A Best

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A Best
Greatest hits album by Ayumi Hamasaki
Released March 28, 2001
Recorded 1998-2000
Genre Pop
Length 76:01
Label Avex Trax
Producer Max Matsuura
Ayumi Hamasaki chronology
Duty
(2000)		 A Best
(2001)		 I Am...
(2002)

A Best is a greatest hits album released by Ayumi Hamasaki on March 28, 2001. It has the second highest one week worldwide sales of all time, making it the second fastest selling album of all time, the first being Utada Hikaru's Distance, released the same day.

Contents

[edit] Album information

This album also features two tracks that were never released as singles ("A Song for ××" and "Who..."). Due to the large number of Ayumi Hamasaki singles, the songs on the album are fan favorites. Songs from her debut album such as "A Song for ××", "Trust", and "Depend on You" were re-recorded, showing the changes in Hamasaki's vocal qualities. The initial pressings had six different variations that each came with its own "gift".

A Best was released simultaneously with Utada Hikaru's Distance, which topped the charts on the initial week of release with 3,002,720 copies in its first week; A Best debuted at number two with 2,874,870 copies.[1] Additionally, it topped the charts the second week of its release and is the sixth highest-selling album of all time in Japan.[2] To date A BEST is Ayumi Hamasaki's highest selling album in Japan. It sold 4,301,353 copies total in Japan.

Though this was her best selling album, Hamasaki opposed it publicly, stating: "It was too early for release."

According to Oricon, A Best is the second highest selling Japanese album of the decade.[3]

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Japanese version

All lyrics written by Ayumi Hamasaki. 

No. Title Music Arranger(s) Length
1. "A Song for ××" (new vocal and mix) Yasuhiko Hoshino Akimitsu Honma  
2. "Trust" (new vocal and mix) Takashi Kimura Akimitsu Honma, Takashi Kimura  
3. "Depend on You" (new vocal & mix) Kazuhito Kikuchi Akamitsu Honma, Takashi Morio  
4. "Love: Destiny"   Tsunku Shingo Kobayashi, Yasuaki Maejima  
5. "To Be"   D.A.I Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I  
6. "Boys & Girls"   D.A.I Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I  
7. "Trauma"   D.A.I Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I  
8. "End roll"   D.A.I Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I  
9. "Appears"   Kazuhito Kikuchi HΛL  
10. "Fly High"   D.A.I HΛL  
11. "Vogue"   Kazuhito Kikuchi Naoto Suzuki, Kazuhito Kikuchi  
12. "Far Away"   Kazuhito Kikuchi, D.A.I HΛL  
13. "Seasons"   D.A.I Naoto Suzuki  
14. "Surreal"   Kazuhito Kikuchi HΛL  
15. "M"     CREA  
16. "Who..."   Kazuhito Kikuchi Naoto Suzuki  

[edit] International version

A Best was later re-released in other countries outside Japan, including Singapore, the Philippines and Korea. The international version did not have new vocal mixes and had a slightly different cover art to the standard Japanese version.

All lyrics written by Ayumi Hamasaki. 

No. Title Music Arranger(s) Length
1. "A Song for ××"   Yasuhiko Hoshino Yasuhiko Hoshino  
2. "Trust"   Takashi Kimura Akimitsu Honma, Takashi Kimura  
3. "Depend on You"   Kazuhito Kikuchi Akamitsu Honma, Takashi Morio  
4. "Love: Destiny"   Tsunku Shingo Kobayashi, Yasuaki Maejima  
5. "To Be"   D.A.I Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I  
6. "Boys & Girls"   D.A.I Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I  
7. "Trauma"   D.A.I Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I  
8. "End roll"   D.A.I Naoto Suzuki, D.A.I  
9. "Appears"   Kazuhito Kikuchi HΛL  
10. "Fly High"   D.A.I HΛL  
11. "Vogue"   Kazuhito Kikuchi Naoto Suzuki, Kazuhito Kikuchi  
12. "Far Away"   Kazuhito Kikuchi, D.A.I HΛL  
13. "Seasons"   D.A.I Naoto Suzuki  
14. "Surreal"   Kazuhito Kikuchi HΛL  
15. "M"     CREA  
16. "Who..."   Kazuhito Kikuchi Naoto Suzuki  

[edit] Credits & Personnel

  1. "A Song for ××" (new vocal and mix)
    Keyboards: Akimitsu Honma
    Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
    Programming: Hiroshi Kitashiro
  2. "Trust" (new vocal and mix)
    Keyboards: Akimitsu Honma
    Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
    Programming: Takahiro Iida
  3. "Depend on You" (new vocal & mix)
    Keyboards: Akimitsu Honma
    Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
    Programming: Takahiro Iida
  4. "Love:Destiny"
    keyboards: Shingo Kobayashi
    Guitar: Jun Kajiwara
    Programming: Naoki Suzuki
  5. "To Be"Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
    Guitar: Masayoshi Furukawa
    Programming: Takahiro Iida
  6. "Boys & Girls"
    Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
    Guitar: Hidetoshi Suzuki
    Programming: Takahiro Iida
  7. "Trauma"
    Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
    Guitar: Jun Kajiwara
    Programming: Takahiro Iida
  8. "End roll"
    Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
    Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
    Bass: Naoto Suzuki
    Programming: Takahiro Iida
  9. "Appears"
    Keyboards: HAL
    Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
    Programming: HAL
  10. "Fly High"
    Keyboards: HAL
    Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
    Programming: HAL
  11. "Vogue"
    Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
    Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
    Programming: Takahiro Iida
  12. "Far Away"
    Keyboards: HAL
    Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
    B.G. Vocal: Junko Hirotani
    Programming: HAL
  13. "Seasons"
    Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
    Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
    B.G. Vocal: Junko Hirotani
    Programming: Takahiro Iida
  14. "Surreal"
    Keyboards: HAL
    Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
    Programming: HAL
  15. "M"
    Keyboards: HAL
    Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
    Programming: HAL
  16. "Who...
    "Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
    Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
    Programming: Takahiro Iida

[edit] Release history

Region Date Format Catalogue Number
Japan March 28, 2001 (2001-03-28) CD AVCD-11950
Taiwan
Hong Kong
China 2001
  • Initial pressing
 CD AVTCD-95461
  • SCD-555
Cassette
December 25, 2005 (2005-12-25)
  • Second Press
 CD

[edit] Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)
Release Chart Peak position First Week Sales Sales total Chart run
March 28, 2001 Oricon Daily Albums Chart 1
Oricon Weekly Albums Chart 1 2,874,870 4,301,353 52
Oricon Yearly Albums Chart 2
  • Total Sales: 4,301,353 (Japan)

[edit] Featured singles

Date Title Peak position Chart Run Sales
August 5, 1998 "Trust" 9 10 weeks 181,820
December 9, 1998 "Depend on You" 6 8 weeks 131,460
April 14, 1999 Love: Destiny" 1 26 weeks 650,790
May 12, 1999 "To Be" 4 15 weeks 571,110
July 17, 1999 "Boys & Girls" 1 16 weeks 1,037,950
August 11, 1999 "A" 1 17 weeks 1,670,000
November 10, 1999 "Appears" 2 3 weeks 290,550
February 9, 2000 "Fly High" 3 4 weeks 299,540
April 26, 2000 "Vogue" 3 17 weeks 767,660
May 17, 2000 "Far Away"" 2 13 weeks 510,460
June 7, 2000 "Seasons"" 1 20 weeks 1,367,400
September 27, 2000 "Surreal" 1 10 weeks 417,210
December 13, 2000 "M" 1 17 weeks 1,319,070

Total Single Sales: 9,215,020

[edit] Sources

  1. ^ ORICON STYLE - Weekly album chart : 2nd week of April 2001
  2. ^ [1][dead link]
  3. ^ "The noughties played it nice | The Japan Times Online". Search.japantimes.co.jp. 2009-12-18. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20091218a1.html. Retrieved 2012-01-16. 
Ayumi Hamasaki
Studio albums
EPs
Compilations
Remixes
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Countdown Lives
2000-2001 A · 2001-2002 A · 2002-2003 A · 2004-2005 A · 2005-2006 A · 2006-2007 A · 2007-2008 Anniversary · Premium 2008-2009 A · 2009-2010 A: Future Classics · 2010-2011 A: Do It Again
DVDs
A Film for ×× · A Clips · A Clips Vol.2 · Ayumi Hamasaki Complete Live Box A · Complete Clip Box · Distance Love · Tsuki ni Shizumu
Filmography
Twins Teacher · Battle Spirits Ryūko no Ken · Sumomo mo Momo · Miseinen · Like Grains of Sand · Gakko II
See also
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Best&oldid=471657122"
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