The Best of Sade is the first greatest hits album by English band Sade, released by Epic Records in the United Kingdom on 31 October 1994 and in the United States on 4 November 1994. The compilation chronicles Sade's first four studio albums, while also including non-single songs "Jezebel", "Like a Tattoo" and "Pearls", as well as "Please Send Me Someone to Love", which appeared in the soundtrack to the film Philadelphia. The album was digitally remastered in 2000.
The singles from Diamond Life, as well as Stronger Than Prides "Paradise" and "Nothing Can Come Between Us", are presented in their 7″ edit forms; "Never as Good as the First Time" and "Cherish the Day" are remixes produced by Sade, also taken from their respective singles. None of this information is listed within the album's packaging. The album artwork is a photograph of Adu, taken on set in 1992 by Albert Watson when he directed the band's music video for "Feel No Pain".
Critical reception
AllMusic's Jason Elias wrote, "By the time this was released in 1994, something unexpected happened. Sade's early work became classic and the later additions boasted even better vocals and songs that nicely improved on the theme. The timeless sound and class always exhibited makes Sade Adu and her band a no-brainer for an appealing compilation. Like Al Green's Greatest Hits, The Best of Sade doesn't detract from the original albums and is a marker of time, not the end of the act... Despite its riches, The Best of Sade doesn't include all of the best, since 'Maureen' and or 'Keep Looking' aren't here. It's a small complaint and The Best of Sade is a great overview."
Sade
- Sade Adu – vocals
- Andrew Hale – keyboards
- Stuart Matthewman – guitar, saxophone
- Paul S. Denman – bass
Additional musicians
- Dave Early – drums, percussion
- Martin Ditcham – percussion ; drums
- Paul Cooke – drums
- Terry Bailey – trumpet
- Gordon Matthewman – trumpet
- Pete Beachill – trombone
- Leroy Osbourne – vocals
- Jake Jacas – vocals
- Gordon Hunte – guitar
- Nick Ingman – string arrangements
- Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader
- Tony Pleeth – solo cello
- Karl Van Den Bossche – percussion
- Trevor Murrell – drums
Technical
- Robin Millar – production
- Mike Pela – production engineering ; production ; engineering, co-production
- Pete Brown – engineering assistance
- Simon Driscoll – engineering assistance
- Ben Rogan – production ; engineering, co-production
- Sade – production , arrangement
- Phil Legg – engineering assistance
- Melanie West – engineering assistance
- Vince McCartney – engineering assistance
- Franck Segarra – engineering assistance
- Olivier de Bosson – engineering assistance
- Alain Lubrano – engineering assistance
- Jean-Christophe Vareille – engineering assistance
- Sandro Franchin – engineering assistance
- Adrian Moore – engineering assistance
- Marc Williams – engineering assistance
- Hein Hoven – production, mixing
- Ian Cooper – mastering
Artwork
- Albert Watson – photography
- Jo Strettel – photography
- Peter Brawne – design
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 1994–1995 weekly chart performance
! scope="col"| Chart (1994–1995)
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (IFPI)
| 3
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)
| 9
|-
|-
! scope="row"| European Albums (Music & Media)
| 5
|-
! scope="row"| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)
| 12
|-
! scope="row"| French Compilation Albums (SNEP)
| 8
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Irish Albums (IFPI)
| 5
|-
! scope="row"| Japanese Albums (Oricon)
| 27
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Portuguese Albums (AFP)
| 10
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ 1999 weekly chart performance
! scope="col"| Chart (1999)
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ 2005 weekly chart performance
! scope="col"| Chart (2005)
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ 2010 weekly chart performance
! scope="col"| Chart (2010)
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2022 weekly chart performance
! scope="col"| Chart (2022)
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position
|-
! scope="row" | Greek Albums (IFPI Greece)
| 2
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2024 weekly chart performance
! scope="col"| Chart (2022)
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position
|-
|-
! scope="row" | US Contemporary Jazz Albums (Billboard)
| 1
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2025–2026 weekly chart performance
! scope="col"| Chart (2025–2026)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Greek Albums (IFPI)
| 26
|-
! scope="row"| Portuguese Albums (AFP)
| 26
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 1994 year-end chart performance
! scope="col"| Chart (1994)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
| 63
|-
! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)
| 40
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 1995 year-end chart performance
! scope="col"| Chart (1995)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
| 83
|-
! scope="row"| European Albums (Music & Media)
| 52
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard 200
| 45
|-
! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)
| 19
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2024 year-end chart performance
! scope="col"| Chart (2024)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
| 176
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2025 year-end chart performance
! scope="col"| Chart (2025)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
| 126
|-
! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
| 63
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard 200
| 161
|-
! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)
| 69
|}