The Very Best of Elton John

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The Very Best of Elton John
Greatest hits album by Elton John
Released 1 October 1990
Recorded 1970–1990
Genre Rock, pop
Length 2:17:56
Label Polygram
Producer Gus Dudgeon, Clive Franks, Chris Thomas, Don Was
Elton John chronology
To Be Continued
(1990)		 The Very Best of Elton John
(1990)		 The One
(1992)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4.5/5 stars [1]

The Very Best of Elton John is a greatest hits compilation album by Elton John, released in October 1990. His first career-retrospective album, and fourth official greatest-hits album overall, it was released in the United Kingdom, and in other countries such Japan and Australia, but not in the United States.

The album spans his second album Elton John in 1970 to the successful then most-recent 1989 album Sleeping with the Past. After the huge hit that was the double A-sided "Sacrifice"/"Healing Hands" single, which was the 3rd best-selling single of 1990 in the United Kingdom, the album became an instant smash in that country. It spent its first two weeks at #1 and then nine strong weeks at #2. It was kept from the top during all nine weeks by Madonna's 'Immaculate Collection'. In all the album spent 145 weeks inside the UK top 200 album chart, making a total of 11 re-entries, and it was certified 9x Platinum by the BPI on 1 March 1995.[2]

It includes a total of 28 hit singles plus the new songs "Easier to Walk Away" and "You Gotta Love Someone", which also made the charts between 1990 and 1991.

The release also spawned a music video compilation, which was originally released on both laserdisc and VHS, and reissued on DVD.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

All songs by Elton John/Bernie Taupin, except where noted.

CD 1

No. Title Writer(s) Album Length
1. "Your Song"   Elton John, Bernie Taupin Elton John 4:03
2. "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be a Long, Long Time)"   John, Taupin Honky Château 4:42
3. "Honky Cat"   John, Taupin Honky Château 5:15
4. "Crocodile Rock"   John, Taupin Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player 3:58
5. "Daniel"   John, Taupin Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player 3:56
6. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"   John, Taupin Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 3:17
7. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"   John, Taupin Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 4:57
8. "Candle in the Wind"   John, Taupin Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 3:51
9. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"   John, Taupin Caribou 5:38
10. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"   Lennon, McCartney Single Only 6:17
11. "Philadelphia Freedom"   John, Taupin Single Only 5:42
12. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"   John, Taupin Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy 6:47
13. "Pinball Wizard"   Pete Townshend Tommy (soundtrack) 5:16
14. "The Bitch Is Back"   John, Taupin Caribou 3:46

CD 2

No. Title Writer(s) Album Length
15. "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with Kiki Dee) (credited to Carte Blanche/Ann Orson) Single Only 4:32
16. "Bennie and the Jets"   John, Taupin Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 5:21
17. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"   John, Taupin Blue Moves 3:51
18. "Song for Guy"   John, Taupin A Single Man 6:41
19. "Part-Time Love"   John, Gary Osborne A Single Man 3:16
20. "Blue Eyes"   John, Osborne Jump Up! 3:28
21. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"   John, Taupin, Johnstone Too Low for Zero 4:46
22. "I'm Still Standing"   John, Taupin Too Low for Zero 3:04
23. "Kiss the Bride"   John, Taupin Too Low for Zero 3:56
24. "Sad Songs (Say So Much)"   John, Taupin Breaking Hearts 4:11
25. "Passengers"   John, Taupin Breaking Hearts 3:24
26. "Nikita"   John, Taupin Ice on Fire 5:45
27. "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That"   John, Taupin Reg Strikes Back 4:00
28. "Sacrifice"   John, Taupin Sleeping with the Past 5:08
29. "Easier to Walk Away"   John, Taupin To Be Continued 4:25
30. "You Gotta Love Someone"   John, Taupin Days of Thunder (soundtrack) 5:01

N.B. : Please note that Track 25 is different on European version of Elton John's very best of. "Whispers" from "Sleeping with the Past" takes "Passengers" place.

[edit] LP 1

[edit] Side one

  1. "Your Song" – 4:02
  2. "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be a Long, Long Time)" – 4:42
  3. "Honky Cat" – 5:15
  4. "Crocodile Rock" – 3:54
  5. "Daniel" – 3:55
  6. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" – 3:17
  7. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" – 4:12

[edit] Side two

  1. "Candle in the Wind" – 3:51
  2. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" – 5:58
  3. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (Lennon/McCartney) – 6:16
  4. "Philadelphia Freedom" – 5:42
  5. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" – 6:46

[edit] LP 2

[edit] Side three

  1. "Don't Go Breaking My Heart (with Kiki Dee)" (credited to Carte Blanche/Ann Orson) – 4:32
  2. "Bennie and the Jets" – 5:21
  3. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" – 3:50
  4. "Song for Guy" – 6:41
  5. "Part-Time Love" (John/Osborne) – 3:15
  6. "Blue Eyes" (John/Osborne) – 3:28
  7. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (John/Johnstone/Taupin) – 4:45

[edit] Side four

  1. "I'm Still Standing" – 3:03
  2. "Kiss the Bride" – 3:55
  3. "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" – 4:10
  4. "Nikita" – 5:44
  5. "Sacrifice" – 5:08
  6. "Easier to Walk Away" – 4:24
  7. "You Gotta Love Someone" – 5:00

The cassette track listing is the same as above, but the vinyl omits "Pinball Wizard", "The Bitch Is Back", "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" and "Easier to Walk Away".

[edit] B-sides

Song Format
"Medicine Man" You Gotta Love Someone 7"/12"/CD (UK)
"Medicine Man (with Adamski)" You Gotta Love Someone 12"/CD (UK)
"Made for Me" Easier to Walk Away 12"/CD (UK)
"I Swear I Heard the Night Talkin'" Easier to Walk Away 7"/12"/CD (UK)

[edit] Music video compilation

  1. "Your Song" (Top of the Pops 1971 live version)
  2. "Daniel" (live German 1973 version)
  3. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (Top of the Pops 1973 live version)
  4. "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with Kiki Dee)
  5. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (BBC Live Christmas Show version)
  6. "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long Long Time)" (live Wembley 1977 version)
  7. "Blue Eyes"
  8. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"
  9. "I'm Still Standing"
  10. "Kiss the Bride"
  11. "Sad Songs (Say So Much)"
  12. "Passengers"
  13. "Nikita"
  14. "Wrap Her Up"
  15. "Candle in the Wind" (live in Australia 1986 version)
  16. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (live in Prince's Trust 1987 version)
  17. "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That"
  18. "Philadelphia Freedom" (live in Verona 1989 version)
  19. "Sacrifice"
  20. "You Gotta Love Someone"

[edit] Charts

Chart (1990) Peak
position
Austrian Top 75 Albums[3] 1
French Compilations[4] 1
German Albums[5] 2
New Zealand Top 50 Albums[6] 1
Norwegian Top 40 Albums[7] 1
Swiss Top 100 Albums[8] 1
UK Albums Chart[9] 1
Chart (1991) Peak
position
Australian Top 50 Albums[10] 1
Netherlands Top 100 Albums[11] 5
Swedish Top 60 Albums[12] 1
Chart (1995) Peak
position
Belgium (Flanders) 100 Albums[13] 28
Belgium (Wallonia) 100 Albums[14] 17

[edit] Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Austria (IFPI Austria)[15] 3× Platinum 60,000x
Brazil (ABPD)[16] Gold 100,000*
France (SNEP)[17] Diamond 1,000,000*
Germany (BVMI)[18] 2× Platinum 1,000,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[19] 3× Platinum 150,000x
United Kingdom (BPI)[2] 9× Platinum 2,700,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r471536
  2. ^ a b "British album certifications – Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx.  Enter The Very Best of Elton John in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
  3. ^ "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Austrian Charts. Hung Medien. http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=The+Very+Best+Of+Elton+John&cat=a. Retrieved 10 July 2011. 
  4. ^ "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé" (in French) (PHP). InfoDisc. http://www.infodisc.fr/Albums_ChartRun.php.  Find "Elton JOHN" under the drop-down menu to see statistics.
  5. ^ "Album – Elton John, The Very Best of Elton John" (in German) (ASP). Media Control Charts. http://www.charts.de/album.asp?artist=Elton+John&title=The+Very+Best+Of+Elton+John&cat=a&country=de. Retrieved 10 July 2011. 
  6. ^ "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=The+Very+Best+Of+Elton+John&cat=a. Retrieved 10 July 2011. 
  7. ^ "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=The+Very+Best+Of+Elton+John&cat=a. Retrieved 10 July 2011. 
  8. ^ "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Schweizer Hitparade. Hung Medien. http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=The+Very+Best+Of+Elton+John&cat=a. Retrieved 10 July 2011. 
  9. ^ "All the Number One Albums: 1990". The Official Charts Company. http://www.theofficialcharts.com/all-the-number-one-albums-list/_/1990/. Retrieved 10 July 2011. 
  10. ^ "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Australian Charts. Hung Medien. http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=The+Very+Best+Of+Elton+John&cat=a. Retrieved 10 July 2011. 
  11. ^ "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts. Hung Medien. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=The+Very+Best+Of+Elton+John&cat=a. Retrieved 10 July 2011. 
  12. ^ "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=The+Very+Best+Of+Elton+John&cat=a. Retrieved 10 July 2011. 
  13. ^ "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop. Hung Medien. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=The+Very+Best+Of+Elton+John&cat=a. Retrieved 10 July 2011. 
  14. ^ "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop. Hung Medien. http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=The+Very+Best+Of+Elton+John&cat=a. Retrieved 10 July 2011. 
  15. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Elton John – Very Best of" (in German). IFPI Austria. http://www.ifpi.at/?section=goldplatin.  Enter Elton John in the field Interpret. Enter Very Best of in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  16. ^ "Brazilian album certifications – Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. http://abpd.org.br/certificados_interna.asp?sArtista=Elton+John&tmidia=1. 
  17. ^ "French album certifications – Elton John – The Very Best of" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/pag-259165-CERTIFICATIONS.html?year=1994&type=15. 
  18. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Elton John; 'The Very Best of Elton John')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=suche&strTitel=The+Very+Best+of+Elton+John&strInterpret=Elton+John&strTtArt=alben&strAwards=unchecked. 
  19. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Elton John; 'Very Best of Elton John')". Hung Medien. http://www.swisscharts.com/search_certifications.asp?search=Elton+John+Very+Best+of+Elton+John. 
Preceded by
The Rhythm of the Saints by Paul Simon		 UK number one album
17 November 1990 – 23 November 1990		 Succeeded by
The Immaculate Collection by Madonna
Preceded by
The Immaculate Collection by Madonna		 Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
27 January – 2 February 1991		 Succeeded by
Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson
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