Greatest Hits 1970–2002
Greatest Hits 1970–2002 is a career-spanning compilation album of popular songs by Elton John, released on UTV Records in 2002. It debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 12 on 30 November 2002, for a total run of 67 weeks. It was certified gold and platinum in December 2002, double platinum in March 2003, triple platinum in August 2004, 4x and 5x platinum simultaneously in February 2011, and 6× platinum in April 2016 by the RIAA.[1]
Greatest Hits 1970–2002 | ||||
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Greatest hits album by Elton John | ||||
Released | 11 November 2002 | |||
Recorded | 1970–2002 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 2:36:46 | |||
Label | UTV | |||
Elton John chronology | ||||
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It was the first Elton John compilation released since PolyGram, which had controlled the pre-1976 Elton John catalog, was sold to Universal Music Group, which controlled the post-1976 recordings. Before 1992, rights to John's music had been complicated as they shifted between various companies. UMG now owns worldwide distribution rights to all of John's music, while sharing overall ownership with John himself. It was configured differently for the American and European markets, and also available in a three-compact disc version in addition to the standard two-disc version. It contains every song released on the first two greatest hits packages released respectively in 1974 and 1977, with the exceptions of "Border Song" on Greatest Hits; "Grow Some Funk of Your Own," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," and "Pinball Wizard" from Greatest Hits Vol. II, as well as "Levon" in the European version. All of those excepting for "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" are available on the bonus disc to the European edition.
In 2004, the album was reissued with the 2003 UK number 1 hit "Are You Ready for Love" as the final track on the second disc, replacing "Song for Guy". "Kiss the Bride" was also omitted to make room for the remake of "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" featuring the boy band Blue. The two newer hits are appended at the end of the third disc for the expanded editions, leaving the second disc tracklisting intact.
Track listing
All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin unless otherwise noted.
European release
No. | Title | Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Your Song" | Elton John, 1970 | 4:03 |
2. | "Tiny Dancer" | Madman Across the Water, 1971 | 6:16 |
3. | "Honky Cat" | Honky Château, 1972 | 5:13 |
4. | "Rocket Man" | Honky Château | 4:42 |
5. | "Crocodile Rock" | Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, 1973 | 3:55 |
6. | "Daniel" | Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player | 3:54 |
7. | "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973 | 4:54 |
8. | "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | 3:14 |
9. | "Candle in the Wind" | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | 3:50 |
10. | "Bennie and the Jets" | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | 5:23 |
11. | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | Caribou, 1974 | 5:37 |
12. | "The Bitch Is Back" | Caribou | 3:45 |
13. | "Philadelphia Freedom" (edited version) | Non-album single, 1975 | 5:20 |
14. | "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" | Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, 1975 | 6:45 |
15. | "Island Girl" | Rock of the Westies, 1975 | 3:43 |
16. | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with Kiki Dee) | Non-album single, 1976 | 4:35 |
17. | "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" | Blue Moves, 1976 | 3:52 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Levon" | Madman Across the Water | 5:23 | |
2. | "Border Song" | Elton John | 3:23 | |
3. | "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (7" edit) | John Lennon, Paul McCartney | Non-album single, 1974 | 5:57 |
4. | "Pinball Wizard" | Pete Townshend | Tommy soundtrack, 1975 | 5:17 |
5. | "True Love" (featuring Kiki Dee) | Cole Porter | Duets, 1993 | 3:34 |
6. | "Live Like Horses" (featuring Luciano Pavarotti) (single version) | The Big Picture | 5:08 | |
7. | "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" | Reg Strikes Back, 1988 | 4:32 | |
8. | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (featuring George Michael) (live) | Duets | 5:48 | |
9. | "Your Song" (featuring Alessandro Safina) | Previously unissued, 2002 | 4:24 |
North American release
No. | Title | Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Your Song" | Elton John | |
2. | "Levon" | Madman Across the Water | |
3. | "Tiny Dancer" | Madman Across the Water | |
4. | "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)" | Honky Château | |
5. | "Honky Cat" | Honky Château | |
6. | "Crocodile Rock" | Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player | |
7. | "Daniel" | Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player | |
8. | "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | |
9. | "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | |
10. | "Candle in the Wind" | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | |
11. | "Bennie and the Jets" | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | |
12. | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | Caribou | |
13. | "The Bitch Is Back" | Caribou | |
14. | "Philadelphia Freedom" (edited version) | Non-album single | |
15. | "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" | Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy | |
16. | "Island Girl" | Rock of the Westies | |
17. | "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" | Blue Moves |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with Kiki Dee) | Non-album single | ||
2. | "Little Jeannie" | Elton John, Gary Osborne | 21 at 33 | |
3. | "I'm Still Standing" | Too Low for Zero | ||
4. | "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" | Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Davey Johnstone | Too Low for Zero | |
5. | "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" | Breaking Hearts | ||
6. | "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" | Reg Strikes Back | ||
7. | "Nikita" | Ice on Fire | ||
8. | "Sacrifice" | Sleeping with the Past | ||
9. | "The One" | The One | ||
10. | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" | Tim Rice, Elton John | The Lion King soundtrack | |
11. | "Circle of Life" | Tim Rice, Elton John | The Lion King soundtrack | |
12. | "Believe" | Made in England | ||
13. | "Blessed" | Made in England | ||
14. | "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" (single edit) | The Big Picture | ||
15. | "Written in the Stars" (with LeAnn Rimes) | Tim Rice, Elton John | Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida | |
16. | "I Want Love" | Songs from the West Coast | ||
17. | "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" | Songs from the West Coast |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Candle in the Wind" (live) | 4:02 |
2. | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (with George Michael) (live) | 5:49 |
3. | "Live Like Horses" (with Luciano Pavarotti) (single version) | 5:08 |
4. | "Your Song" (with Alessandro Safina) | 4:19 |
Charts
Chart (2002) | Peak position |
---|---|
Irish Albums Chart[2] | 8 |
Italian Top 20 Albums[3] | 13 |
New Zealand Top 40 Albums[4] | 8 |
Norwegian Top 40 Albums[5] | 6 |
Spanish Albums Chart[6] | 10 |
UK Albums Chart[7] | 3 |
US Billboard 200[8] | 12 |
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
Australian Top 50 Albums[9] | 6 |
Austrian Top 75 Albums[10] | 19 |
Belgium (Flanders) 100 Albums[11] | 8 |
Belgium (Wallonia) 100 Albums[12] | 30 |
Danish Top 40 Albums[13] | 2 |
French Compilations[14] | 3 |
German Albums[15] | 19 |
Japanese Albums Chart[16] | 45 |
Netherlands Top 100 Albums[17] | 14 |
Swedish Top 60 Albums[18] | 12 |
Swiss Top 100 Albums[19] | 12 |
Chart (2005) | Peak position |
US Catalog Albums[8] | 12 |
Chart (2006) | Peak position |
Spanish Top 100 Albums[20] | 80 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[21] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[22] | Gold | 15,000* |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[23] | Gold | 50,000* |
Canada (Music Canada)[24] | 4× Platinum | 400,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[25] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
France (SNEP)[26] | Gold | 100,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[27] | Gold | 150,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[28] | 2× Platinum | 30,000^ |
Norway (IFPI Norway)[29] | Platinum | 40,000* |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[30] certified in 2002 |
Gold | 20,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[30] certified in 2003 |
Gold | 20,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] | 5× Platinum | 1,500,000* |
United States (RIAA)[32] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000![]() |
Summaries | ||
Europe (IFPI)[33] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- RIAA Gold and Platinum web page retrieved 28 August 2020
- http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Elton+John. Missing or empty
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(help) - "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). Italian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- "Chart Archive: Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 23rd November 2002". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Greatest Hits 1970–2002 – Elton John". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). Australian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). Italian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). Danish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original (PHP) on 18 February 2010. Find "Elton JOHN" under the drop-down menu to see statistics.
- "Chartverfolgung / JOHN, ELTON / Longplay". Music Line (in German). Media Control Charts. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Artist Ranking CD Album". Oricon Style (in Japanese). Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). Schweizer Hitparade. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970–2002 (Album)" (ASP). Spanish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2003 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "Austrian album certifications – Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970-2002" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "Brazilian album certifications – Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970-2002" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "Canadian album certifications – Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970-2002". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "Danish album certifications – Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970-2002". IFPI Denmark. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "French album certifications – Elton John – Greatest Hits 1979 -2002" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Elton John; 'Greatest Hits')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "New Zealand album certifications – Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970-2002". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Elton John; 'Greatest Hits 1970-2002')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "British album certifications – Elton John – Greatest Hits 1970-2002". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- "American album certifications – Elton John – The Greatest Hits 1970-2002". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 25 December 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2003". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 December 2020.