The Very Best of Elvis Costello explained

The Very Best of Elvis Costello
Type:	greatest
Artist:	Elvis Costello
Cover:	The Very Best of Elvis Costello.jpg
Released:	2 August 1999
Recorded:	1977–1998
Genre:	New wave, punk rock, pub rock, power pop, pop rock
Length:	154:07
Label:	Polygram
Producer:	Elvis Costello, Burt Bacharach, T-Bone Burnett, Geoff Emerick, Larry Kalman Hirsch, Trevor Jones, Kevin Killen, Nick Lowe, Clive Langer, Billy Sherrill, Alan Winstanley
Prev Title:	For the Stars
Prev Year:	2001
Next Title:	When I Was Cruel
Next Year:	2002

The Very Best of Elvis Costello is a compilation album by English musician Elvis Costello, first released on 21 September 1999 through Polygram Records. The album spanned his recorded work from 1977 through 1998. It was re-released less than two years later on Rhino Records as the first entry in their comprehensive Costello reissue series.

Track listing

All songs written by Elvis Costello unless otherwise indicated.

Disc one

1. "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" (Nick Lowe) (single, 1978) – 3:31
2. "Oliver's Army" (from Armed Forces, 1979) – 2:57
3. "Watching the Detectives" (single, 1977) – 3:43
4. "Alison" (from My Aim Is True, 1977) – 3:21
5. "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" (from This Year's Model, 1978) – 3:07
6. "Accidents Will Happen" (from Armed Forces, 1979) – 3:01
7. "Pump It Up" (from This Year's Model, 1978) – 3:13
8. "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" (Homer Banks, Alan Jones) (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 2:05
9. "Radio Radio" (single, 1978) – 3:06
10. "Clubland" (from Trust, 1981) – 3:43
11. "A Good Year for the Roses" (Jerry Chesnut) (from Almost Blue, 1981) – 3:35
12. "Man Out of Time" (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982) – 5:25
13. "I Wanna Be Loved" (Farnell Jenkins) (from Goodbye Cruel World, 1984) – 4:46
14. "Everyday I Write the Book" (from Punch the Clock, 1983) – 3:52
15. "Brilliant Mistake" (from King of America, 1986) – 3:41
16. "The Other Side of Summer" (from Mighty Like a Rose, 1991) – 3:53
17. "Tokyo Storm Warning" (from Blood and Chocolate, 1986) – 6:23
18. "Sulky Girl" (from Brutal Youth, 1994) – 5:04
19. "So Like Candy" (MacManus, McCartney) (from Mighty Like a Rose, 1991) – 4:35
20. "Veronica" (MacManus, McCartney) (from Spike, 1989) – 3:07
21. "She" (Charles Aznavour, Herbert Kretzmer) (from Soundtrack to Notting Hill, 1999) – 3:05

Disc two

1. "Big Tears" (B-side of "Pump It Up" single, 1978) – 3:10
2. "Beyond Belief" (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982) – 2:33
3. "Lipstick Vogue" (from This Year's Model, 1978) – 3:31
4. "Green Shirt" (from Armed Forces, 1979) – 2:44
5. "Pills and Soap" (from Punch the Clock, 1983) – 3:43
6. "Tramp the Dirt Down" (from Spike), 1989) – 5:41
7. "Shipbuilding" (MacManus, Clive Langer) (from Punch the Clock, 1983) – 4:51
8. "High Fidelity" (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 2:28
9. "New Lace Sleeves" (from Trust, 1981) – 3:47
10. "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" (from My Aim Is True, 1977) – 2:46
11. "Talking in the Dark" (single, 1979) – 1:57
12. "New Amsterdam" (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 2:13
13. "I Hope You're Happy Now" (from Blood and Chocolate, 1986) – 3:07
14. "Riot Act" (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 3:34
15. "My Funny Valentine" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) (B-side from "Oliver's Army" single, 1979) – 1:29
16. "Indoor Fireworks" (from King of America, 1986) – 4:09
17. "Almost Blue" (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982) – 2:49
18. "I Want You" (from Blood and Chocolate, 1986) – 6:43
19. "God Give Me Strength" (Burt Bacharach, MacManus) (from Painted from Memory, 1998) – 6:10
20. "That Day Is Done" (MacManus, McCartney) (I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray, 1997) – 5:10
21. "I Want to Vanish" (from All This Useless Beauty, 1996) – 3:14

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)	Position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[1]	99
UK Albums (OCC)^[2]	99

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1999. dutchcharts.nl. 4 September 2020.
2. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1999. Official Charts Company. 4 September 2020.