Best of Ballade: Empathy

Best of Ballade: Empathy is the fifth compilation album by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released on November 20, 1992, through Pony Canyon. It is Kudo's first ballad collection, followed by Best of Ballade: Current in 1998. Half of the album is made up of ballads from previously released studio albums while the other half features new songs recorded for the album as well as unreleased ballads co-written by Kudo, under the pseudonym Aeri.

Best of Ballade: Empathy
Compilation album by Shizuka Kudo
Released	November 20, 1992
Recorded	1988–92
Genre	Pop
Length	53:22
Label	Pony Canyon
Shizuka Kudo chronology
Trinity (1992) Best of Ballade: Empathy (1992) Rise Me (1993)

Commercial performance

Best of Ballade: Empathy debuted at number six on the Oricon Albums Chart, with 92,000 units sold. It dropped three positions to number nine on its second week, selling 37,000 copies.[1] The album charted in the top 100 for eight consecutive weeks, selling a reported total of 180,000 copies during its chart run.[2][3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Arranger(s)	Length
1.	"Koe o Kikasete"	Gorō Matsui Tsugutoshi Gotō	Gotō Satoshi Kadokura	6:35
2.	"Kanojo Kara..." (彼女から…, "From Her...")	Aeri	Gotō	4:51
3.	"Mirai no Takara" (未来の宝, "Future Treasure")	Aeri Gotō	Gotō	4:57
4.	"Garasu no Sanctuary" (硝子のサンクチュアリ, Garasu no Sankuchuari, "Glass Sanctuary")	Shintarō Hirai Gotō	Gotō	3:53
5.	"Kizuna" (絆, "Bond")	Aeri Gotō	Gotō	5:43
6.	"Ki no Nai Lullaby" (気のないララバイ, Ki no Nai Rarabai, "Halfhearted Lullaby")	Aeri Gotō	Gotō	4:52
7.	"Gunshū" (群衆, "Crowd")	Miyuki Nakajima Gotō	Gotō	4:29
8.	"Mizuumi" (みずうみ, "Lake")	Kumiko Yoshizawa Gotō	Gotō Kadokura Hiroaki Sugawara	4:13
9.	"Forever"	Aeri Gotō	Gotō	4:21
10.	"Mechakucha ni Naite Shimaitai"	Matsui Gotō	Gotō Kadokura	5:00
11.	"X'mas Night"	Aeri	Nobuo Kurata	4:28
Total length:				53:22

Charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Japan Weekly Albums (Oricon)[4]	6

Certification

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[5]	Gold	200,000^^
^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label	Ref.
Japan	November 20, 1992	CD cassette	Pony Canyon	[6]
Various	March 9, 2016	Digital download		[7]

References

1. "オリコン アルバム 1992.12.7". Retrieved January 8, 2018.
2. "工藤静香アルバム アイドル・ポップ・データベース". Retrieved January 8, 2018.
3. "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Taiju']. Oricon. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
4. "Best of Ballade Empathy 工藤静香". Oricon. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
5. "Japanese album certifications – 工藤 静香 – Best of Ballade Empathy" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved January 27, 2021. Select 1992年11月 on the drop-down menu
6. "Release group "Best of Ballade "Empathy"" by 工藤静香". MusicBrainz. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
7. "Best of Ballade Empathy／工藤静香". JP: Mora. Retrieved January 10, 2018.