Album: The Very Best Of Prince

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2001: Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic ◄ All Prince Albums All Related Artists Albums ► 2001: The Rainbow Children
The Very Best Of Prince
The Very Best Of Prince album artwork

Album details

Released: 21 May 2001 (UK)

31 July 2001 (USA)

Length: 73:18
Label(s): Warner Bros.
Studio(s): Alpha Studios, Burbank, CA, USA; Hollywood Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA; First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA; The Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN, USA; Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA; Warner Pioneer Studios, Tokyo, Japan

Charts, Certifications & Awards

Charts
America
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
USA: The Billboard 200 18 Aug. 2001 66 25
USA: Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 18 Aug. 2001 72 4
Posthumous re-entries
Canada: Billboard Canadian Albums 7 May 2016 1(1) 10
USA: The Billboard 200 7 May 2016 1(1) 27
USA: Billboard Catalog Albums 7 May 2016 1(11) 30
 
Europe
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Austria: Alben top 75 12 Aug. 2001 13 11
Belgium: Ultratop Albums Flanders 22 Sep. 2001 18 11
Denmark: IFPI Hitliste Album Top 40 21 Sep. 2001 10 5
France: SNEP Top 40 Compilation 1 Sep. 2001 6 6
Germany: Top 100 Album-Chart 13 Aug. 2001 5 14
Italy: Top 20 Albums 11 Oct. 2001 28 4
The Netherlands: Album Top 100 8 Sep. 2001 3(1) 21
Norway: VG-Lista Top 40 albums Week 38/2001 22 4
Portugal: AFP Portugal Albums Top 30 Week 17/2016 8 2
Sweden: Top 60 Albums 17 Aug. 2001 28 4
Switzerland: Schweizer Hitparade Alben Top 100 12 Aug. 2001 17 9
UK: UK Albums Chart 11 Aug. 2001 2(1) 18
Re-entries
Austria: Alben top 75 12 Aug. 2001 13 11
Austria: Alben top 75 17 Feb. 2002 53 1
Austria: Alben top 75 25 Jun. 2010 36 4
France: SNEP Top 40 Compilation 30 Dec. 2005 41 1
France: SNEP Top 200 Albums 12 Oct. 2009 37 1
France: SNEP Top 200 Albums 7 Apr. 2012 200 1
France: SNEP Top 200 Albums 8 Sep. 2012 190 1
France: SNEP Top 200 Albums 5 Apr. 2014 183 1
The Netherlands: Album Top 100 24 Aug. 2002 96 1
Norway: VG-Lista Top 40 albums Week 32/2011 16 1
UK: UK Albums Chart 16 Jul. 2005 68 3
UK: UK Albums Chart 25 Feb. 2006 44 6
UK: Official Albums Chart Top 100 1 Mar. 2014 72 6
Posthumous re-entries
Austria: Alben top 75 6 May 2016 5 4
Czek Republic: IFPI Albums Top 100 7 May 2016 16 4
Denmark: IFPI Hitlisten Album Top-40 4 May 2016 7 1
Finland: Top 50 Albums Week 17/2016 12 1
France: SNEP Top Back catalogue 28 Apr. 2016 1(4) 22
Italy: Top 20 Albums 28 Apr. 2016 12 1
Norway: VG-Lista Top 40 albums Week 17/2016 2(1) 2
Portugal: Top 50 Albums Week 17/2016 8 2
Sweden: Top 60 Albums 29 Apr. 2016 4 2
Switzerland: Schweizer Hitparade Alben Top 100 1 May 2016 1(1) 9
UK: Official Albums Chart Top 100 28 Apr. 2016 2(1) 14
 
Pacific
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Australia: Aria Top 50 12 Aug. 2001 40 2
Re-entries
New Zealand: Top 40 Albums 29 Feb. 2016 16 2
Posthumous re-entries
Australia: Aria Top 50 8 May 2016 2(1) 15
Australia: Aria Top 50 20 Nov. 2016 40 3
New Zealand: Top 40 Albums 2 May 2016 1(1) 7
Certifications
Institution, Country Date Certification
CRIA, Canada 19 Feb. 2002 Gold (100,000)
RIAA, USA 12 Nov. 2001 Gold (500,000)
RIAA, USA 21 Sep. 2002 Platinum (1 million)
ARIA, Australia 7 Jun. 2004 Gold (35,000)
ARIA, Australia 4 Aug. 2008 Platinum x2 (140,000)
BPI, UK 17 Aug. 2001 Silver & Gold (100,000)
BPI, UK 23 Jan. 2004 Platinum (300,000)
BPI, UK 28 Nov. 2014 Platinum x2 (600,000)
BPI, UK 12 May 2023 Platinum x3 (900,000)
Awards
This album has not received any awards in the USA

Singles released

  • None, but all 17 tracks had been previously-released as singles.

See also

The Very Best Of
(Sheet Music) 		 
The Very Best Of Prince is the fourth compilation album by Prince, released in July 2001 (almost eight years after the previous compilation sets, The Hits 1, The Hits 2 and The Hits / The B-Sides). It comprises only Warner Bros.-era recordings under the name Prince from nine studio albums, released originally between 1979 and 1991.

The tracks are presented in chronological order based on their release as singles.

Soon before its release, Prince’s NPG Ahdio Show # 4 stated that Prince was in negotiations with a major record store chain to distribute an album titled A Celebration, said to contain 20 "remastered, re-recordings" of Prince’s greatest hits, along with "at least four brand new songs".

This album was not released, however, likely due to the Warner Bros. release of The Very Best Of Prince, and Prince even abandoned plans for a Summer tour, as he did not want to appear to be promoting the Warner Bros. compilation.

A re-release was planned in the UK for 22 November 2010, using a new slipcover; this re-release did not take place, but the new slipcover has been included on digital releases of the album since this time.


Promotion

No singles were released to promote the album, but it has sold well consistently since its release.

The album reached number 66 on The Billboard 200 and number 72 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. It fared much better in Europe, reaching number 1 in the Irish albums chart, number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, number 3 in the Album Top 100 in The Netherlands, as well as top ten positions in Germany and France.

It was certified Platinum by RIAA on 21 September 2002.



Track listing
CD MC

The compact disc version is the original issue.

  1. I Wanna Be Your Lover (2:57)
  2. 1999 (3:35)
  3. Little Red Corvette (4:58)
  4. When Doves Cry (3:49)
  5. Let’s Go Crazy (4:39)
  6. Purple Rain (8:45) 1
  7. I Would Die 4 U (2:57) 1
  8. Raspberry Beret (3:31) 1
  9. Kiss (3:46)
  10. Sign O’ The Times (3:44)
  11. U Got The Look (3:58)
  12. Alphabet St. (5:38)
  13. Thieves In The Temple (3:19)
  14. Gett Off (4:27) 2
  15. Cream (4:12) 2
  16. Diamonds And Pearls (4:20) 2
  17. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night (4:48) 2

The MC format was released at same time as the CD.

  • Side 1:
  1. I Wanna Be Your Lover (2:57)
  2. 1999 (3:35)
  3. Little Red Corvette (4:58)
  4. When Doves Cry (3:49)
  5. Let’s Go Crazy (4:39)
  6. Purple Rain (8:45) 1
  7. I Would Die 4 U (2:57) 1
  8. Raspberry Beret (3:31) 1
  9. Kiss (3:46)
  • Side 2:
  1. Sign O’ The Times (3:44)
  2. U Got The Look (3:58)
  3. Alphabet St. (5:38)
  4. Thieves In The Temple (3:19)
  5. Gett Off (4:27) 2
  6. Cream (4:12) 2
  7. Diamonds And Pearls (4:20) 2
  8. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night (4:48) 2

All songs written by Prince, except where noted.
1 Written by Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution)
2 Written by Prince (credited to Prince and the New Power Generation)



Personnel
Musicians


Production


Thanks
  • none.



Releases
LP, CD, Cassettes and Other versions
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2
This section is under construction

Variants, Special Editions and Reissues
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2
This section is under construction
 
Additional Information
Promotion (at time of release) Trivia
  • A 6 tracks Radio Sampler promo CD [PRO2721, Germany] which contained When Doves Cry, Purple Rain, Kiss, Cream 1999 and Money Don’t Matter 2 Night was issued.
  • The Very Best Of Prince entered the french TOP 40 Compilation Albums chart at position 18 on 1 September 2001, and peaked at number 6 the week after. It remained 6 weeks in the chart, and exited it on 13 October 2001.
  • In November 2010 the album was issued on digital platforms with an alternate cover artwork:
References
2001
Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic 		All Albums All Related Artists Albums 2001
The Rainbow Children
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