The Annie Lennox Collection Explained

The Annie Lennox Collection
Type:greatest
Artist:Annie Lennox
Cover:The Annie Lennox Collection.png
Border:yes
Recorded:1992–2008
Label:RCA
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The Annie Lennox Collection is the first greatest hits album by Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox. It was released on 17 February 2009 and contains two brand-new songs, "Shining Light", originally a song by Ash, and a cover version of Keane's B-side "Closer Now", retitled "Pattern of My Life".[1] The artwork was shot by Canadian rock singer Bryan Adams.[2]

Background

About the album, Lennox said, "It seems like the time has come to release the Collection this year. The songs are timeless, and have become 'classics' in their own right."[2]

Finishing her contract with Sony BMG, Lennox released the compilation album The Annie Lennox Collection. Initially intended for release in September 2008, the release date was pushed back several months to allow her to recuperate from a back injury.[3] It was eventually released in the United States on 17 February 2009 by Arista Records and in the United Kingdom and Europe on 9 March 2009 by RCA Records. Included on the album are songs from her four solo albums, one from the Bram Stoker's Dracula soundtrack and two new songs. One of these is a cover version of the Northern Irish band Ash's 2001 song "Shining Light", which became Lennox's first UK top forty solo hit since 1995, peaking at number 39. The other is a cover version of the English band Keane's song "Closer Now" (originally the B-side to their 2000 single "Call Me What You Like"), retitled "Pattern of My Life". The track was released digitally in the UK on 24 May 2009 as the album's second single.

A limited three-disc edition of the album was released only in the UK on the same day, containing a second CD with unreleased live cover versions of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" with Alicia Keys and Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross". Also on the disc is Lennox's Academy Award-winning song "Into the West" from the 2003 film . Other songs were drawn from multi-performer compilation albums including "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye", written by Cole Porter, originally released in 1990 on Red Hot + Blue, "Mama", written by the Sugarcubes, originally released in 1995 on Ain't Nuthin' But A She Thing, the traditional lullaby "Dream Angus" on Carnival! in 1997 and "Ladies of the Canyon" on A Tribute To Joni Mitchell, planned for release in 1999, but not released until 2007. The Paula Cole-penned "Hush, Hush, Hush" was taken from Herbie Hancock's 2005 album Possibilities The third disc is a DVD compilation containing most of Lennox's solo videos from 1992 to 2009 and two live performances.

Commercial performance

The Annie Lennox Collection debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, Lennox's fifth top-10 solo album and fourth top-three album. It spent seven weeks in the top 10 and 25 weeks in the top 100. The album peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200 in the US. Elsewhere, it reached the top five in Ireland, Italy, New Zealand and Norway, and the top 10 in Australia, Croatia and Denmark.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for The Annie Lennox Collection
Chart (2009)Peak
position
Croatian Albums (HDU)[4] 7
European Albums (Billboard)[5] 3
French Compilation Albums (SNEP)[6] 21
Greek International Albums (IFPI)[7] 20

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for The Annie Lennox Collection
Chart (2009)Position
European Albums (Billboard)[8] 81
Italian Albums (FIMI)[9] 54
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10] 47
UK Albums (OCC)[11] 49

Notes and References

  1. Keane, Ash Covers Enrich Lennox's 'Collection' . . 8 August 2008 . 24 March 2013.
  2. Web site: Levine . Nick . Annie Lennox to release first hits album . . 7 August 2008 . 9 August 2008.
  3. Web site: Annie Lennox from the Eurythmics talks about new album . . 20 March 2009 . 30 March 2012.
  4. Web site: Top Kombiniranih – Tjedan 11. 2009. . Top Combined – Week 11, 2009 . hr . . 30 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304193906/http://www.hdu-toplista.com/index.php?what=arhiva&w=details&id=514 . 4 March 2016.
  5. Hits of the World . Billboard . 121 . 13 . 4 April 2009 . 50 . 0006-2510 . Google Books.
  6. Web site: Les classement Compilations – Semaine du 16/03/2009 au 22/03/2009 . fr . . 30 March 2012 . https://archive.today/20120729191846/http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/pag-257573-Compilations.html?cid=272636 . 29 July 2012.
  7. Web site: Top 50 Ξένων Αλμπουμ – Εβδομάδα 14/2009 . Top 50 Foreign Albums – Week 14/2009 . el . . 30 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090425065213/http://www.ifpi.gr/chart01.htm . 25 April 2009.
  8. Year End Charts – European Top 100 Albums . Billboard . 2009 . 30 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121003174206/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2009/european-100-albums . 3 October 2012.
  9. Web site: Classifica annuale 2009 (dal 29.12.2008 al 27.12.2009) . it . . 13 September 2021.
  10. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2009. Recorded Music NZ. 7 February 2022.
  11. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2009 . Official Charts Company . 22 April 2021.