List of All Katy Perry Songs Including Unreleased Tracks and Demos
Katy Perry has been recording songs for longer than most people realise. She had her first big hit in 2008 with I Kissed a Girl. But she recorded a lot of songs before that. When I first went looking for her unreleased and limited release songs, I was surprised at how many there actually are. Every time I thought I'd finally found all of her songs, I would stumble on another. At this point, I think I have found almost all of her available songs.
Perry's first album was a gospel album released in 2001. She recorded an album that was never released when she was with Columbia Records. That album is now known as (A) Katy Perry. She also recorded another album at Columbia with a group of producers called The Matrix. The release of that album was also cancelled. In addition to those, she has several demos and she is also featured in some songs.
I will only list songs here that were actually recorded or that have been sung live by Perry. She does have other songs that were registered with ASCAP or BMI but weren't recorded or sung live. She has also done several cover songs. I'll only list those if they were recorded.
Katy Hudson
This is the song list from Perry's Gospel album titled Katy Hudson, which was recorded when she was 15 years old. The album was recorded at a small record label called Red Hill. The label went bankrupt soon after the album's release, so only a few hundred copies were sold. Katy did a three month tour to promote the album. She didn't have a band, so she played the songs on her acoustic guitar. Videos of some of the tour performances are on YouTube. There are also some interviews she did at the time. The album is available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes.
Song Title | Songwriter(s) |
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Trust In Me | Hudson, Mark Dickson |
Piercing | Hudson, Tommy Collier, Brian White |
Search Me | Hudson, Scott Faircloff |
Last Call | Katy Hudson |
Growing Pains | Hudson, Mark Dickson |
My Own Monster | Katy Hudson |
Spit | Katy Hudson |
Faith Won't Fail | Hudson, Mark Dickson |
Naturally | Hudson, Scott Faircloff |
When There's Nothing Left | Katy Hudson |
The Matrix
Katy Perry was dropped by two record labels: Def Jam and Columbia. While at Columbia, Perry was chosen to be a vocalist for a group of producers called The Matrix. She was 20 years old at the time. She was a vocalist on most of The Matrix songs. I haven't included the tracks she wasn't featured on. Perry was also a co-writer on most of the songs.
The release of the album was canceled in 2004 after it was already completed. The Matrix later bought the rights to the album from Columbia and released it under their own label. Katy Perry's song I Kissed a Girl became a huge hit at around the time of the planned release. The album is no longer available to purchase, even in mp3 format. But the songs are available on YouTube.
- You Miss Me
- Broken
- Take a Walk
- Damn
- Just a Song
- Would You Care
- Seen That Done That
- Stay with Me
- Love is Train
A video was made for the song Simple from (A) Katy Perry
(A) Katy Perry
(A) Katy Perry was an album that was recorded but never released during Perry's time at Columbia. She had already made some videos for the expected song releases before the label cancelled the album because they didn't know how to promote her work. Promoting new artists can be extremely expensive for record companies. The album was canceled in 2005 and she was dropped from her Columbia contract the following year.
Perry had started work on a promotional DVD for the album. The DVD was going to include videos for Simple, Diamonds and Long Shot. These videos are on YouTube. There is also a partial video for Cup of Coffee, which was an extra track on some versions of the One of the Boys album. I am only listing the songs that are available on YouTube.
Song | Songwriters | Additional Information |
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Box | Perry, Glen Ballard, Matt Thiessen |
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Diamonds | Perry, Glen Ballard, Matt Thiessen |
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Hook Up | Perry, Greg Wells, Kara DioGuardi | This song was recorded by Kelly Clarkson with the title I Do Not Hook Up |
Long Shot | Perry, Glen Ballard, Matt Thiessen | This song was recorded by Kelly Clarkson |
It's Okay to Believe | Perry, Glen Ballard, Matt Thiessen |
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Simple | Perry, Glen Ballard, Matt Thiessen | Simple appeared on the 2005 soundtrack for the movie Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants |
Takes One to Know One | Perry, Ted Bruner |
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Wish You the Worst | Perry, Adrienne Follesé, Keith Follesé, Nick Trevisick | This song was re-recorded by Kady Malloy, an American Idol semifinalist |
The Better Half of Me | Katy Perry, Linda Perry |
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Weigh Me Down | Perry, Scott Cutler, Anne Preven |
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One of the Boys
One of the Boys was Katy Perry's first successful album. It was released in 2008. It has the following bonus tracks.
- I Think I'm Ready - this was an extra on the iTunes edition and the Platinum Australia Tour Edition. It was written by Katy Perry and Ted Bruner
- Cup of Coffee - was an extra on the Walmart edition. It was written by Katy Perry, Glen Ballard, and Matthew Thiessen.
Song | Songwriter(s) |
---|---|
One of the Boys | Katy Perry |
I Kissed a Girl | Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Cathy Dennis |
Waking Up in Vegas | Perry, Desmond Child, Andreas Carlsson |
Thinking of You | Katy Perry |
Mannequin | Katy Perry |
Ur So Gay | Perry, Greg Wells |
Hot N Cold | Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin |
If You Can Afford Me | Perry, Dave Katz, Sam Hollander |
Lost | Perry, Ted Bruner |
Self Inflicted | Perry, Scott Cutler, Anne Preven |
I'm Still Breathing | Perry, David Stewart, Matthew Thiessen |
Fingerprints | Perry, Greg Wells |
Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection
I'll only list songs from Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection because it has all the same songs that Teenage Dream has with some extras. This album had five number 1 hits. Michael Jackson is the only other singer to have had five number ones from a single album.
Song | Songwriters | Additional Information |
---|---|---|
Teenage Dream | Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Benjamin Levin | Number 1 Song |
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) | Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee | Number 1 Song |
California Gurls (Feat. Snoop Dogg) | Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Calvin Broadus | Number 1 Song |
Firework | Perry, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Sandy Wilhelm, and Ester Dean | Number 1 Song |
Peacock | Perry, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Ester Dean |
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Circle the Drain | Perry, Christopher Stewart, Monte Neuble |
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The One That Got Away | Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin |
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E.T. | Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin,Joshua Coleman | Number 1 Song |
Who Am I Living For? | Perry, Christopher Stewart, Monte Neuble, Brian Thomas |
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Pearl | Perry, Greg Wells |
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Hummingbird Heartbeat | Perry, Greg Stewart, Stacy Barthe, Monte Neuble |
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Not Like The Movies | Perry, Greg Wells |
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The One That Got Away (Acoustic) | Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin | The Complete Confection |
Part Of Me | Perry, Bonnie McKee, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin | The Complete Confection, Number 1 Song |
Wide Awake | Perry, Bonnie McKee, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Henry Walter | The Complete Confection |
Dressin' Up | Perry, Matt Thiessen, Christopher Stewart, Monte Neuble | The Complete Confection |
MTV Unplugged
Katy Perry's MTV Unplugged album has five songs from her One of the Boys album, one previously unrecorded song called Brick by Brick and a Fountains of Wayne cover called Hackensack. This is a CD/DVD combination that was recorded in 2009.
- I Kissed a Girl
- Ur So Gay
- Thinking of You
- Lost
- Waking Up in Vegas
- Brick by Brick - this song was written by Katy Perry and Greg Wells
- Hackensack
Playing House has never been recorded
Other Songs Including Unreleased Tracks and Demos
These are songs that don't appear on any album. These are mainly demos or songs that were recorded for albums that didn't make the final track list.
- Nothing Like the First Time - written by Perry and David Stewart
- Agree to Disagree - Katy Perry, Adrienne Follesé, Keith Follesé and Nick Trevisick
- In Between - written by Perry and Meredith Brooks
- Rock God - this song was re-recorded by Selena Gomez. It was written by Perry, Priese Board and Victoria Horn
- I Can - Katy Perry, Adrienne Follesé, Keith Follesé and Nick Trevisick
- Spend the Night - written by Perry and Dan Keyes
- Playing House - there's no recording of this song. Perry performed it live in 2009 at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles and at Union Chapel in London.
- Psycho Love - written by Perry and Ted Bruner
- All I'm Selling is Sex - written by Perry and David Stewart
- Speed Dialin - written by Perry and Guy Chambers
- That's More Like It - this song was later recorded by Selena Gomez. It was written by Katy Perry, Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg
- Look But Don't Touch - written by Katy Perry, Priese Board and Victoria Horn
- Watch Me Walk Away - written by Katy Perry, Holly Knight and Charlie Midnight
- Milk, Milk, Lemonade - this was apparently recorded for Teenage Dream but didn't make it to the album. It was written by Katy Perry, Bonnie McKee and Tricky Stewart
- Bullet - this is a song written for country singer Jessie James. Perry recorded a demo for her.
- Girl Next Door - this is another song that was written for Jessie James. This is a demo.
- Breakout - this song was later recorded by Miley Cyrus. Scott Cutler and Anne Preven wrote the song
- The Driveway - this was also later recorded by Cyrus. It was written by Scott Cutler and Anne Preven
3OH!3 and Katy Perry
Featured Songs
These are songs by other singers or bands that feature Perry.
- High With the Lows by Mickey Avalon - Katy Perry sings the chorus. This song was played once on KROQ but was never released due to the controversial lyrics
- True Love by Ke$ha - Perry does backing vocals. This is an unreleased song from Ke$ha
- Goodbye for Now by POD - Perry sings at the end of the song and also appears in the video. There is also a live performance on Youtube where she does backing vocals. This song was recorded before she became famous
- Starstrukk by 3OH!3 - there are two versions of this song. Only one features Perry
- If We Ever Meet Again by Timbaland - this is a duet
Cover Songs
I'll only list cover songs that she's actually recorded. She often performs covers live.
- Black and Gold - this song is originally by Sam Sparro. It appeared on the Platinum Australia Tour Edition of the One of the Boys album
- Electric Feel - this is another extra on the Platinum Australia Tour Edition of One of the Boys. The original is by MGMT
- Use Your Love - this is a cover song that appeared on the Ur So Gay EP. The original song was released in 1986 by a group called The Outfield
Rumoured Songs
These are two songs that are rumoured to be by Katy Perry but neither are registered to her on ASCAP or BMI. This doesn't mean that they aren't her songs. Playing House is definitely her song but doesn't appear to have been registered either. These songs were leaked in 2011 with the claim that they are Katy Perry songs.
Wannabe - there is a lot of doubt about this one. It doesn't sound like anything she has done before and it doesn't really sound like her voice. It's possible that she is featured in it or she may have written it for someone else.
My Boyfriend's Ex-girlfriend - this sounds like it could be Perry. If it is, this is likely a very early song from her because the singer sounds quite young. If she did write it, she was most likely in her late teens because of the high school references.
Acoustic Recordings
Katy Perry plays acoustic guitar and really enjoys doing acoustic performances. She has even talked about doing an acoustic album. These acoustic versions of Thinking of You and I Kissed a Girl sound like studio recordings but I don't know where they came from. I'm only aware of them from YouTube. I'm including them because they do seem like studio recordings that might be missed by most fans.
Comments
John Hansen from Australia (Gondwana Land) on July 05, 2015:
Very thorough research here and an interesting read. I think Katy Perry is very talented and glad she persisted despite the early adversaries. I was surprised by some of this info. Voted up.
LT Wright (author) from California on November 25, 2013:
Glenn, I really wish she would stick with doing songs like Playing House rather than her pop stuff that I'm not too fond of.
Glenn Stok from Long Island, NY on November 24, 2013:
I enjoyed this great review of Katy Perry. That video of her singing 'Playing House' in a nightclub, which was never officially recorded, is interesting and was a nice touch to this article.
LT Wright (author) from California on November 15, 2012:
Thanks beingwell!
beingwell from Bangkok on November 14, 2012:
Voted interesting! I enjoy Katy Perry's songs. I think she's a very talented songwriter and singer. All the best to her... and you, as well LTW! See you around!
LT Wright (author) from California on September 27, 2012:
trusouldj,
It definitely was a pretty good album for a 15 year old on a tiny label. Especially since she was writing her own songs.
LaZeric Freeman from Hammond on September 26, 2012:
I used to own the Katy Hudson album. Pretty good Pop music for a young girl writing her own stuff.
LT Wright (author) from California on September 20, 2012:
rcrumple,
I think Jill's song may have had some influence on how Katy approached her version. I think there is some similarity in that they're both sung in kind of a fun way. I think the stories are very different though. Katy's I Kissed a Girl is told from the point of view of someone who's experimenting with something they've been raised to believe is evil and sinful. There's a lot of religious guilt in the song. Jill's song is more about a close friendship between two women.
Rich from Kentucky on September 20, 2012:
I always believed that Jill Sobule's 1995 hit of "I kissed a girl" was Katy's cover hit. I've just listened to them both again, and although there are multiple similarities, there's just enough difference to proclaim they're not. Of course, the stylings are different, but if you listen to the chorus and such, there's much they share. Great Job with the hub! Very well presented!
LT Wright (author) from California on September 19, 2012:
Katy said that when she was dropped from Def Jam they dropped a bunch of other female singers at the same time, so it is very common. She made some money doing songwriting. But I doubt she got paid for the albums she recorded. She said she never got any kinds of advances when she was signed to labels either. And she did struggle financially during that time. Her family wasn't well off, so she couldn't really turn to them for help. The labels have all the power when it comes to dealing with singers who are trying to make it.
Lena Kovadlo from Staten Island, NY on September 19, 2012:
I had no idea that what happened to her is the norm. I wonder if those record labels ever paid anything to Katy Perry for the time that she spend and clearly wasted recording those albums that never got released...
LT Wright (author) from California on September 19, 2012:
lovebuglena,
Unfortunately, what happened to Perry is the norm in the music industry. They sign up a lot of people but then their music careers never go anywhere. It seems like a terrible thing to do to people. Although, I think it was worse for Perry because she did record two full albums and had the rug pulled out from under her twice. This was after she was continually telling her friends and family she would have a record out soon. Even her current label initially decided not to sign her after weeks of negotiations but then changed their minds six months later. She clearly had a huge amount of persistence to continue pursuing a music career after all the failures and disappointments she had.
Lena Kovadlo from Staten Island, NY on September 19, 2012:
Very informative and interesting hub about Katy Perry. I have heard about a gospel album that she never released but I didn't know about other albums that were never made available to the public. I think it's wrong to sign an artist, have him/her record a full album and then not release it and drop the artist from the label. If they didn't know how to market/promote Katy Perry's albums they shouldn't have wasted her time (and theirs) having her record them... Katy's journey was one of struggles but in the end it all paid off and I am sure that those record labels that dropped her in the beginning are now wishing they hadn't done that as she is on top of her game and a very successful recording artist and performer.