The Ultimate Collection (Billy Joel album)

The Ultimate Collection is a double-disc compilation album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. It was first released by Sony Music Entertainment Japan in December 2000, and subsequently issued in the most of European and Oceanian countries with slightly different track listings (replacing Japanese top-3 charting hit "The Stranger" with live version of "You're My Home").

The Ultimate Collection
Greatest hits album by Billy Joel
Released	December 20, 2000[1]
Recorded	1973-1993
Genre	Rock, pop
Length	153:09 155:07 (Japanese edition)
Label	Sony/Columbia
Producer	Phil Ramone, Michael Omartian, Billy Joel, Mick Jones, Danny Kortchmar, Joe Nicolo, David Thoener
Billy Joel chronology
2000 Years: The Millennium Concert (2000) The Ultimate Collection (2000) Fantasies & Delusions (2001)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

This career-spanning compilation features some of Joel's early notable compositions and hit singles which were disregarded on his Greatest Hits series, although several fan favorites like "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", "Pressure" and "Big Shot" were excluded alternatively. It became a smash hit worldwide, entering top-5 on the charts in several countries including United Kingdom.

The Ultimate Collection was not issued in the United States, however Legacy Recordings released another similar compilation The Essential in October 2001.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Billy Joel

Disc one

No.	Title	Original album	Length
1.	"Just the Way You Are"	The Stranger, 1977	4:50
2.	"My Life"	52nd Street, 1978	4:43
3.	"It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"	Glass Houses, 1980	2:57
4.	"An Innocent Man"	An Innocent Man, 1983	5:18
5.	"Piano Man"	Piano Man, 1973	5:37
6.	"You're My Home"	Piano Man	3:12
7.	"Everybody Loves You Now" (Live version)	Songs in the Attic, 1981	3:11
8.	"The Entertainer"	Streetlife Serenade, 1974	3:40
9.	"Streetlife Serenader"	Streetlife Serenade	5:16
10.	"New York State of Mind"	Turnstiles, 1976	6:03
11.	"Say Goodbye to Hollywood"	Turnstiles	4:38
12.	"She's Got a Way" (Live version)	Songs in the Attic	3:00
13.	"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"	The Stranger	3:29
14.	"She's Always a Woman"	The Stranger	3:20
15.	"Honesty"	52nd Street	3:49
16.	"You May Be Right"	Glass Houses	4:12
17.	"Don't Ask Me Why"	Glass Houses	2:57
18.	"Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" (Live version)	Songs in the Attic	5:09

Disc two

No.	Title	Original album	Length
1.	"Uptown Girl"	An Innocent Man	3:16
2.	"Tell Her About It"	An Innocent Man	3:50
3.	"The River of Dreams"	River of Dreams, 1993	4:07
4.	"The Longest Time"	An Innocent Man	3:37
5.	"We Didn't Start the Fire"	Storm Front, 1989	4:47
6.	"Goodnight Saigon"	The Nylon Curtain, 1982	7:02
7.	"Allentown"	The Nylon Curtain	3:49
8.	"All for Leyna"	Glass Houses	4:12
9.	"This Is the Time"	The Bridge, 1986	4:59
10.	"Leave a Tender Moment Alone"	An Innocent Man	3:53
11.	"A Matter of Trust"	The Bridge	4:08
12.	"Modern Woman"	The Bridge	3:50
13.	"Baby Grand" (Duet with Ray Charles)	The Bridge	4:04
14.	"I Go to Extremes"	Storm Front	4:21
15.	"Leningrad"	Storm Front	4:03
16.	"The Downeaster 'Alexa'"	Storm Front	3:43
17.	"You're Only Human (Second Wind)"	Greatest Hits Volume II, 1985	4:48
18.	"All About Soul" (Remix)	Greatest Hits Volume III, 1997	5:58

Chart positions

Weekly charts Chart (2001–2006) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[3] 12 Australian Music DVD (ARIA)[4] 9 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[5] 2 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[6] 36 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] 58 Japanese Albums (Oricon) Japanese International Albums (Oricon) New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[8] 2 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[9] 3 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[10] 3 UK Albums (OCC)[11] 4

Year-end charts End of year chart (2001) Position New Zealand Albums Chart[12] 16 UK Albums Chart[13] 36

Chart (2001–03)	Position	Weeks
French Albums (SNEP)[14]	12	3
Irish Albums (IRMA)[15]	1	32 (top 50)
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[16][17]	21	10 (top 100)
Japanese International Albums (Oricon)[18]	4

Chart (2006–07)	Position	Weeks
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[19]	19	33 (top 300)
Japanese International Albums (Oricon)[20]	3

Certifications

Album Sales certifications for The Ultimate Collection Region Certification Certified units/sales Australia (ARIA)[21] 2× Platinum 140,000^^ Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[22] Gold 25,000^^ France — 44,000[23] Japan (RIAJ)[24] Platinum 200,000^^ New Zealand (RMNZ)[25] 2× Platinum 30,000^^ Norway (IFPI Norway)[26] Gold 25,000^* Sweden (GLF)[27] Gold 40,000^^ United Kingdom (BPI)[28] Platinum 300,000^^ ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Video Sales certifications for The Ultimate Collection Region Certification Certified units/sales Australia (ARIA)[4] Gold 7,500^^ New Zealand (RMNZ)[29] Platinum 5,000^^ United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Gold 25,000^^ ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. "Sony Music Online Japan International -Billy Joel-". sonymusic.co.jp (in Japanese). Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
2. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r526907
3. "Australiancharts.com – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
4. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mount Martha, Melbourne, Victoria: Moonlight Publishing.
5. "Danishcharts.dk – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
6. "Dutchcharts.nl – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
8. "Charts.nz – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
9. "Norwegiancharts.com – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
10. "Swedishcharts.com – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
11. "Billy Joel | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
12. "The Top 50 Albums of 2001". Retrieved 4 February 2015.
13. 2001 in British music#Top 40 Singles
14. https://web.archive.org/web/20150715183553/http://www.infodisc.fr/Albums_Detail.php. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
15. http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Billy+Joel. Retrieved September 22, 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
16. "- Yamachan Land (Archives of the Japanese record charts) - Albums Chart Daijiten - Billy Joel" (in Japanese). December 30, 2007. Archived from the original on June 19, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
17. "(Highest position and charting weeks of Ultimate Collection by Billy Joel)". oricon.co.jp. Oricon Style. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
18. "Google Translate".
19. "(Highest position and charting weeks for reissue of The Ultimate Collection by Billy Joel)". oricon.co.jp. Oricon Style. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
20. "Google Translate".
21. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
22. "Album Top 40 – Danmarks officielle hitlister". Hitlisten (in Danish). hitlisten.nu. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
23. Les Meilleures Ventes de CD / Albums "Tout Temps" at the Wayback Machine (archived 24 December 2020)
24. "Japanese album certifications – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 24 December 2020. Select 2007年5月 on the drop-down menu
25. "New Zealand album certifications – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
26. IFPI Norsk platebransje – Trofeer at the Wayback Machine (archived 5 November 2012)
27. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2001" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
28. "British album certifications – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 December 2020. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type The Ultimate Collection in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
29. Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts: 1966–2006. Maurienne House. ISBN 978-1-877443-00-8.
30. "British video certifications – Billy Joel – The Ultimate Collection". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 December 2020. Select videos in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type The Ultimate Collection in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.