The Essential

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The Essential is the series of several compilation albums released by the Sony BMG recording conglomerate. The Essential series began with the release of The Essential Bob Dylan on October 31, 2000. Most of the Essential compilations have been two-disc sets, although Sony began releasing one-disc versions for selected artists at a reduced price in 2003. The Essential Bruce Springsteen is available in both two- and three-disc form. Albums that have been certified Platinum by the RIAA are marked with ▲. Albums certified Gold are marked with ●. The best-selling title in The Essential series is The Essential Billy Joel, the only with a Double Platinum certification (2,000,000 units). The Essential series has been certified a total of 12,000,000 units to date.

• The Essential Roy Acuff (one-disc)
• The Essential Alabama
• The Essential Adam Ant (one-disc)
• The Essential Alice in Chains
• The Essential Allman Brothers Band: The Epic Years (one-disc)
• The Essential Louis Armstrong
• The Essential Fred Astaire (one-disc)
• The Essential Chet Atkins: The Columbia Years (one-disc)
• The Essential Gene Autry
• The Essential Babyface (one-disc)
• The Essential Bangles (one-disc)
• The Essential Harry Belafonte
• The Essential George Benson
• The Essential Blue Öyster Cult
• The Essential Tony Bennett
• The Essential Dave Brubeck
• The Essential Byrds
• The Essential Mary Chapin Carpenter (one-disc)
• The Essential Johnny Cash ▲
• The Essential Cheap Trick
• The Essential Chieftains
• The Essential Clash
• The Essential Rosemary Clooney (one-disc)
• The Essential David Allan Coe (one-disc)
• The Essential Leonard Cohen
• The Essential Ray Conniff
• The Essential Bing Crosby: The Columbia Years (one-disc)
• The Essential Rodney Crowell (one-disc)
• The Essential Charlie Daniels Band (one-disc)
• The Essential Miles Davis
• The Essential Neil Diamond ▲
• The Essential Joe Diffie (one-disc)
• The Essential Dion (one-disc)
• The Essential Placido Domingo
• The Essential Donovan (one-disc)
• The Essential Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show (one-disc)
• The Essential George Duke
• The Essential Bob Dylan ▲
• The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire ●
• The Essential Electric Light Orchestra (one-disc)
• The Essential Duke Ellington
• The Essential Fishbone (one-disc)
• The Essential Dan Fogelberg (one-disc)
• The Essential George Gershwin
• The Essential Merle Haggard: The Epic Years (one-disc)
• The Essential Daryl Hall & John Oates
• The Essential Herbie Hancock
• The Essential Heart
• The Essential Hollywood
• The Essential Iron Maiden
• The Essential Isley Brothers
• The Essential Mahalia Jackson
• The Essential Michael Jackson
• The Essential Jacksons (one-disc)
• The Essential Jefferson Airplane
• The Essential Billy Joel ▲2
• The Essential George Jones
• The Essential Janis Joplin
• The Essential Journey ▲
• The Essential Judas Priest
• The Essential Kenny G
• The Essential Kris Kristofferson
• The Essential Cyndi Lauper (one-disc)
• The Essential Kenny Loggins
• The Essential Yo-Yo Ma
• The Essential Taj Mahal
• The Essential Barry Manilow
• The Essential Bob Marley
• The Essential Johnny Mathis
• The Essential Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (one-disc)
• The Essential Men At Work (one-disc)
• The Essential Glenn Miller
• The Essential Molly Hatchet (one-disc)
• The Essential Eddie Money (one-disc)
• The Essential Thelonious Monk (one-disc)
• The Essential Shawn Mullins (one-disc)
• The Essential Willie Nelson ●
• The Essential O'Jays (one-disc)
• The Essential Roy Orbison
• The Essential Ozzy Osbourne ●
• The Essential Dolly Parton
• The Essential Poco (one-disc)
• The Essential Elvis Presley (January 2, 2007)
• The Essential Charley Pride
• The Essential Tito Puente
• The Essential Redbone (one-disc)
• The Essential Jim Reeves
• The Essential REO Speedwagon
• The Essential Marty Robbins
• The Essential Santana ●
• The Essential Earl Scruggs
• The Essential Pete Seeger (one-disc)
• The Essential Ravi Shankar
• The Essential Artie Shaw
• The Essential Simon and Garfunkel ▲
• The Essential Frank Sinatra: The Columbia Years (one-disc)
• The Essential Sly & The Family Stone
• The Essential Bruce Springsteen (two- and three-disc versions) ▲
• The Essential Stabbing Westward (one-disc)
• The Essential Barbra Streisand ▲
• The Essential Peter Tosh: The Columbia Years (one-disc)
• The Essential Toto (one-disc)
• The Essential Luther Vandross ●
• The Essential Jimmie Vaughan (one-disc)
• The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble ●
• The Essential Tammy Wynette (one-disc)

[edit] External links

• Sony BMG's Essential Music Series website