Ultimate (Pet Shop Boys album)
Encyclopedia
Ultimate is a greatest hits compilation album
by UK
electronic music
band Pet Shop Boys
. It is their third greatest hits album, released on 1 November 2010 by their long-time label Parlophone
. The album contains 18 previously-released singles, in chronological order, and one new song ("Together
"). Ultimate was released to celebrate 25 years since the band's first single release "West End Girls
" in standard single-CD and expanded CD/DVD configurations. It charted at #27 on the UK Albums Chart
on 7 November 2010 and at #50 on the European Top 100 Albums
on 20 November 2010.
The single "Together
", containing two cover tracks and an extended version of the song was released on October 24, 2010 digitally and on 29 November physically.
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
by UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
band Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
. It is their third greatest hits album, released on 1 November 2010 by their long-time label Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
. The album contains 18 previously-released singles, in chronological order, and one new song ("Together
Together (Pet Shop Boys song)
"Together" is a 2010 single by British electronic dance music band Pet Shop Boys released to promote their 2010 greatest hits album, Ultimate. It was released on Parlophone Records as a digital download on 24 October and as a physical release on 29 November 2010.The song received its first play on...
"). Ultimate was released to celebrate 25 years since the band's first single release "West End Girls
West End Girls
"West End Girls" is a song by British pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the song was released twice as a single. It is a synthpop song, influenced by hip hop music. The lyrics focus on class, and inner-city pressure, and were inspired by T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land...
" in standard single-CD and expanded CD/DVD configurations. It charted at #27 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
on 7 November 2010 and at #50 on the European Top 100 Albums
European Top 100 Albums
The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100...
on 20 November 2010.
The single "Together
Together (Pet Shop Boys song)
"Together" is a 2010 single by British electronic dance music band Pet Shop Boys released to promote their 2010 greatest hits album, Ultimate. It was released on Parlophone Records as a digital download on 24 October and as a physical release on 29 November 2010.The song received its first play on...
", containing two cover tracks and an extended version of the song was released on October 24, 2010 digitally and on 29 November physically.
CD and digital download
- all songs written by Neil TennantNeil TennantNeil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
and Chris LoweChris LoweChris Lowe is an English musician, who, with colleague Neil Tennant, makes up the pop duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
except where noted.- "West End GirlsWest End Girls"West End Girls" is a song by British pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the song was released twice as a single. It is a synthpop song, influenced by hip hop music. The lyrics focus on class, and inner-city pressure, and were inspired by T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land...
" - "SuburbiaSuburbia (song)"Suburbia" is a song by UK synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was remixed and released as the fourth single from the album Please in 1986 and became the band's second UK Top 10 hit, peaking at #8.-Overview:...
" - "It's a SinIt's a Sin"It's a Sin" is a song recorded by Pet Shop Boys which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in 1987.-Background and writing:...
" - "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" (with Dusty SpringfieldDusty SpringfieldMary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
) (Tennant, Lowe, Allee WillisAllee WillisAllee Willis is an American songwriter, artist, set designer, multimedia artist, writer, collector and director.-Overview:...
) - "Always on My Mind" (Johnny Christopher, Mark JamesMark James (songwriter)Mark James is a songwriter, famous for writing hits for singers B.J. Thomas, Brenda Lee, and Elvis Presley, most notably Elvis' last US number one hit single, "Suspicious Minds."-History:...
, Wayne CarsonWayne CarsonWayne Carson Thompson is an American country musician. He is a songwriter, producer and plays percussion, piano, guitar, and bass. His most famous songs include "Neon Rainbow", "The Letter", "Always on My Mind" , and "Soul Deep".-Biography:Born in Denver, Colorado, his parents, Odie and Olivia...
) - "HeartHeart (Pet Shop Boys song)"Heart" is a song recorded by Pet Shop Boys which reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in April 1988 . This is also their last number 1 song to date...
" - "Domino DancingDomino Dancing"Domino Dancing" is a song recorded by the British synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys which reached #7 on the UK Singles Chart. It was released as the lead single from their 1988 album, Introspective.-Song:...
" - "Left to My Own DevicesLeft to My Own Devices"Left to My Own Devices" is a song recorded by Pet Shop Boys, released as the second single from their third studio album, Introspective. It was also the first track of the album. It is their 9th best selling-hit....
" - "Being BoringBeing Boring"Being Boring" is a single by the British pop group Pet Shop Boys.As the second single from the 1990 album Behaviour, after "So Hard" which was released before the album, "Being Boring" was not particularly successful upon release, only reaching number twenty in the UK Singles Chart and being the...
" - "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes off You)"Where the Streets Have No Name " is a 1991 single by UK synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. The song is a medley of covers of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", the 1960s single by Frankie Valli, though in an arrangement informed by the 1981 disco version of the song...
" (Adam ClaytonAdam ClaytonAdam Charles Clayton is a musician, best known as the bassist of the Irish rock band U2. Clayton has resided in County Dublin since the time his family moved to Malahide when he was five years old in 1965...
, BonoBonoPaul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
, Larry Mullen, Jr., The EdgeThe EdgeDavid Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
, Bob CreweBob CreweBob Crewe is an American songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, record producer and fine artist. He is known for producing, and co-writing with Bob Gaudio, a string of Top 10 singles for The Four Seasons...
, Bob GaudioBob GaudioRobert John "Bob" Gaudio is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist/backing vocalist for The Four Seasons.-Early career:...
) - "Go West" (Jacques MoraliJacques MoraliJacques Morali was a French music producer, who is best remembered for being the creator and driving force behind the disco group, Village People....
, Henri BeloloHenri BeloloHenri Belolo is a French music producer active during the disco era. Together with his friend and composer Jacques Morali, he created The Ritchie Family as well as their most successful group, Village People....
, Victor WillisVictor WillisVictor Edward Willis is a singer, songwriter, actor; and most known as the original lead singer of the disco group Village People. His persona was the Cop and Naval Officer....
, Tennant, Lowe) - "BeforeBefore (song)"Before" is a single by UK electronic music group Pet Shop Boys released as the first single from the group's 1996 album Bilingual. The single, upon its release, peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, it reached #1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play and reached #7 on the US Bubbling Under...
" - "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)"Se a vida é " is a Pet Shop Boys song that was released as a single on 12 August 1996, and reached number eight in the UK Singles Chart....
" - "New York City BoyNew York City Boy"New York City Boy" is the second single off the album Nightlife by British music group Pet Shop Boys. In the UK, the single peaked at #14 on the UK Singles Chart...
" - "Home and DryHome and Dry"Home and dry" is a song by British music group Pet Shop Boys released as the first UK single and the second US single from their album Release. It reached the top 15 on the UK Singles Chart at #14 and peaked at #44 on the US Hot Dance Club Play....
" - "Miracles" (Tennant, Lowe, Adam FAdam FAdam F is an English jungle and drum and bass DJ, and film actor.-Career:An early album was the techstep effort, Metropolis/Mother Earth, released in 1997 on the Metalheadz record label. His other early successes were the tracks "F-Jam" and "Circles"...
, Dan SteinFresh (musician)DJ Fresh is an English Drum & Bass and Dubstep producer and DJ. He was one of the principal members of drum & bass supergroup, Bad Company, alongside Darren White , Jason Maldini, and Michael Wojcicki...
) - "I'm With Stupid"
- "Love etc.Love etc."Love etc." is a song by English electronic duo Pet Shop Boys from their tenth studio album, Yes . It was released on 16 March 2009 as the album's lead single...
" (Tennant, Lowe, Brian HigginsBrian Higgins (producer)Brian Thomas Higgins is a British music producer who has written and produced albums and tracks for several highly successful pop music singers and groups, most notably Girls Aloud, through his Xenomania production group...
, Miranda CooperMiranda CooperMiranda Eleanor De Fonbrune Cooper has been on the UK charts longer than any other female songwriter in the country. In 2007 Harper's Bazaar wrote of her: ‘If it's a hit you want, you'd better talk to Cooper...
, Parker, Tim PowellTim Powell (producer)Tim Powell is a UK-based songwriter, producer and mixer. Powell was a key member of the writing and production house Xenomania for fourteen years. His first hit "All I Wanna Do" for Dannii_Minogue peaked at number four in the UK Singles Chart in 1997...
) - "TogetherTogether (Pet Shop Boys song)"Together" is a 2010 single by British electronic dance music band Pet Shop Boys released to promote their 2010 greatest hits album, Ultimate. It was released on Parlophone Records as a digital download on 24 October and as a physical release on 29 November 2010.The song received its first play on...
" (Tennant, Lowe, Powell)
- "West End Girls
DVD
- "West End Girls" (Top of the PopsTop of the PopsTop of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, 15/12/85) - "Love Comes Quickly" (Top of the Pops, 20/03/86) (Tennant, Lowe, Stephen HagueStephen HagueStephen Hague is an American music producer most active with various British acts in the 1980s. He was an influential figure in the synthpop movement.-Early career:...
) - "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" (BBC 2's Whistle Test, 29/04/86)
- "Suburbia" (Top of the Pops, 02/10/86)
- "It's a Sin" (Top of the Pops, 25/06/87)
- "Rent" (Top of the Pops, 22/10/87)
- "Always on My Mind" (Top of the Pops, 10/12/87) (Johnny Christopher, Mark James, Wayne Carson Thompson)
- "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" (Brit AwardsBrit AwardsThe Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, 08/02/88) (Tennant, Lowe, Allee Willis) - "Heart" (BBC 1's WoganWoganWogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers. The Wogan show was initially broadcast on Tuesday evenings on BBC1 in 1981 and from 1982 to 1984, it moved into the...
, 30/03/88) - "Domino Dancing" (Top of the Pops, 22/09/88)
- "Left to My Own Devices" (Top of the Pops, 01/12/88)
- "So Hard" (BBC 1's Wogan, 28/09/90)
- "Being Boring" (Top of the Pops, 29/11/90)
- "Can You Forgive Her?" (Top of the Pops, 10/06/93)
- "Liberation" (Top of the Pops, 07/04/94)
- "Paninaro '95" (Top of the Pops, 03/08/95)
- "Se a Vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" (Top of the Pops, 02/12/03)
- "A Red Letter Day" (Top of the Pops, 28/03/97)
- "Somewhere" ('Top of the Pops, 04/07/97) (Leonard BernsteinLeonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
, Stephen SondheimStephen SondheimStephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
) - "I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More" (Top of the Pops, 30/07/99)
- "New York City Boy" (Top of the Pops, 08/10/99)
- "You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk" (Top of the Pops, 14/01/00)
- "Home and Dry" (Top of the Pops, 29/03/02)
- "I Get Along" (Top of the Pops 2, 17/04/02)
- "Miracles" (Top of the Pops, 14/11/03)
- "Flamboyant" (Top of the Pops, 19/03/04)
- "I'm with Stupid" (Top of the Pops, 23/04/06)
- Live at Glastonbury 2010 (BBC ThreeBBC ThreeBBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
26/06/10)
Chart performance
Chart | Peak position |
---|---|
German Albums Chart | 35 |
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
27 |
Swiss Albums Chart | 73 |
Swedish Albums Chart | 46 |
Belgian Albums Chart | 47 |
Spanish Albums Chart | 42 |
Mexican Albums Chart | 93 |
European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
50 |