The Very Best of Enya | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | 23 November 2009 | |||
Recorded | 1986–2008 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 63:17 (CD) 81:32 (DVD) | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Nicky Ryan | |||
Enya chronology | ||||
|
The Very Best of Enya is the second greatest hits album by the Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 23 November 2009 by Warner Bros. Records. After promoting her previous studio album And Winter Came... (2008), Warner Music asked Enya to release a new compilation of her favourite songs of her career, and chose a selection with her longtime collaborators, producer and arranger Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan.
The album received mostly positive reviews from music critics and peaked at number 32 on the UK Albums Chart and number 55 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. It has spent over 200 weeks Billboard New Age Albums chart, more than 130 of them at No 1, and has topped the year-end chart consistently since 2020.[1] In a departure from her previous releases, Enya did not promote the album with interviews, appearances, or live performances.
Background
After promoting her seventh studio album And Winter Came... (2008), Enya's label Warner Music requested that she release a new greatest hits album of her favourite songs of her career. She agreed to the project, and chose a selection with her longtime collaborators, producer and arranger Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. It is Enya's first greatest hits release since Paint the Sky with Stars (1997), but unlike the first collection, Enya did not record new tracks for the release. It includes a previously unreleased version of "Aníron" a song Enya wrote for the soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). The DVD included in the album's Limited and Deluxe Editions marks the first release of Enya's music videos in North America, following the cancellation of the proposed The Video Collection in 2001.
Release and reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The album was released on 23 November 2009 by Warner Music internationally and on 1 December 2009 by Reprise Records in the United States. It peaked at number 32 on the UK Albums Chart and number 55 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. It spent over 100 weeks at number one on the Billboard New Age Albums chart.[1]
The Very Best of Enya received mostly positive reviews from music critics. James Christopher Monger of AllMusic wrote that the collection "was one of those rare 'greatest-hits' collections that goes deep without depriving the listener of the essentials. With tunes like 'Orinoco Flow', 'Caribbean Blue' and 'Book of Days' in the pot and out of the way, it's easier to appreciate hidden gems like 'Cursum Perficio', 'Boadicea', 'Trains and Winter Rains' and 'Anywhere Is'."[2]
Track listing
No. | Title | From the album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Orinoco Flow" | Watermark | 4:29 |
2. | "Aníron (I Desire)" (Previously unreleased version) | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | 2:42 |
3. | "Storms in Africa" | Watermark | 4:04 |
4. | "Caribbean Blue" | Shepherd Moons | 3:58 |
5. | "Book of Days" | Shepherd Moons | 2:55 |
6. | "The Celts" | Enya | 2:55 |
7. | "Only Time" | A Day Without Rain | 3:36 |
8. | "Wild Child" | A Day Without Rain | 3:46 |
9. | "Water Shows the Hidden Heart" | Amarantine | 4:38 |
10. | "Anywhere Is" | The Memory of Trees | 3:57 |
11. | "Cursum Perficio" | Watermark | 4:07 |
12. | "Amarantine" | Amarantine | 3:09 |
13. | "Aldebaran" | Enya | 3:05 |
14. | "Trains and Winter Rains" | And Winter Came... | 3:42 |
15. | "Watermark" | Watermark | 2:25 |
16. | "Boadicea" | Enya | 3:31 |
17. | "A Day Without Rain" | A Day Without Rain | 2:35 |
18. | "May It Be" | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | 3:31 |
Total length: | 63:59 |
No. | Title | From the album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
19. | "Oíche Chiúin (Chorale)" | And Winter Came... | 3:31 |
No. | Title | From the album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
20. | "How Can I Keep From Singing?" | Shepherd Moons | 4:26 |
No. | Title | From the album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
19. | "To Go Beyond (Part II)" | Enya | 2:50 |
20. | "Only If..." | Paint the Sky with Stars | 3:19 |
21. | "Dreams Are More Precious" | And Winter Came... | 4:25 |
No. | Title | From the album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Trains and Winter Rains" | And Winter Came... | |
2. | "My! My! Time Flies!" | And Winter Came... | |
3. | "Stars and Midnight Blue" | And Winter Came... | |
4. | "Amarantine" | Amarantine | |
5. | "Sumiregusa" | Amarantine | |
6. | "The River Sings" | Amarantine | |
7. | "If I Could Be Where You Are" | Amarantine | |
8. | "Wild Child" | A Day Without Rain | |
9. | "Only Time" | A Day Without Rain | |
10. | "Drifting" | Amarantine | |
11. | "Flora's Secret" | A Day Without Rain | |
12. | "Fallen Embers" | A Day Without Rain | |
13. | "One by One" | A Day Without Rain | |
14. | "Pax Deorum" | The Memory of Trees | |
15. | "Athair ar Neamh" | The Memory of Trees | |
16. | "Anywhere Is" | The Memory of Trees | |
17. | "Orinoco Flow" | Watermark | |
18. | "Watermark" | Watermark | |
19. | "Boadicea" | Enya | |
20. | "May It Be" | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
21. | "Caribbean Blue" | Shepherd Moons | |
22. | "Aníron (I Desire)" | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
No. | Title | From the album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
23. | "Oíche Chiúin [Chorale]" | And Winter Came... | 3:49 |
No. | Title | From the album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
23. | "Oíche Chiúin [Chorale]" | And Winter Came... | 3:49 |
24. | "Only Time (Remix)" | Only Time | 3:13 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Orinoco Flow" | 3:44 |
2. | "Caribbean Blue" | 3:38 |
3. | "Only Time" | 3:38 |
4. | "The Celts" | 3:08 |
5. | "Amarantine" | 3:05 |
6. | "Trains and Winter Rains" | 3:17 |
7. | "Evening Falls" | 3:50 |
8. | "Anywhere Is" | 3:47 |
9. | "It's in the Rain" | 3:47 |
10. | "Wild Child" | 3:33 |
11. | "Only If" | 3:16 |
12. | "Storms In Africa" | 2:59 |
13. | "On My Way Home" | 4:26 |
Total length: | 46:06 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Enya: A Life In Music" (documentary) | 16:10 |
2. | "Caribbean Blue" (making of) | 10:13 |
3. | "Only Time" (making of) | 9:03 |
Total length: | 35:26 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from Allmusic[2] and the album's sleeve notes.[3]
- Musicians
- Enya – vocals
- Nicky Ryan - additional vocals
- Roma Ryan - additional vocals
- Production
- Enya - lyrics written by (6-8, 13), music composed by (1-18), musical arrangement
- Nicky Ryan – lyrics written by (7), music composed by (1, 3-18), musical arrangement, producer, recording engineer
- Roma Ryan – lyrics written by (1-15, 18), quotation author
- Franz Gruber - lyrics written by, music composed by (NA19)
- Traditional - lyrics written by, music composed by (NA19)
- Daniel Polley – digital technical advisor
- Dick Beetham – mastering at 360 Mastering, London
- Peacock – art direction, design
- Simon Fowler – photography
- David Scheinmann – photography
- Russell Young – photography
- Max Adelman – photography
- Ruth Rowland – lettering
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[38] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Belgium (BEA)[39] | Gold | 15,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[40] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI)[41] | Gold | 100,000^ |
Ireland (IRMA)[42] | Gold | 7,500^ |
Italy (FIMI)[43] | Gold | 30,000* |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[44] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Poland (ZPAV)[45] | Gold | 10,000* |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[46] | Gold | 30,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 905,000[48] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Country | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Various | 23 November 2009 | Warner Bros. | |
United States | 1 December 2009 | Reprise | |
Various[49] | 25 August 2017 | LP |
|
References
- 1 2 "New Age Albums Chart". Billboard.com. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- 1 2 3 Monger, James Christopher. "Review: The Very Best of Enya". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ↑ Enya. “The Very Best of Enya”. Warner Bros. 2009.
- ↑ "Argentine Albums Chart". allcharts.org. Archived from the original on 21 December 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Enya – The Very Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Enya – The Very Best Of" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Enya – The Very Best Of" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Enya – The Very Best Of" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Enya Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 52.Týden 2009 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – Enya – The Very Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Enya – The Very Best Of" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Billboard- Updated Album Charts from the most Trusted Music Magazine". Billboard.com. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Enya – The Very Best Of" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) Week: 29/2023" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2020. 6. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Enya". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Enya – The Very Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ December 2009/ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 14 December 2009" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Mexicancharts.com – Enya – The Very Best Of". mexicancharts.com. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Charts.nz – Enya – The Very Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Enya – The Very Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Enya – The Very Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Enya – The Very Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Enya – The Very Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Enya – The Very Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Enya Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Enya Chart History (New Age Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2009". Ultratop. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 2009". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ↑ "UK Year-End 2009" (PDF). Charts Plus. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2010". Ultratop. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ↑ "Rapports Annuels 2010". Ultratop. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2010". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2010". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2010 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2009". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Danish album certifications – Enya – The Very Best of Enya". IFPI Danmark.
- ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Enya; 'The Very Best of Enya')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ↑ "The Irish Charts - 2009 Certification Awards - Gold". Irish Recorded Music Association.
- ↑ "Italian album certifications – Enya – The Very Best of Enya" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 11 November 2021. Select "2012" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "The Very Best of Enya" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
- ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Enya – The Very Best of Enya". Recorded Music NZ.
- ↑ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2009 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
- ↑ "Spanish album certifications – Enya – The Very Best of Enya". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Enya – The Very Best of". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ↑ "Top -10 UK artist album globally 2009" (PDF). Music Week. 30 January 2010. p. 3. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
- ↑ "The Very Best of Enya". Amazon. 2017.
External links
- The Very Best Of Enya at Discogs (list of releases)