The Very Best of Enya
Introduction '''''The Very Best of Enya''''' is the second greatest hits album by the Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 23 November 2009 by Warner Bros. Records. After promoting her previous studio album ''And Winter Came...'' (2008), Warner Music asked Enya to release a new compilation of her favourite songs of her career, and chose a selection with her longtime collaborators, producer and arranger Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan.The album received mostly positive reviews from music critics and peaked at number 32 on the UK Albums Chart and number 55 on the ''Billboard'' 200 in the United States. It has spent over 200 weeks ''Billboard'' New Age Albums chart, more than 130 of them at No 1, and has topped the year-end chart consistently since 2020.In a departure from her previous releases, Enya did not promote the album with interviews, appearances, or live performances.
Background After promoting her seventh studio album ''And Winter Came...'' (2008), Enya's label Warner Music requested that she release a new greatest hits album of her favourite songs of her career. She agreed to the project, and chose a selection with her longtime collaborators, producer and arranger Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. It is Enya's first greatest hits release since ''Paint the Sky with Stars'' (1997), but unlike the first collection, Enya did not record new tracks for the release. It includes a previously unreleased version of "Aníron" a song Enya wrote for the soundtrack to ''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (2001). The DVD included in the album's Limited and Deluxe Editions marks the first release of Enya's music videos in North America, following the cancellation of the proposed ''The Video Collection'' in 2001.
Release and reception The album was released on 23 November 2009 by Warner Music internationally and on 1 December 2009 by Reprise Records in the United States. It peaked at number 32 on the UK Albums Chart and number 55 on the ''Billboard'' 200 in the United States. It spent over 100 weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' New Age Albums chart. ''The Very Best of Enya'' received mostly positive reviews from music critics. James Christopher Monger of AllMusic wrote that the collection "was one of those rare 'greatest-hits' collections that goes deep without depriving the listener of the essentials. With tunes like 'Orinoco Flow', 'Caribbean Blue' and 'Book of Days' in the pot and out of the way, it's easier to appreciate hidden gems like 'Cursum Perficio', 'Boadicea', 'Trains and Winter Rains' and 'Anywhere Is'."
Track listing
Personnel Credits adapted from Allmusic and the album's sleeve notes. ; Musicians* Enya – vocals* Nicky Ryan - additional vocals* Roma Ryan - additional vocals; Production* Enya - lyrics written by (6-8, 13), music composed by (1-18), musical arrangement* Nicky Ryan – lyrics written by (7), music composed by (1, 3-18), musical arrangement, producer, recording engineer* Roma Ryan – lyrics written by (1-15, 18), quotation author* Franz Gruber - lyrics written by, music composed by (NA19)* Traditional - lyrics written by, music composed by (NA19)* Daniel Polley – digital technical advisor* Dick Beetham – mastering at 360 Mastering, London* Peacock – art direction, design* Simon Fowler – photography* David Scheinmann – photography* Russell Young – photography* Max Adelman – photography* Ruth Rowland – lettering
Charts === Weekly charts ===+ Weekly chart performance for ''The Very Best of Enya'' Chart (2009–2023) PeakpositionArgentine Albums (CAPIF)10Dutch CombiAlbum (Dutch Charts) 95Europe (European Top 100 Albums)18 Greek Albums (IFPI) 9Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)60US New Age Albums (''Billboard'') 1=== Year-end charts ===+ 2009 year-end chart performance for ''The Very Best of Enya'' Chart (2009) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) 87 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 31 UK Albums (OCC) 157+ 2010 year-end chart performance for ''The Very Best of Enya'' Chart (2010) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) 10 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) 69 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 64 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 68
Certifications and sales
Release history + Release history for ''The Very Best of Enya'' Country Date Format Label Various 23 November 2009 Warner Bros. United States 1 December 2009 Reprise Various 25 August 2017 LP
References
External links *