The Essential Barbra Streisand
The singer appears in a black and white photograph.
Compilation album by
Barbra Streisand
ReleasedJanuary 29, 2002 (2002-01-29)
GenrePop
Length150:53
LabelColumbia
Producer
Barbra Streisand chronology
Christmas Memories
(2001)		 The Essential Barbra Streisand
(2002)		 Duets
(2002)

The Essential Barbra Streisand (retitled The Ultimate Collection in some European countries) is the fifth greatest hits album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on January 29, 2002, by Columbia Records. The compilation features 38 songs from Streisand's catalog, in addition to two previously unreleased tracks (covers of "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "You'll Never Walk Alone"). It includes material from 26 of the singer's albums and was described as a collection of, mainly, her pop songs. A reissued version of the compilation was distributed by Columbia and Legacy Recordings in 2008 and includes a bonus disc featuring nine additional songs from Streisand's discography.

Critically, the album was noted for being a comprehensive and complete view of her discography, unlike her previous greatest hits releases. It topped the charts in Ireland, Scotland, and the United Kingdom, and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. The Essential Barbra Streisand also reached the top ten in several countries and was included on four year-end lists. The album has since been certified Platinum in Australia, Europe, New Zealand, Spain, and the United States, and multi-platinum in the United Kingdom.

Background and development

The Essential Barbra Streisand was released on January 29, 2002, by Columbia Records.[1] A compilation of Streisand's "pop-oriented performances",[2] the collection contains two discs featuring 38 songs from Streisand's discography. Representing 26 albums from her career, the first-recorded song included on The Essential Barbra Streisand is "A Sleepin' Bee" from The Barbra Streisand Album (1963), while the most recent track featured is "I've Dreamed of You" from A Love Like Ours (1999).[3] In addition, Streisand included two previously unreleased tracks on the second disc, covers of "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "You'll Never Walk Alone". William Ruhlmann from AllMusic suggested that the former song was recorded during sessions for A Love Like Ours while the latter was meant for her twenty-seventh studio album, Higher Ground (1997).[4] In some European countries, the album was released under the title The Ultimate Collection with an identical track listing.[5]

The Essential Barbra Streisand was reissued on September 30, 2008, through a co-partnership between Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings.[6] The new version featured a bonus third disc with seven more songs from Streisand's back-catalog and two live renditions.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]

The Essential Barbra Streisand was given a perfect five-star rating by AllMusic's William Ruhlmann. He felt that Streisand's discography had not been detailed well on her previous compilations and considered The Essential Barbra Streisand to be the best choice for fans not willing to purchase the expensive box set Just for the Record... (1992). Considering its comprehensiveness, Ruhlmann praised the album's inclusion of her eleven top ten hits and nearly all of her top 40 hits.[4] Tom Santopietro, author of The Importance of Being Barbra: The Brilliant, Tumultuous Career of Barbra Streisand, was disappointed by Streisand's decision to release two greatest hits albums in the same year (the other being Duets). Describing her action as "cynical", he wrote: "At this point, even the most die-hard Streisand fan could be forgiven for expressing frustration at yet another release of 'People' and 'The Way We Were'." However, he praised the inclusion of "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "You'll Never Walk Alone", calling them both "extraordinary" cover tracks.[8] In addition to The Barbra Streisand Album and Stoney End (1971), Phyllis Fulford and Michael Miller, authors of the 2003 book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Singing, listed The Essential Barbra Streisand as one of the singer's "CDs that best represent [her] more pop-oriented performances".[2]

Commercial performance

The Essential Barbra Streisand entered the Billboard 200 at number 15, its peak position, during the week of February 16, 2002. It was the chart's second highest entry of the week, just behind the soundtrack to the 2002 film State Property, which debuted at number 14. It spent a total of nine weeks on the Billboard 200.[9] On March 15, 2002, it was certified Gold as a multi-disc package by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for physical shipments of 250,000 copies; its certification was then upgraded to Platinum, signifying shipments of 500,000 copies, on October 17, 2003.[10] As of June 22, 2007, The Essential Barbra Streisand has sold 506,000 copies in the United States.[11] Elsewhere in North America, it debuted in Canada at number 73 according to the chart published by Nielsen SoundScan.[12]

In Europe, The Essential Barbra Streisand topped the charts in several countries and has been certified Platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for sales upwards of one million.[13] According to the Official Charts Company, it topped the charts in both Scotland and the United Kingdom.[14][15] In the latter country, the compilation spent 49 weeks charting and was ranked on the year-end sales charts for both 2002 and 2003 at positions 36 and 192, respectively.[16][17] It was later certified double-platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for shipments of 600,000 copies.[18] In the same continent, The Essential Barbra Streisand (or The Ultimate Collection in some European territories) topped the Irish Albums Chart,[19] and reached the top ten in Belgium,[20] Denmark,[21] Finland,[22] Germany,[23] Greece,[24] the Netherlands,[25] Norway,[26] and Sweden.[27] In Oceania, the album peaked in Australia and New Zealand at numbers 5 and 3, respectively.[28][29] Both countries issued the compilation double Platinum and platinum respectively.[30][31]

When the album was reissued in 2007 and 2008 in several European countries, it debuted on the album charts in Austria, Italy, and Spain. In the first country, it reached the top twenty and peaked at number 11,[32] and in Italy it peaked at number 75.[33] In Spain, the album originally peaked at number 14 but reentered in 2013 at number 85.[34][35]

Track listing

The Essential Barbra Streisand – Standard edition (disc one)[3]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."A Sleepin' Bee" (from The Barbra Streisand Album, 1963)
Mike Berniker4:22
2."Cry Me a River" (from The Barbra Streisand Album)Arthur HamiltonBerniker3:37
3."I Stayed Too Long at the Fair" (from The Second Barbra Streisand Album, 1963)Billy BarnesBerniker4:20
4."Lover, Come Back to Me" (from The Second Barbra Streisand Album)
Berniker2:17
5."People" (from People, 1964)
Berniker3:40
6."My Man" (from My Name Is Barbra, 1965)
Robert Mersey2:17
7."Second Hand Rose" (from My Name Is Barbra, Two..., 1965)
Mersey2:09
8."He Touched Me" (from My Name Is Barbra, Two...)
Mersey3:10
9."Don't Rain on My Parade" (from Funny Girl, 1968)
  • Styne
  • Merrill
Jack Gold2:45
10."Happy Days Are Here Again" (live; from A Happening in Central Park, 1968)
J. Gold3:14
11."On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" (from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, 1970)
Wally Gold2:11
12."Stoney End" (from Stoney End, 1971)Laura NyroRichard Perry2:59
13."Since I Fell for You" (from Barbra Joan Streisand, 1971)Buddy JohnsonPerry3:25
14."What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" (from The Way We Were, 1974)
W. Gold3:20
15."The Way We Were" (from The Way We Were)
Marty Paich3:30
16."All in Love Is Fair" (from The Way We Were)Stevie WonderTommy LiPuma3:50
17."Lazy Afternoon" (from Lazy Afternoon, 1975)
3:50
18."Evergreen" (from A Star Is Born, 1976)
3:05
19."My Heart Belongs to Me" (from Superman, 1977)Alan Gordon
3:21
20."You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (with Neil Diamond; from Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Volume 2, 1978)
  • A. Bergman
  • M. Bergman
  • Neil Diamond
Bob Gaudio3:24
21."The Main Event/Fight" (from The Main Event, 1979)
Esty4:55
22."No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" (with Donna Summer; from Wet, 1979)
  • Jabara
  • Roberts
Klein4:43
Total length:74:24
The Essential Barbra Streisand – Standard edition (disc two)[3]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Woman in Love" (from Guilty, 1980)
3:51
2."Guilty" (with Barry Gibb; from Guilty)
  • B. Gibb
  • Galuten
  • Richardson
4:24
3."Comin' In and Out of Your Life" (from Memories, 1981)
  • Richard Parker
  • Bobby Whiteside
Andrew Lloyd Webber4:09
4."Memory" (from Memories)
Lloyd Webber3:55
5."Papa, Can You Hear Me?" (from Yentl, 1983)
  • A. Bergman
  • M. Bergman
  • Legrand
  • Streisand
  • A. Bergman
  • M. Bergman
3:29
6."A Piece of Sky" (from Yentl)
  • A. Bergman
  • M. Bergman
  • Legrand
  • Streisand
  • A. Bergman
  • M. Bergman
4:20
7."Putting It Together" (from The Broadway Album, 1985)Stephen Sondheim
4:21
8."Not While I'm Around" (from The Broadway Album)SondheimRichard Baskin3:29
9."Send in the Clowns" (from The Broadway Album)SondheimStreisand4:43
10."Somewhere" (from The Broadway Album)
David Foster4:56
11."All I Ask of You" (from Till I Loved You, 1988)
Ramone4:02
12."Children Will Listen" (from Back to Broadway, 1993)SondheimStreisand4:09
13."As If We Never Said Goodbye" (from Back to Broadway)
4:44
14."I Finally Found Someone" (with Bryan Adams; from The Mirror Has Two Faces, 1996)
Foster3:41
15."Tell Him" (with Celine Dion; from Higher Ground, 1997)
  • Foster
  • Afanasieff
4:51
16."I've Dreamed of You" (from A Love Like Ours, 1999)
Streisand4:44
17."Someday My Prince Will Come"
4:06
18."You'll Never Walk Alone"
Streisand4:35
Total length:76:29
The Essential Barbra Streisand – 2008 reissued edition (bonus disc)[7]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Letting Go" (from Guilty Pleasures, 2005)
  • George Bitzer
  • B. Gibb
  • B. Gibb
  • John Merchant
3:48
2."Love Like Ours" (from A Love Like Ours)
Streisand3:56
3."At the Same Time" (from Higher Ground)CallawayStreisand4:16
4."By the Way" (from Lazy Afternoon)
  • Streisand
  • Holmes
  • Lesser
  • Holmes
2:55
5."Unusual Way" (live; from Live in Concert 2006, 2007)Maury Yeston
  • Streisand
  • Jay Landers
3:31
6."Evergreen" (live; from One Voice, 1987)
  • Streisand
  • Williams
Baskin3:07
7."Wild Is the Wind" (from The Movie Album, 2003)
Streisand4:10
8."On My Way to You" (from Till I Loved You)
  • A. Bergman
  • M. Bergman
  • Legrand
Streisand3:43
9."After the Rain" (from Wet)
  • A. Bergman
  • M. Bergman
  • Legrand
Klein3:41
Total length:33:07

Personnel

Personnel adapted from AllMusic.[36]

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for The Essential Barbra Streisand
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[30] 2× Platinum 140,000‡
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[47] Gold 15,840[47]
France (SNEP)[48] Gold 100,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[31] Platinum 15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[49] Platinum 100,000^
Sweden (GLF)[50] Gold 30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] 2× Platinum 600,000^
United States (RIAA)[10] Platinum 506,000[11]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[13] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for The Essential Barbra Streisand
Region Date Format(s) Edition Label Ref.
Various January 29, 2002 CD Standard Columbia [4]
United States September 30, 2008 Deluxe
[6]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ "Album – The Essential Barbra Streisand – Barbra Streisand". iTunes Store (US). January 29, 2002. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Fulford & Miller 2003, p. 158
  3. 1 2 3 The Essential Barbra Streisand (Liner notes). Barbra Streisand. Columbia. 2002. C2K 86123.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. 1 2 3 4 Ruhlmann, William. "Barbra Streisand – The Essential Barbra Streisand". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  5. ↑ The Ultimate Collection (Liner notes). Barbra Streisand. Columbia. 2002. 506257 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. 1 2 "The Essential Barbra Streisand 3.0 – Barbra Streisand – Format: Audio CD". Amazon.com (US). Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  7. 1 2 The Essential Barbra Streisand (Liner notes). Barbra Streisand (Reissued ed.). Columbia, Legacy. 2008. 88897 34570 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ Santopietro 2007, p. 56
  9. 1 2 "Barbra Streisand Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  10. 1 2 "American album certifications – Barbra Streisand – The Essential Barbra Streisand". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  11. 1 2 Caulfield, Keith (June 22, 2007). "Keith discusses top debuts, Barbra Streisand, Tiffany and more". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Canadian Albums Chart: February 7, 2002". Jam!. Archived from the original on December 13, 2004. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  13. 1 2 "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2004". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  14. 1 2 "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  15. 1 2 "Barbra Streisand | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  16. 1 2 "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 - 2002". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  17. 1 2 "2003 Year-End Charts" (PDF). Official Charts Company. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  18. 1 2 "British album certifications – Barbra Streisand – The Essential". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 26, 2013. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type The Essential in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  19. 1 2 "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 11, 2002". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  20. 1 2 "Ultratop.be – Barbra Streisand – The Essential" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  21. 1 2 "Danishcharts.dk – Barbra Streisand – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  22. 1 2 "Barbra Streisand: The Essential" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  23. 1 2 "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  24. 1 2 "Greek Foreign Albums Chart (31/5 - 5/6)". IFPI Greece. May 31, 2002. Archived from the original on June 5, 2004. Retrieved June 2, 2002.
  25. 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Barbra Streisand – The Essential" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  26. 1 2 "Norwegiancharts.com – Barbra Streisand – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  27. 1 2 "Swedishcharts.com – Barbra Streisand – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  28. 1 2 "Australiancharts.com – Barbra Streisand – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  29. 1 2 "Charts.nz – Barbra Streisand – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  30. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  31. 1 2 "New Zealand album certifications – Barbra Streisand – The Essential". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  32. 1 2 "Austriancharts.at – Barbra Streisand – The Essential" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  33. 1 2 "Italiancharts.com – Barbra Streisand – The Essential". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  34. 1 2 Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  35. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Barbra Streisand – The Essential". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on January 12, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  36. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Barbra Streisand – The Essential Barbra Streisand – Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Barbra Streisand – The Ultimate Collection" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Barbra Streisand – The Essential" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Barbra Streisand – The Ultimate Collection" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Barbra Streisand – The Ultimate Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  41. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 2002". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  42. ↑ "Rapports Annuels 2002" (in French). Ultratop. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
  43. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 2002". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  45. ↑ "Årslista Album – År 2002" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  46. ↑ "UK Year-End Charts 2007" (PDF). Official Charts Company. ChartsPlus. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  47. 1 2 "Barbara Streisand" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  48. ↑ "French album certifications – Barbra Streisand – The Essential" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  49. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 966. ISBN 8480486392.
  50. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2002" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17. Retrieved March 20, 2016.

Bibliography

  • Fulford, Phyllis; Miller, Michael (2003). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Singing (illustrated ed.). Penguin. ISBN 1592570860.
  • Santopietro, Tom (April 1, 2007). The Importance of Being Barbra: The Brilliant, Tumultuous Career of Barbra Streisand. Macmillan. ISBN 978-1429908535.

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