The Best of 1990–2000

The Best of 1990–2000 is the second greatest hits album by Irish rock band U2. It was released on 5 November 2002 through Island Records and Interscope Records. It was issued as both a single-disc CD compilation and as a multi-disc compilation called The Best of 1990–2000 & B-Sides, which included a second disc of 14 B-sides released between 1990 and 2000 and a bonus DVD. A video album of the same name was later released in December 2002.

The Best of 1990–2000
Greatest hits album by U2
Released	4 November 2002
Recorded	1990–2002
Genre	Rock, alternative rock
Length	71:53
Label	Island/Interscope
Producer	Steve Lillywhite, Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, William Orbit, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. Flood, Nellee Hooper, Paul Barrett, Howie B[1]
U2 chronology
7 (2002) The Best of 1990–2000 (2002) Exclusive (2003)
Singles from The Best of 1990–2000
"Electrical Storm" Released: 21 October 2002

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Blender	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	B−[4]
Pitchfork Media	5.6/10[5]
Rolling Stone	[6]

The Best of 1990–2000 contained two newly recorded tracks, "Electrical Storm" and "The Hands That Built America"; the former was released as a single, while the latter was released on the soundtrack to Gangs of New York. The compilation also includes "new mixes" of several songs, as well the tracks "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (a non-album single from 1995) and "Miss Sarajevo" (which was originally credited to Passengers and also released as a single in 1995).

The album charted at number one in 13 countries and was the twelfth-best-selling album of 2002, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.[7]

Track listing

No.	Title	Album	Length
1.	"Even Better Than the Real Thing"	Achtung Baby (1991)	3:39
2.	"Mysterious Ways" (Best of version)	Achtung Baby	4:02
3.	"Beautiful Day"	All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)	4:05
4.	"Electrical Storm" (William Orbit mix)	New song	4:37
5.	"One"	Achtung Baby	4:35
6.	"Miss Sarajevo" (Radio edit; originally credited to Passengers (U2 & Brian Eno))	Original Soundtracks 1 (1995)	4:30
7.	"Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"	Zooropa (1993)	4:58
8.	"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of"	All That You Can't Leave Behind	4:31
9.	"Gone" (New mix)	Pop (1997)	4:32
10.	"Until the End of the World"	Achtung Baby	4:38
11.	"The Hands That Built America" (Theme from Gangs of New York)	New song	4:57
12.	"Discothèque" (New mix)	Pop	4:40
13.	"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me"	Batman Forever Soundtrack (1995)	4:44
14.	"Staring at the Sun" (New mix)	Pop	4:48
15.	"Numb" (New mix)	Zooropa	4:21
16.	"The First Time"	Zooropa	3:44
Total length:			71:53

UK and Japan release

No.	Title	Album	Length
17.	"The Fly"	Achtung Baby	4:28

"Electrical Storm" was released as a single in promotion of the album. "Gone," "Discothèque," "Staring at the Sun," and "Numb" were remixed by Mike Hedges for the compilation. "Mysterious Ways" is identical to the album version with the exception of a single lyric. "Miss Sarajevo," co-written by Brian Eno, was originally included on the album Original Soundtracks 1, which was released by the band under the alias "Passengers".

Limited Edition B-sides Disc

No.	Title	Originally released on	Length
1.	"Lady with the Spinning Head" (Extended dance mix)	"Even Better Than the Real Thing" single	6:06
2.	"Dirty Day" (Junk Day mix)	"Please" single	4:40
3.	"Summer Rain"	"Beautiful Day" single	4:07
4.	"Electrical Storm" (Band version)	New song	4:26
5.	"North and South of the River"	"Staring at the Sun" single	4:36
6.	"Your Blue Room"	Original Soundtracks 1	5:26
7.	"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" (Gun mix)	"Last Night on Earth" single	4:45
8.	"Salomé" (Zooromancer remix edit)	"Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" single	5:51
9.	"Even Better Than the Real Thing" (Perfecto mix)	"Even Better Than the Real Thing" single	6:38
10.	"Numb" (Gimme Some More Dignity Mix edit)	Melon: Remixes for Propaganda	5:50
11.	"Mysterious Ways" (Solar Plexus Club mix)	"Mysterious Ways" single	4:08
12.	"If God Will Send His Angels" (Big Yam mix)	"Mofo" single	5:42
13.	"Lemon" (Jeep mix)	"Lemon" single	5:29
14.	"Discothèque" (Hexidecimal mix edit)	"Discothèque" single	5:45
Total length:			73:52

"North and South of the River" was written with Christy Moore. "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" was written by Lennon–McCartney. "Your Blue Room" was written with Brian Eno.

Limited Edition Bonus DVD

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The History Mix"	7:40
2.	"U2: The Best of 1990–2000 DVD Trailer"	2:27
3.	"Please" (Live mural cut)	5:00
4.	"Beautiful Day" (Èze version)	4:04
Total length:		19:11

"The History Mix" is a video montage anthologizing the band's nineties albums and tours. It includes snippets of interviews, promotional videos, and so forth. The live version of "Please" is from the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland, recorded on 9 August 1997 and directed by Maurice Linnane.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2002) Peak position Australian Top 50 Albums[8] 1 Austrian Top 75 Albums[9] 1 Belgium (Flanders) 100 Albums[10] 1 Belgium (Wallonia) 100 Albums[11] 3 Canadian Albums Chart[12] 1 Danish Top 40 Albums[13] 1 Finnish Top 40 Albums[14] 4 French Compilations[15] 1 German Albums Chart[16] 4 Greek Top 50 Albums[17] 1 Hungarian Top 40 Albums[18] 3 Irish Top 75 Albums[19] 1 Italian Top 20 Albums[20] 1 Japanese Top 30 Albums[21] 3 Netherlands Top 100 Albums[22] 1 New Zealand Top 50 Albums[23] 1 Norwegian Top 40 Albums[24] 2 Polish Top 50 Albums[25] 2 Swedish Top 60 Albums[26] 6 Swiss Top 100 Albums[27] 1 UK Albums Chart[28] 2 US Billboard 200[29] & B-Sides 3 US Billboard 200[29] Standard edition 34

Decade-end chart Chart (2000–09) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[30] 74

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[31]	2× Platinum	80,000^^
Australia (ARIA)[32]	2× Platinum	140,000^^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[33]	Platinum	30,000^*
Belgium (BEA)[34]	2× Platinum	60,000^*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[35]	Platinum	125,000^*
Canada (Music Canada)[36]	3× Platinum	300,000^^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[37]	Platinum	50,000^^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[38]	Gold	29,864[38]
France (SNEP)[39]	2× Gold	200,000^*
Germany (BVMI)[40]	Gold	150,000^^
Greece (IFPI Greece)[17]	Platinum	30,000^^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[41]	Gold	10,000^*
Hungary (MAHASZ)[42]	Gold	10,000^^
Italy (FIMI)[43] sales since 2009	Gold	25,000^*
Japan (RIAJ)[44]	Gold	100,000^^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[45]	Gold	75,000^^
Netherlands (NVPI)[46]	Platinum	80,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[47]	4× Platinum	60,000^^
Poland (ZPAV)[48]	Gold	35,000^*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[49]	Platinum	100,000^^
Sweden (GLF)[50]	Gold	30,000^^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[51]	2× Platinum	80,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[52]	2× Platinum	600,000^^
United States (RIAA)[53]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[54]	3× Platinum	3,000,000^*
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Video

The Best of 1990–2000
Video by U2
Released	2 December 2002
Recorded	1991–2002
Genre	Rock
Length	176:00 111:49 (main feature) 77:31 (tracks 1-16 only)
Label	Island, Interscope
Director	Kevin Godley, Stéphane Sednaoui, Jonas Åkerlund, Anton Corbijn, et al.
Producer	Ned O'Hanlon
U2 chronology
Elevation 2001: Live from Boston (2002) The Best of 1990–2000 (2002) U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland (2003)

The Best of 1990–2000 was also released as a video compilation, featuring music videos from the songs on the album. The DVD version of the video featured one to two videos for each song on the album, plus seven bonus videos (for songs not on the album), as well as directors' commentaries, and three mini-documentaries. The VHS version of the video featured simply one video for the 16 songs from the album.

On all versions however, there is no video for "The First Time", as one was never made or rather released. In its place was put the video of "The Fly", which itself was on certain versions of the album. The DVD case had two disc slots, one for the main videos, the other for the "History Mix" DVD from the "A and B sides" version of the album. In its absence, a CD/DVD-shaped paper disc is used as a placeholder.

Track listing

Music and words by U2, except where otherwise noted.

1. "Even Better Than the Real Thing"
   • Kevin Godley video with commentary
   • Ritchie Smyth remix video
2. "Mysterious Ways"
   • Stéphane Sednaoui video with commentary
3. "Beautiful Day"
   • Jonas Åkerlund video with commentary
4. "Electrical Storm"
   • Anton Corbijn video with commentary
   • U2 Sur Mer documentary
5. "One"
   • Anton Corbijn video with commentary
   • Phil Joanou video with commentary
   • A Story of One documentary
6. "Miss Sarajevo"
   • Maurice Linnane video and commentary
   • Missing Sarajevo documentary
7. "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"
   • Wim Wenders video and commentary
8. "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of"
   • Joseph Kahn video with commentary
   • Kevin Godley video with commentary
9. "Gone"
   • David Mallet video (excerpt from PopMart: Live from Mexico City)
10. "Until the End of the World"
    • Kevin Godley video (live from Zoo TV Tour)
11. "The Hands That Built America"
    • Maurice Linnane studio version video
12. "Discothèque"
    • Stéphane Sednaoui video with commentary
13. "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me"
    • Godley/Linanne video with commentary
14. "Staring at the Sun"
    • Jake Scott video with commentary
    • Morleigh Steinberg video
15. "Numb"
    • Kevin Godley video with commentary
    • Emergency Broadcast Network remix video
16. "The Fly"
    • Smith/Klein remix video with commentary

Bonus videos

1. "Please"
   • Anton Corbijn video with commentary
2. "If God Will Send His Angels"
   • Phil Joanou video with commentary
3. "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses"
   • Phil Joanou video with commentary
4. "Lemon"
   • Mark Neale video with commentary
5. "Last Night on Earth"
   • Ritchie Smyth video with commentary
6. "Mofo"
   • Maurice Linnane remix video
7. "The Ground Beneath Her Feet"
   • Wim Wenders video with commentary

• An "easter egg" also features. From the main menu on the DVD, if "One" is clicked, the main screen for "One" will appear. Once on this screen, the digit '1' could be clicked on the remote control three times. If clicked three times, a three-minute video of a fish tank, with fish swimming in it, appears. After some time, some Trabants will appear in the video as fishes, which swim from one end of the screen to the other.[55]

All tracks were remastered for these releases.

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[56]	Platinum	8,000^^
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[57]	Platinum	50,000^*
France (SNEP)[58]	Platinum	20,000^*
Mexico (AMPROFON)[59]	Gold	10,000^^
Sweden (GLF)[60]	Gold	30,000^^
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[61]

• Bono – lead vocals, guitar
• The Edge – guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Adam Clayton – bass guitar
• Larry Mullen Jr. – drums and percussion

See also

• U2 discography

References

1. The Best of 1990–2000 & B-Sides (CD liner). U2. Island Records. 2002. CIDTU213/ 063 443-0 LC 00407.CS1 maint: others (link)
2. The Best of 1990–2000 at AllMusic
4. Jim Farber (8 November 2002). "The Best & the B-Sides of 1990-2000 Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
5. William Bowers (10 February 2003). "U2: The Best of 1990-2000". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
6. Anthony DeCurtis (5 November 2002). "The Best Of 1990-2000 | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
7. "Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2002" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2009.
8. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000 (Album)". Australian Charts. Hung Medien. Archived from the original (ASP) on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
9. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000 (Album)". Austrian Charts (in German). Hung Medien. Archived from the original (ASP) on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
10. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000 (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
11. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000 (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
12. "U2 Album & Song Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
13. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000 (Album)" (ASP). Danish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
14. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000 (Album)". Finnish Charts. Hung Medien. Archived from the original (ASP) on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
15. "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original (PHP) on 20 August 2008. Find "U 2" under the drop-down menu to see statistics.
16. "Chartverfolgung / U2 / Longplay". Music Line (in German). Media Control Charts. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
17. "Top 50 Ξένων Άλμπουμ: Εβδομάδα 24/01 - 30/01". IFPI Greece (in Greek). Archived from the original on 5 February 2003.
18. "Archivum: Top 40 Album". MAHASZ (in Hungarian). Retrieved 13 August 2011.
19. "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 14 November 2002". GfK Chart-Track. Archived from the original (JSP) on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
20. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000 (Album)". Italian Charts. Hung Medien. Archived from the original (ASP) on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
21. 2002年11月第2週の邦楽アルバムランキング情報 (PHP). Oricon Style (in Japanese). Retrieved 13 August 2011.
22. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000 (Album)". Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original (ASP) on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
23. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000 (Album)" (ASP). charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
24. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000 (Album)". Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Archived from the original (ASP) on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
25. "Oficjalna Lista Sprzedaźy: 18 November 2002" (ASP). OLiS (in Polish). Retrieved 13 August 2011.
26. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000 (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
27. "U2 – The Best of 1990–2000". Swiss Charts. Hung Medien. Archived from the original (ASP) on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
28. "Chart Archive: Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 16th November 2002". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
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31. "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
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37. "Danish album certifications – U2 – The Best of 1990–2000". IFPI Denmark.
38. "U2" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
39. "French album certifications – U2 – THE BEST OF 1990-2000" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
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41. "香港唱片銷量大獎 2002". IFPI Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012.
42. "Adatbázis – Arany- és platinalemezek – 2003" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ.
43. "Italian album certifications – U2 – The Best of 1990–2000" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "2015" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "The Best of 1990–2000" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
44. "Japanese album certifications – U2 – The Best of 1990–2000" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 11 June 2019. Select 2002年10月 on the drop-down menu
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47. "New Zealand album certifications – U2 – The Best of 1990–2000". Recorded Music NZ.
48. "Polish album certifications – U2 – The Best of 1990–2000" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
49. "Spanish album certifications" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Select Albums under "Chart", enter 2005 in the field "Year". Select 04 in the field "Semana". Click on "Search Charts".
50. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2002" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
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57. "Brazilian video certifications – U2 – The Best of 1990–2000" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil.
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61. The Best of 1990-2000 (CD booklet). U2. Island Records. 2002.CS1 maint: others (link)

External links

• The Best of 1990–2000 (standard edition) at U2 Wanderer, with comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more
• The Best of 1990–2000 (limited edition) at U2 Wanderer
• The Best of 1990–2000 (video) at U2 Wanderer