Frank Zappa (1940–1993) was the Baltimore-born composer and bandleader who released more than 60 albums spanning rock, jazz fusion, doo-wop, and the avant-garde. Start with Hot Rats (1969) or Apostrophe (') (1974), then wander — Freak Out! (1966) with the Mothers of Invention was one of rock's earliest conceptual double albums. Browse Frank Zappa vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Frank Vincent Zappa was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 21, 1940 and raised in California from 1952. He launched his recording career in the mid-1960s with the Mothers of Invention, whose 1966 debut Freak Out! (Verve) was one of the first double albums and one of the earliest conceptual rock albums. He released more than 60 albums during his lifetime and posthumously through the Zappa Family Trust. His catalog includes work with the Mothers of Invention (multiple lineups, 1964-1975) and extensive solo and conducting work. He died from prostate cancer on December 4, 1993 in Los Angeles, just 17 days before his 53rd birthday. His estate has continued releasing material from his extensive vault.
Frank Zappa's catalog spans rock, jazz fusion, art rock, avant-garde, contemporary classical, doo-wop, blues, R&B, and many other styles. His work is widely cited as one of the most expansive and uncategorizable bodies of work in American popular music, with extensive integration of sophisticated compositional techniques (12-tone composition, polyrhythms, complex meter) alongside satirical and absurdist lyrical content.
Original Verve, Bizarre, Reprise, DiscReet, Warner Bros., and Zappa Records pressings of the Frank Zappa catalog are widely collected. The Zappa Family Trust has released extensive archival material across multiple decades, with numerous box sets and audiophile reissues. The Zappa Records reissue program of 1995-2012 and the more recent Zappa Records / UMe reissue program have made the catalog widely accessible.
Listeners new to Frank Zappa typically start with Hot Rats (1969), Apostrophe (') (1974), or One Size Fits All (1975).
