The Best of 1980–1990 is the first greatest hits compilation by Irish rock band U2, released on 2 November 1998. It mostly contains the group's hit singles from the 1980s, but also mixes in some live staples, as well as a re-recording of the 1987 B-side "Sweetest Thing". In April 1999, a companion video (featuring music videos and live footage) was released. The album was followed by another compilation, The Best of 1990–2000, in 2002.

A limited-edition version of the album that included a second disc of B-sides was released a week earlier than the standard single-disc version. At the time of release, the official word was that the two-disc album would be available the first week the album went on sale, then pulled from stores. While this edict never materialized, it did result in the two-disc version being in very high demand. Both versions charted in the Billboard 200, with the two-disc version debuting at number two and setting a new first-week sales record in the United States for a greatest hits album by a group, with 237,500 copies sold.

The boy on the album's cover is Peter Rowen, brother of Bono's friend Guggi (real name Derek Rowen) of the Virgin Prunes. Peter also appears on the covers of U2's early EP Three, two of their first three albums (Boy and War), and Early Demos.

Commercial performance

In the United States, the double-disc version of the album (The Best of 1980-1990/The B-Sides) debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 during the week of 21 November 1998, with 237,500 copies sold. This set a new record for the best-selling opening week for a greatest hits collection by a group in the SoundScan era. The single-disc version of the compilation later peaked at number 45 on the Billboard 200. The Best of 1980-1990/The B-Sides remained on the chart for 17 weeks, while the single-disc version was present on the chart for 44 weeks. The double-disc version was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting shipments of two million, on 4 December 1998; the standard edition was certified double platinum on 6 March 2002. The single-disc edition entered at number eight on 21 November 1998, and two weeks later it reached its peak of number four. The double-disc version of the album debuted at the top of the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for the week of 21 November 1998; this version stayed on the chart for four weeks. The next week, the standard edition debuted and peaked at number five on the chart, before falling to number eight the following week. The single-disc version remained on the chart for 15 weeks.

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!scope="row" |French Compilations (SNEP)

|1

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!scope="row" |Irish Albums (IRMA)

|1

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!scope="row"|Portuguese Albums (AFP)

|1

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!scope="row"

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!scope="row"|Spanish Albums (AFYVE)

|align="center"|1

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Year-end charts

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+Year-end chart performance for The Best of 1980–1990

!scope="col"|Chart (1998)

!scope="col"|Position

|-

!scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)

|6

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!scope="row"|Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)

|16

|-

!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)

|2

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!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)

|3

|-

!scope="row"|Canadian Albums (RPM)

|45

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!scope="row"| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)

|30

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!scope="row"|Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)

|5

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!scope="row"|European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)

|23

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!scope="row"|German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)

|41

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!scope="row"|New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)

|11

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!scope="row"|Spanish Albums (AFYPE)

|17

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!scope="row"|Swedish Albums & Compilations (Sverigetopplistan)

|42

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!scope="row"|Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)

|19

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!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)

|21

|-

!scope="col"|Chart (1999)

!scope="col"|Position

|-

!scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)

|28

|-

!scope="row"| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)

|6

|-

!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)

|15

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!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)

|17

|-

!scope="row"|Canadian Albums (RPM)

|32

|-

!scope="row"| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)

|50

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!scope="row"|Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)

|7

|-

!scope="row"|European Albums (Music & Media)

|20

|-

!scope="row"|German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)

|27

|-

!scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)

|38

|-

!scope="row"|Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)

|34

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!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)

|55

|-

!scope="row"|US Billboard 200

|110

|-

!scope="row"|US Billboard 200<br />

|134

|-

!scope="col"|Chart (2000)

!scope="col"|Position

|-

!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)

|91

|-

! scope="row"|Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)

|161

|-

!scope="row"|French Compilations (SNEP)

| 25

|-

!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)

|136

|-

!scope="col"|Chart (2001)

!scope="col"|Position

|-

!scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)

|70

|-

!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)

|94

|-

!scope="row"| Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)

| 161

|-

!scope="row"|Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)

|76

|-

!scope="col"|Chart (2002)

!scope="col"|Position

|-

!scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)

|64

|-

!scope="row"|Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)

| 144

|-

!scope="row"|Canadian Alternative Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)

| 34

|-

!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)

|166

|-

!scope="col"|Chart (2005)

!scope="col"|Position

|-

!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)

|177

|}

Certifications and sales

Video

Music and words by U2. All tracks have been remastered for this release.

  1. "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
  2. "New Year's Day"
  3. "With or Without You"
  4. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
  5. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (from U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky)
  6. "Bad" (from Rattle and Hum)
  7. "Where the Streets Have No Name"
  8. "I Will Follow"
  9. "The Unforgettable Fire"
  10. "Sweetest Thing"
  11. "Desire"
  12. "When Love Comes to Town"
  13. "Angel of Harlem"
  14. "All I Want Is You"
  15. "One Tree Hill" (Live - from a previously unreleased cut of Rattle and Hum)

Certifications

Personnel

U2

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

Additional musicians

  • B. B. King – vocals and guitar on "When Love Comes to Town"
  • Bobbye Hall – percussion on "When Love Comes to Town"
  • Rebecca Evans Russell, Phyllis Duncan, Helen Duncan – backing vocals on "When Love Comes to Town"
  • Joey Miskulin – organ on "Angel of Harlem"
  • The Memphis Horns – horns on "Angel of Harlem"
  • Van Dyke Parks – string arrangement on "All I Want Is You"
  • Benmont Tench – keyboards on "All I Want Is You"

See also

  • U2 discography
  • The Best of 1990–2000
  • List of best-selling albums in Argentina

References

  • The Best of 1980–1990 (standard edition) at U2 Wanderer, with comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more
  • The Best of 1980–1990 (limited edition) at U2 Wanderer
  • The Best of 1980–1990 (video) at U2 Wanderer