The Annual

The Annual is a series of compilation albums currently published annually by London-based electronic dance music brand Ministry of Sound. Described as Ministry of Sound's "flagship" series, the popular albums feature house, big beat and trance tracks popular in nightclubs, especially those in the United Kingdom.

The Annual
Compilation album series by
various artists
Released1995 (1995)-present
GenreDance
LabelMinistry of Sound
CompilerBoy George, Pete Tong, Judge Jules, Tall Paul, Steve Canueto, Dipesh Parmar

History

The Ministry of Sound had been releasing DJ mix albums since 1993, their third year of business as a nightclub, starting with the inaugural edition of the Session, mixed by Tony Humphries. As the label increasingly began to release other mix albums, The Annual was conceived to wrap up the year at the club, a retrospective of defining tracks that defined the nightclub that year. Boy George and Pete Tong, who had DJ'd at the club several times, were hired to compile and mix a disc for the album each. The album was a success, reaching number 13 on the UK Compilations Chart. The Annual II from the following year, however, was a major success, reaching number 1 on the chart. George and Tong mixed the first three albums, before Judge Jules replaced Tong for The Annual IV, and Tall Paul replaced George for the following Millennium Edition and The Annual 2000, before the series stopped using live DJs. The earlier Annuals are held in a high regard, whereas the digitally mixed editions from The Annual 2002 are not as much, with common criticisms being uninspired mixing, track listings and presentation (i.e. including bonus DVDs etc.)

From 1995 to 1999, the individual releases of The Annual were denoted by Roman numerals, from The Annual to The Annual IV. In 1999, the series' titling was reorganized and all following albums were named by year, beginning with The Annual 1999 - Millennium Edition. Starting in 2001, the album was named for the year following the Autumn release date instead of the year of release, thus there is no album assigned to 2001 (aside from the Spring 2001 Annual). After the Clubbers Guide To .... 2001 (Mixed By Tall Paul) Ministry of Sound decided not to use big name DJs but to use lesser-known DJs that mix digitally, and not credit who the mixer is on the front cover. This has since been denied once, where CJ Mackintosh, Jazzy M and Marc Hughes mixed Fifteen Years in 2006, and several times since then such as on Live & Remastered (though the mixes on this box set were mixed in the 1990s). The Sessions series still continues to be mixed by a DJ.

The original British installments were often released in two versions, one featuring a jewel case and a booklet in a slipcase, and special editions that were essentially leather-bound books with shiny lettering. The leather binding stopped after some volumes, but the book idea was retained until the release of The Annual 2002, which, alongside the other Annuals of the following five years, featured slimline CD cases in a hard box. Later editions have featured various other forms of packaging.

As the series became more popular in the early 2000s, similar (though not identical) albums of the same name were licensed to Ultra Records in the United States, Ministry of Sound subsidiary labels in Australia and Germany, and Universal Music in many countries worldwide, including Italy, Mexico, Argentina, Portugal and the Philippines. These albums share many tracks with the (original) UK releases, though they are mixed in a different order and replace some songs with more local songs in the track listing.

The Australian Annuals in particular are held in much higher regard than the 21st century UK Annuals, as much more local and underground tracks are used and are always mixed by well-known and underground DJ's. Every Annual since The Annual 2002 have been chart toppers and go either Gold or Platinum and stay on the ARIA Compilation charts and Australian iTunes charts for months on end.

The Annual II remains one of the biggest selling compilation albums of all time in the UK, including quite possibly the biggest selling DJ mix album in the UK. It is listed in the Guinness World Records 2001 as the "Best Selling Club Dance Compilation", with 610,000 copies sold by the publication of that book in 2000.

Spin-offs

The Ibiza Annual series began in a large selling #1 album in August 1998, as mixed by Pete Tong and Boy George. As the title suggests it contains songs big in Ibizan DJ sets. The 1999 edition, despite criticism that it didn't make full usage of the songs available, was well received as was the 2000 edition. Editions starting from 2001 were mixed digitally.

Seasonal editions began in 2001, starting with Spring 2001 (the first digitally mixed Annual). A chillout annual was also released at the end of 2001, The Chillout Annual 2002. The 1997 album Dance Nation 3 was also promoted as the follow-up to The Annual II.

Series overview

Note: These refer to the albums released in the UK under the Ministry of Sound label, and not any of the alternate releases from other countries or labels.

Main series

TitleMixed byRelease dateCatalog #Peak chart positionsCertifications[1]
UK
Comp

[2][3]
UK
Dance

[4]
The AnnualBoy George, Pete Tong2 November 1995 (1995-11-02)ANNCD9513
  • UK: Gold
The Annual IIPete Tong, Boy George4 November 1996 (1996-11-04)ANNCD961
  • UK: 2xPlatinum
The Annual IIIPete Tong, Boy George3 November 1997 (1997-11-03)ANNCD971
  • UK: Platinum
The Annual IVJudge Jules, Boy George30 October 1998 (1998-10-30)ANNCD981
  • UK: Platinum
The Annual: Millennium EditionJudge Jules, Tall Paul (DJ)1 November 1999 (1999-11-01)ANNCD992
  • UK: Platinum
The Annual 2000Judge Jules, Tall Paul30 October 2000 (2000-10-30)ANNCD2K1
  • UK: Platinum
The Annual 2002Steve Canueto[5]6 November 2001 (2001-11-06)ANCD2K11
  • UK: Platinum
The Annual 2003Dave 'Deadly' Turner4 November 2002 (2002-11-04)ANCD2K21
  • UK: Platinum
The Annual 2004 3 November 2003 (2003-11-03)ANCD2K32
  • UK: Gold
The Annual 2005Dipesh Parmar1 November 2004 (2004-11-01)ANCD2K42
  • UK: Platinum
The Annual 2006Dipesh Parmar31 October 2005 (2005-10-31)ANCD2K52
  • UK: Platinum
The Annual 2007Dipesh Parmar, Kev & Cass30 October 2006 (2006-10-30)ANCD2K62
  • UK: Gold
The Annual 2008Dipesh Parmar, Kev & Cass, The Cut Up Boys29 October 2007 (2007-10-29)ANCD2K72
  • UK: Gold
The Annual 2009Kev & Cass27 October 2008 (2008-10-27)ANCD2K84
  • UK: Gold
The Annual 2010Kev & Cass2 November 2009 (2009-11-02)ANCD2K941
  • UK: Gold
The Annual 2011Kev & Cass1 November 2010 (2010-11-01)ANCD2K1041
  • UK: Gold
The Annual 2012Dipesh Parmar14 November 2011 (2011-11-14)ANCD2K1198
  • UK: Silver
The Annual 2013Redlight19 November 2012 (2012-11-19)ANCD2K12135
  • UK: Silver
The Annual 2014Redlight11 November 2013 (2013-11-11)ANCD2K1321
  • UK: Gold
The Annual 2015 Redlight 10 November 2014 (2014-11-10) ANCD2K14 8 2
  • UK: Gold
The Annual 2016 Redlight 6 November 2015 (2015-11-06) ANCD2K15 1 1
  • UK: Platinum
The Annual 2017 Redlight 4 November 2016 (2016-11-04) ANCD2K16 1 1
  • UK: Gold
The Annual 2018 Redlight 3 November 2017 (2017-11-03) ANCD2K17 2 1
  • UK: Gold
The Annual 2019 Redlight 9 November 2018 (2018-11-09) ANCD2K18 3
The Annual 2020 Redlight 1 November 2019 (2019-11-01) ANCD2K19 2 1
The Annual 2021 Redlight 6 November 2020 (2020-11-06) MOSCD554 3[6]
The Annual 2022 Redlight 26 November 2021 (2021-11-26) MOSCD557 4 1
The Annual 2023 Redlight 25 November 2022 (2022-11-25) MOSCD558 4

Ibiza Annual series

TitleMixed byRelease dateCatalog #Peak chart positionsCertifications[1]
UK
Comp

[2][3]
UK
Dance

[4]
The Ibiza AnnualPete Tong, Judge Jules1998 (1998)MOSCD21
  • UK: Gold
The Ibiza Annual Summer Ninety NineJudge Jules, Tall Paul (DJ)1999 (1999)MOSCD61
  • UK: Gold
The Ibiza Annual Summer 2000Judge Jules, Taul Paul2000 (2000)MOSCD111
  • UK: Platinum
The Ibiza Annual Summer 2001Steve Canueto2001 (2001)MOSCD213
  • UK: Gold
The Annual Ibiza 20022002 (2002)MOSCD504
  • UK: Silver
Ibiza Annual 20052005 (2005)MOSCD1093
  • UK: Silver
Ibiza Annual 20062006 (2006)MOSCD1272
  • UK: Silver
Ibiza Annual 20072007 (2007)MOSCD1472
  • UK: Silver
Ibiza Annual 20082008 (2008)MOSCD1763
Ibiza Annual 20112011 (2011)MOSCD26133
Ibiza Annual 20122012 (2012)MOSCD30241
  • UK: Silver
Ibiza Annual 20132013 (2013)MOSCD34061
Ibiza Annual 20142014 (2014)MOSCD37392

Other releases

TitleMixed byRelease dateCatalog #Peak chart positionsCertifications[1]
UK
Comp

[2][3]
UK
Dance

[4]
The Annual Spring 2001Steve Canueto2001 (2001)MOSCD171
  • UK: Gold
The Annual Spring 2002Dipesh Parmar2002 (2002)MOSCD353
  • UK: Silver
The Annual Spring 20032003 (2003)MOSCD633
  • UK: Silver
The Annual Summer 2003Deadly Dave Turner2003 (2003)MOSCD735
The Annual Spring 2004Dipesh Parmar2004 (2004)MOSCD876
The Annual Summer 20042004 (2004)MOSCD954
  • UK: Silver
The Annual 15 Years2010 (2010)MOSCD22241
The Annual XXV2019 (2019)

Australian albums

Note: These albums from The Summer Annual - Summer 2000 to The 2008 Annual were distributed by EMI Music Group Australasia Pty Ltd. The 2009 Annual to The Annual 2017 were distributed by Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd under exclusive license from Ministry of Sound Australia & Ministry of Sound Recordings Ltd. As of mid-2017 all Australian Annuals are produced and distributed by Sony Music Entertainment Australia.

Spring releases

Year Album DJ(s)
2001 The 2002 Annual Andy Van & Mark Dynamix
2002 The Chillout Annual 2002 Mark Dynamix
2002 The 2003 Annual Mark Dynamix & Ultrasun
2003 The 2004 Annual Mark Dynamix & John Course
2004 The 2005 Annual John Course & Mark Dynamix
2005 The 2006 Annual John Course & Mark Dynamix
2006 The 2007 Annual John Course & Mark Dynamix
2007 The 2008 Annual John Course & Goodwill
2008 The 2009 Annual John Course & Goodwill
2009 The Annual 2010 John Course, The Aston Shuffle & Goodwill
2010 The Annual 2011 Hook N Sling & Tommy Trash
2011 The Annual 10 Years John Course & Mark Dynamix
2011 The 2012 Annual Tommy Trash & Tom Piper
2012 The Annual 2013 Tom Piper & The Only
2013 The Annual 2014 Chardy & Uberjak'd
2014 The Annual 2015 Ember & Kronic (DJ)
2015 The Annual 2016 Kronic (DJ), Ember & Dom Dolla
2016 The Annual 2017
2018 The Annual 2019

Summer releases

Year Album DJ(s)
2000 The Summer Annual - Summer 2000 Madison Avenue & Sean Quinn
2001 The Summer Annual - Summer 2001 Mark Dynamix & Andy Van
2018 The Annual 2018

See also

References

  1. "BRIT Certified - bpi". Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  2. "Chart Log UK: Various Artists (Compilations)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  3. "Official Compilations Chart Top 100". Official Charts. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  4. "Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  5. "The Annual 2002 (2001, CD)" via www.discogs.com.
  6. "Official Compilations Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
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