The Ultimate Collection (Billy Joel album)

The Ultimate Collection
Greatest hits album by Billy Joel
Released December 20, 2000[1]
Recorded 1971-1993
Genre Rock, pop, adult contemporary
Length 153:09
155:07 (Japanese edition)
Label Sony/Columbia
Producer Phil Ramone, Michael Omartian, Billy Joel, Mick Jones, Danny Kortchmar, Joe Nicolo, David Thoener
Billy Joel chronology

2000 Years: The Millennium Concert
(2000)		 The Ultimate Collection
(2000)		 Fantasies & Delusions
(2001)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [2]

The Ultimate Collection is a double-disc compilation album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. It was first released by Sony Music Entertainment Japan in December 2000, and subsequently issued in the most of European and Oceanian countries with slightly different track listings (replacing Japanese top-3 charting hit "The Stranger" with live version of "You're My Home").

This career-spanning compilation features some of Joel's early notable compositions and hit singles which were disregarded on his Greatest Hits series, although several fan favorites like "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Big Shot" were excluded alternatively. It became a smash hit worldwide, entering top-5 on the charts in several countries including United Kingdom.

The Ultimate Collection was not issued in the United States, because Legacy Recordings released another similar compilation The Essential in October 2001.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Billy Joel

Disc one

No. TitleNotes Length
1. "Just the Way You Are"  (taken from the album The Stranger) 4:50
2. "My Life"  (taken from the album 52nd Street) 4:43
3. "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"  (taken from the album Glass Houses) 2:57
4. "An Innocent Man"  (taken from the album An Innocent Man) 5:18
5. "Piano Man"  (taken from the album Piano Man) 5:37
6. "You're My Home"  (taken from the album Piano Man) 3:12
7. "Everybody Loves You Now"  (live version, from the album Songs in the Attic) 3:11
8. "The Entertainer"  (taken from the album Streetlife Serenade) 3:40
9. "Streetlife Serenader"  (taken from the album Streetlife Serenade) 5:16
10. "New York State of Mind"  (taken from the album Turnstiles) 6:03
11. "Say Goodbye to Hollywood"  (taken from the album Turnstiles) 4:38
12. "She's Got a Way"  (live version, from the album Songs in the Attic) 3:00
13. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"  (taken from the album The Stranger) 3:29
14. "She's Always a Woman"  (taken from the album The Stranger) 3:20
15. "Honesty"  (taken from the album 52nd Street) 3:49
16. "You May Be Right"  (taken from the album Glass Houses) 4:12
17. "Don't Ask Me Why"  (taken from the album Glass Houses) 2:57
18. "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)"  (live version, from the album Songs in the Attic) 5:09

Disc two

No. TitleNotes Length
1. "Uptown Girl"  (taken from the album An Innocent Man) 3:16
2. "Tell Her About It"  (taken from the album An Innocent Man) 3:50
3. "The River of Dreams"  (taken from the album River of Dreams) 4:07
4. "The Longest Time"  (taken from the album An Innocent Man) 3;38
5. "We Didn't Start the Fire"  (taken from the album Storm Front) 4:47
6. "Goodnight Saigon"  (taken from the album The Nylon Curtain) 7:02
7. "Allentown"  (taken from the album The Nylon Curtain) 3:52
8. "All for Leyna"  (taken from the album Glass Houses) 4:12
9. "This Is the Time"  (taken from the album The Bridge) 5:01
10. "Leave a Tender Moment Alone"  (taken from the album An Innocent Man) 3:53
11. "A Matter of Trust"  (taken from the album The Bridge) 4:10
12. "Modern Woman"  (taken from the album The Bridge) 3:50
13. "Baby Grand" (with Ray Charles)(taken from the album The Bridge) 4:04
14. "I Go to Extremes"  (taken from the album Storm Front) 4:21
15. "Leningrad"  (taken from the album Storm Front) 4:03
16. "The Downeaster 'Alexa'"  (taken from the album Storm Front) 3:43
17. "You're Only Human (Second Wind)"  (taken from the album Greatest Hits Volume II) 4:48
18. "All About Soul" (remix)(taken from the album Greatest Hits Volume III) 5:58

Chart positions

Chart (2001–03) Position Weeks
Irish Albums Chart (top 50)[3] 1 32
New Zealand Albums Chart (top 50)[4] 2 30
Danish Albums Chart (top 40)[5] 2 9
Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart (top 40)[6] 3 7
Swedish Albums Chart (top 60)[7] 3 13
Japanese (International Albums Chart)[8] 4
UK Albums Chart (top 75)[9] 4 24
Australian ARIA Albums Chart (top 50)[10] 12 12
French Albums Chart[11] 12 3
European Top 100 Albums (top 100)[12] 21
Japanese Oricon Weekly Albums Chart (top 100)[13][14] 21 10
Dutch Albums Chart (top 75)[15] 36 7
German Albums Chart (top 100)[15] 58 8
Chart (2006–07) Position Weeks
Japanese (International Albums Chart)[16] 3
Japanese Oricon Weekly Albums Chart (top 300)[17] 19 33

End-of-year charts

End of year chart (2001) Position
UK Albums Chart[18] 36

Certifications

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Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[19] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[20] Platinum 250,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[21] 2× Platinum 30,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[22] Gold 25,000*
Sweden (GLF)[23] Gold 40,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Platinum 300,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ "Sony Music Online Japan International -Billy Joel-". sonymusic.co.jp (in Japanese). Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  2. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r526907
  3. ↑ http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Billy+Joel. Retrieved September 22, 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ↑ "charts.org.nz - Billy Joel - The Ultimate Collection". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  5. ↑ "danishcharts.com Billy Joel - The Ultimate Collection". Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  6. ↑ "norwegiancharts.com Billy Joel - The Ultimate Collection". VG-lista. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  7. ↑ "swedishcharts.com Billy Joel - The Ultimate Collection". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  8. ↑ http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oricon.co.jp%2Fsearch%2Fresult.php%3Fkbn%3Dja%26types%3Drnk%26year%3D2001%26month%3D1%26week%3D1%26submit5.x%3D4%26submit5.y%3D12&sandbox=1
  9. ↑ "Chart Stats Billy Joel - The Ultimate Collection". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  10. ↑ "australian-charts.com - Billy Joel - The Ultimate Collection". Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  11. ↑ http://www.infodisc.fr/Albums_Detail.php. Retrieved September 22, 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ Nielsen Business Media, Inc (2001-04-07). Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  13. ↑ "- Yamachan Land (Archives of the Japanese record charts) - Albums Chart Daijiten - Billy Joel" (in Japanese). December 30, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  14. ↑ ビリー・ジョエル-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック "(Highest position and charting weeks of Ultimate Collection by Billy Joel)". oricon.co.jp. Oricon Style. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Billy+Joel&titel=The+Ultimate+Collection&cat=a|accessdate=September 22, 2009
  16. ↑ http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oricon.co.jp%2Fsearch%2Fresult.php%3Fkbn%3Dja%26types%3Drnk%26year%3D2006%26month%3D8%26week%3D2%26submit5.x%3D4%26submit5.y%3D12&sandbox=1
  17. ↑ ビリー・ジョエル-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック "(Highest position and charting weeks for reissue of The Ultimate Collection by Billy Joel)". oricon.co.jp. Oricon Style. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  18. ↑ 2001 in British music#Top 40 Singles
  19. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  20. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.
  21. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand.
  22. ↑ "Norwegian album certifications – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
  23. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2001" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
  24. ↑ "British album certifications – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection". British Phonographic Industry. Enter The Ultimate Collection in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search