The Very Best of Elvis Costello
| The Very Best of Elvis Costello | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | 2 August 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1977–1998 | |||
| Genres | New wave, punk rock, pub rock, power pop, pop rock | |||
| Length | 154:07 | |||
| Label | Polygram | |||
| Producers | Elvis Costello, Burt Bacharach, T-Bone Burnett, Geoff Emerick, Larry Kalman Hirsch, Trevor Jones, Kevin Killen, Clive Langer, Nick Lowe, Billy Sherrill, Alan Winstanley | |||
| Elvis Costello chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
The Very Best of Elvis Costello is a compilation album by English musician Elvis Costello, first released on 2 August 1999 through Polygram Records.[2] The album spanned his recorded work from 1977 through 1998. It was re-released less than two years later on Rhino Records as the first entry in their comprehensive Costello reissue series.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Elvis Costello unless otherwise indicated.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original Album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" (with The Attractions) | Nick Lowe | single, 1978 | 3:31 |
| 2. | "Oliver's Army" (with the Attractions) | Armed Forces | 2:57 | |
| 3. | "Watching the Detectives" | single, 1977 | 3:43 | |
| 4. | "Alison" | My Aim Is True | 3:21 | |
| 5. | "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" (with the Attractions) | This Year's Model | 3:07 | |
| 6. | "Accidents Will Happen" (with the Attractions) | Armed Forces | 3:01 | |
| 7. | "Pump It Up" (with the Attractions) | This Year's Model | 3:13 | |
| 8. | "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" (with the Attractions) | Homer Banks, Allen Jones | Get Happy!! | 2:05 |
| 9. | "Radio Radio" (with the Attractions) | single, 1978 | 3:06 | |
| 10. | "Clubland" (with the Attractions) | Trust | 3:43 | |
| 11. | "A Good Year for the Roses" | Jerry Chesnut | Almost Blue | 3:35 |
| 12. | "Man Out of Time" (with the Attractions) | Imperial Bedroom | 5:25 | |
| 13. | "I Wanna Be Loved" (with the Attractions) | Farnell Jenkins | Goodbye Cruel World | 4:46 |
| 14. | "Everyday I Write the Book" (with the Attractions) | Punch the Clock | 3:52 | |
| 15. | "Brilliant Mistake" (The Costello Show Featuring His Confederates) | King of America | 3:41 | |
| 16. | "The Other Side of Summer" | Mighty Like a Rose | 3:53 | |
| 17. | "Tokyo Storm Warning" (with the Attractions) | Blood and Chocolate | 6:23 | |
| 18. | "Sulky Girl" (with the Attractions) | Brutal Youth | 5:04 | |
| 19. | "So Like Candy" | MacManus, Paul McCartney | Mighty Like a Rose | 4:35 |
| 20. | "Veronica" | MacManus, McCartney | Spike | 3:07 |
| 21. | "She" | Charles Aznavour, Herbert Kretzmer | Soundtrack to Notting Hill | 3:05 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original Album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22. | "Big Tears" (with the Attractions) | B-side of "Pump It Up" single, 1978 | 3:10 | |
| 23. | "Beyond Belief" (with the Attractions) | Imperial Bedroom | 2:33 | |
| 24. | "Lipstick Vogue" (with the Attractions) | This Year's Model | 3:31 | |
| 25. | "Green Shirt" (with the Attractions) | Armed Forces | 2:44 | |
| 26. | "Pills and Soap" | Punch the Clock | 3:43 | |
| 27. | "Tramp the Dirt Down" | Spike | 5:41 | |
| 28. | "Shipbuilding" (with the Attractions) | MacManus, Clive Langer | Punch the Clock | 4:51 |
| 29. | "High Fidelity" (with the Attractions) | Get Happy!! | 2:28 | |
| 30. | "New Lace Sleeves" (with the Attractions) | Trust | 3:47 | |
| 31. | "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" | My Aim Is True | 2:46 | |
| 32. | "Talking in the Dark" (with the Attractions) | single, 1978 | 1:57 | |
| 33. | "New Amsterdam" | Get Happy!! | 2:13 | |
| 34. | "I Hope You're Happy Now" (with the Attractions) | Blood and Chocolate | 3:07 | |
| 35. | "Riot Act" (with the Attractions) | Get Happy!! | 3:34 | |
| 36. | "My Funny Valentine" | Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers | B-side of "Oliver's Army" single, 1979 | 1:29 |
| 37. | "Indoor Fireworks" (The Costello Show Featuring His Confederates) | King of America | 4:09 | |
| 38. | "Almost Blue" (with the Attractions) | Imperial Bedroom | 2:49 | |
| 39. | "I Want You" (with the Attractions) | Blood and Chocolate | 6:43 | |
| 40. | "God Give Me Strength" (with Burt Bacharach) | Bacharach, MacManus | Painted from Memory | 6:10 |
| 41. | "That Day Is Done" (The Fairfield Four Featuring Elvis Costello) | MacManus, McCartney | I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray | 5:10 |
| 42. | "I Want to Vanish" (with Steve Nieve & The Brodsky Quartet) | All This Useless Beauty | 3:14 | |
| Total length: | 154:07 | |||
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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References
- ↑ The Very Best of Elvis Costello at AllMusic
- ↑ "The Very Best Of Elvis Costello". Official Elvis Costello Website.
- ↑ "Elvis Costello ARIA Chart History (1988-2024)". ARIA. Retrieved 2 February 2025 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Elvis Costello – The Very Best Of Elvis Costello" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Elvis Costello – The Very Best Of Elvis Costello" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 14/8/1999 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 14/8/1999 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1999". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1999". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2020.