The Very Best of Elton John

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 throughout Europe, and in other countries such as Japan and Australia, but not in the United States, where the box set To Be Continued... was released the following month instead.

The Very Best of Elton John
Compilation album by
Elton John
Released1 October 1990
Recorded1970–1990
GenreRock, pop
Length2:17:56
LabelPolygram
ProducerGus Dudgeon, Clive Franks, Chris Thomas, Don Was
Elton John chronology
To Be Continued
(1990)		 The Very Best of Elton John
(1990)		 The One
(1992)
Singles from The Very Best of Elton John
  1. "You Gotta Love Someone"
  2. "Easier to Walk Away"
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]

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 third 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 followed by nine weeks at #2, kept there 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 9× 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.

Track listing
Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Your Song"Elton John, Bernie TaupinElton John, 19704:03
2."Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be a Long, Long Time)"John, TaupinHonky Château, 19724:42
3."Honky Cat"John, TaupinHonky Château5:15
4."Crocodile Rock"John, TaupinDon't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, 19733:58
5."Daniel"John, TaupinDon't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player3:56
6."Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"John, TaupinGoodbye Yellow Brick Road, 19733:17
7."Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"John, TaupinGoodbye Yellow Brick Road4:57
8."Candle in the Wind"John, TaupinGoodbye Yellow Brick Road3:51
9."Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"John, TaupinCaribou, 19745:38
10."Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"Lennon–McCartneyNon-album single, 19746:17
11."Philadelphia Freedom" (Edited version)John, TaupinNon-album single, 19755:19
12."Someone Saved My Life Tonight"John, TaupinCaptain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, 19756:47
13."Pinball Wizard"Pete TownshendTommy soundtrack, 19755:16
14."The Bitch Is Back"John, TaupinCaribou3:46
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
15."Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with Kiki Dee)John, Taupin (but credited to Ann Orson/Carte Blanche, respectively)Non-album single, 19764:32
16."Bennie and the Jets"John, TaupinGoodbye Yellow Brick Road5:21
17."Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"John, TaupinBlue Moves, 19763:51
18."Song for Guy"JohnA Single Man, 19786:41
19."Part-Time Love"John, Gary OsborneA Single Man3:16
20."Blue Eyes"John, OsborneJump Up!, 19823:28
21."I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"John, Taupin, JohnstoneToo Low for Zero, 19834:46
22."I'm Still Standing"John, TaupinToo Low for Zero3:04
23."Kiss the Bride"John, TaupinToo Low for Zero3:56
24."Sad Songs (Say So Much)(Single Version)"John, TaupinBreaking Hearts, 19844:11
25."Passengers"John, Taupin, Johnstone, Phineas McHizeBreaking Hearts3:24
26."Nikita"John, TaupinIce on Fire, 19855:45
27."I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That"John, TaupinReg Strikes Back, 19884:00
28."Sacrifice"John, TaupinSleeping with the Past, 19895:08
29."Easier to Walk Away"John, TaupinSoon to be released on To Be Continued..., 19904:25
30."You Gotta Love Someone"John, TaupinDays of Thunder soundtrack, 19905:01
  • Track 25 is different on European version of the album. "Whispers" from Sleeping with the Past takes the place of "Passengers".
  • "Pinball Wizard", "The Bitch Is Back", "I Don't Wanna Go on With You Like That" and "Easier to Walk Away" are excised from the vinyl version of the compilation.
  • The timings are different on the back cover and the actual CD. On Disc 1, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is listed as 6:12, while the actual song runs at 5:38 and "Philadelphia Freedom" runs at 5:42, rather at 5:19. On Disc 2, the back cover shows Song For Guy running at 5:02, but the actual track runs at 6:40 (the album length of the song). The same applies for "Nikita", which the back cover states for 4:53 but the actual song plays at 5:44. "I Don't Wanna Go on With You Like That" is the radio single edit on the CD (4:00) instead of the back cover's album cut listing of 4:33.

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)
"You Gotta Love Someone" 7" (France)

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"

Charts
Chart (1990) Peak
position
Austrian Top 75 Albums[3] 1
Finnish Albums Chart[4] 3
French Compilations[5] 1
German Albums[6] 2
Hungarian Top 40 Albums[7] 19
Italian Albums Chart[8] 1
New Zealand Top 50 Albums[9] 1
Norwegian Top 40 Albums[10] 1
Spanish Albums Chart[11] 1
Swiss Top 100 Albums[12] 1
UK Albums Chart[13] 1
Chart (1991) Peak
position
Australian Top 50 Albums[14] 1
Netherlands Top 100 Albums[15] 5
Swedish Top 60 Albums[16] 1
Chart (1995) Peak
position
Belgium (Flanders) 100 Albums[17] 28
Belgium (Wallonia) 100 Albums[18] 17

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[19] 6× Platinum 420,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[20] 3× Platinum 60,000*
Belgium (BEA)[21] 3× Platinum 150,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[22] Gold 100,000*
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[23] Gold 25,000[23]
France (SNEP)[24] Diamond 2,300,000[25]
Germany (BVMI)[26] 2× Platinum 1,000,000^
Italy (FIMI)[27] Platinum 450,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[28] Platinum 200,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[29] 2× Platinum 200,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[30] Platinum 15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[31] 3× Platinum 300,000^
Sweden (GLF)[32] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[33] 3× Platinum 150,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] 9× Platinum 2,700,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r471536
  2. "British album certifications – Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Type The Very Best of Elton John in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  3. "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Austrian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  4. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  5. "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original (PHP) on 20 August 2008. Find "Elton JOHN" under the drop-down menu to see statistics.
  6. "Album – Elton John, The Very Best of Elton John" (ASP). Media Control Charts (in German). Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  7. "Archivum: Top 40 Album". MAHASZ (in Hungarian). Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  8. http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yenda/lpe1990.htm
  9. "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  10. "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  11. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  12. "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Schweizer Hitparade. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  13. "All the Number One Albums: 1990". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  14. "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Australian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  15. "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  16. "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  17. "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  18. "Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  19. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
  20. "Austrian album certifications – Elton John – Very Best of" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  21. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1995". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  22. "Brazilian album certifications – Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil.
  23. "Elton John" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  24. "French album certifications – Elton John – The Very Best of" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  25. "Elton John - 30 Years of Music". Billboard. 4 October 1997. p. EJ-34. Retrieved 6 October 2020 – via Google Books.
  26. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Elton John; 'The Very Best of Elton John')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  27. "Elton Racks 'Em Up" (PDF). Music & Media. 23 March 1991. p. 10. Retrieved 4 January 2020 – via American Radio History.
  28. "Japanese album certifications – Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2000年12月 on the drop-down menu
  29. "Dutch album certifications – Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter The Very Best of Elton John in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  30. "New Zealand album certifications – Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  31. Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 931. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  32. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
  33. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Elton John; 'Very Best of Elton John')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  34. "British album certifications – Elton John – The Very Best of Elton John". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type The Very Best of Elton John in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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