welcome to the Club
• 1959 – A Mis Amigos
• 1960 – Tell Me All About Yourself
• 1960 – Every Time I Feel the Spirit
• 1960 – Wild Is Love
• 1960 – The Magic of Christmas (re-released in 1963 with a new version of "The Christmas Song" instead of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen") (RIAA: 6× Platinum)
• 1961 – The Nat King Cole Story
• 1961 – The Touch of Your Lips
• 1962 – Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays
• 1962 – Ramblin' Rose (RIAA: Platinum)
• 1962 – Dear Lonely Hearts
• 1962 – More Cole Español
• 1963 – Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer
• 1963 – Where Did Everyone Go?
• 1964 – Nat King Cole Sings My Fair Lady
• 1964 – Let's Face the Music! (Recorded 1961)
• 1964 – I Don't Want to Be Hurt Anymore
• 1965 – L-O-V-E
• 1966 – Nat King Cole at the Sands (recorded live and reached number 74 on the US charts)

Original compilation albums

• 1955 – Album to Celebrate 10 Years
• 1956 – Ballads of the Day
• 1957 – This Is Nat King Cole
• 1965 – Sings Songs from Cat Ballou & Other Motion Pictures (reached number 77 on the US charts)
• 1965 – Sings Hymns & Spirituals

Other compilation albums

• 1965 – Unforgettable (Number 30 on the US charts)
• 1965 – Looking Back (Number 360 on the US charts)
• 1965 – Nat King Cole Trio: The Vintage Years
• 1965 – Nature Boy
• 1966 – Longines Symphonette Society Presents the Unforgettable Nat King Cole (box set)
• 1966 – The Unforgettable Nat King Cole Sings the Great Songs (Number 145 on the US charts)
• 1966 – Sincerely
• 1967 – Stay as Sweet as You Are
• 1967 – The Beautiful Ballads
• 1967 – Thank You, Pretty Baby
• 1968 – Best of Nat King Cole (Number 187 on the US charts) (RIAA: Platinum)
• 1969 – Close-Up (Number 197 on the US charts)
• 1970 – The Magic of Christmas with Children (Safeway Supermarket promo LP)
• 1972 – The Greatest of Nat King Cole (2-album set sold by Dynamic House)
• 1973 – Nature Boy
• 1974 – Love Is Here to Stay
• 1974 – Love is a Many Splendored Thing
• 1977 – 20 Golden Greats (BPI: Platinum, AUS: Platinum)
• 1979 – Reader's Digest Presents: The Great Nat King Cole (box set)
• 1982 – Greatest Love Songs (BPI: Platinum)
• 1983 – Unforgettable (Australia)
• 1990 – Hit That Jive, Jack
• 1990 – Jumpin' at Capitol
• 1990 – Capitol Collectors' Series (RIAA: Gold)
• 1990 – Cole, Christmas, & Kids
• 1990 – 12 Historical Recordings (Conquistador; CONQ 009)
• 1990 – 12 More Historical Recordings (Conquistador; CONQ 016)
• 1991 – The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio (box set, Mosaic Records)
• 1991 – The Unforgettable Nat King Cole (RIAA: Gold, BPI: Silver)
• 1992 – Nat King Cole at the Movies
• 1992 – Christmas Favorites
• 1992 – The Best of the Nat King Cole Trio: The Instrumental Classics
• 1993 – The Billy May Sessions
• 1993 – Mis Mejores Canciones: 19 Super Exitos
• 1994 – Let's Face the Music & Dance
• 1994 – Greatest Hits (RIAA: Platinum)
• 1996 – Sincerely/The Beautiful Ballads
• 1997 – For Sentimental Reasons
• 1997 – Retro
• 1997 – A Touch of Class
• 1997 – Tell Me All About Yourself/The Touch of Your Lips
• 1998 – The Frim Fram Sauce
• 1998 – Dear Lonely Hearts/I Don't Want to Be Hurt Anymore
• 1999 – Where Did Everyone Go?/Looking Back
• 1999 – Live at

Holiday 100 chart entries

Many radio stations in the United States switch to playing Christmas music every December. This causes many holiday songs to become more popular during the final weeks of the year but are no longer played after the holiday season ends. In December 2011, Billboard created a chart called the Holiday Songs with 50 spots to track the top holiday songs during the last five weeks of the year. The chart uses the same method as the Hot 100, combining data from streaming, radio play, and sales. In 2013, the number of spots on the chart was doubled, creating the Holiday 100. Some songs by Cole have appeared on the Holiday 100. These songs are listed below, along with the holiday season when they charted.