The Very Best of Enya

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 Very Best of Enya
Greatest hits album by
Enya
Released23 November 2009 (2009-11-23)
Recorded1986–2008
Genre
Length63:17 (CD)
81:32 (DVD)
Label
ProducerNicky Ryan
Enya chronology
And Winter Came...
(2008)		 The Very Best of Enya
(2009)		 Dark Sky Island
(2015)

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.[1] 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
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

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.[1]

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'."[2]

Track listing
The Very Best of Enya — Standard Edition
No.TitleFrom the albumLength
1."Orinoco Flow"Watermark4:29
2."Aníron (I Desire)" (Previously unreleased version)The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack2:42
3."Storms in Africa"Watermark4:04
4."Caribbean Blue"Shepherd Moons3:58
5."Book of Days"Shepherd Moons2:55
6."The Celts"Enya2:55
7."Only Time"A Day Without Rain3:36
8."Wild Child"A Day Without Rain3:46
9."Water Shows the Hidden Heart"Amarantine4:38
10."Anywhere Is"The Memory of Trees3:57
11."Cursum Perficio"Watermark4:07
12."Amarantine"Amarantine3:09
13."Aldebaran"Enya3:05
14."Trains and Winter Rains"And Winter Came...3:42
15."Watermark"Watermark2:25
16."Boadicea"Enya3:31
17."A Day Without Rain"A Day Without Rain2:35
18."May It Be"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack3:31
Total length:63:59
The Very Best of Enya — US Edition
No.TitleFrom the albumLength
19."Oíche Chiúin (Chorale)"And Winter Came...3:31
The Very Best of Enya — Canadian Edition
No.TitleFrom the albumLength
20."How Can I Keep From Singing?"Shepherd Moons4:26
The Very Best of Enya — Japanese Edition
No.TitleFrom the albumLength
19."To Go Beyond (Part II)"Enya2:50
20."Only If..."Paint the Sky with Stars3:19
21."Dreams Are More Precious"And Winter Came...4:25
The Very Best of Enya — Limited and Deluxe Edition CD
No.TitleFrom the albumLength
1."Trains and Winter Rains"And Winter Came... 
2."My! My! Time Flies!"And Winter Came... 
3."Stars and Midnight Blue"And Winter Came... 
4."Amarantine"Amarantine 
5."Sumiregusa"Amarantine 
6."The River Sings"Amarantine 
7."If I Could Be Where You Are"Amarantine 
8."Wild Child"A Day Without Rain 
9."Only Time"A Day Without Rain 
10."Drifting"Amarantine 
11."Flora's Secret"A Day Without Rain 
12."Fallen Embers"A Day Without Rain 
13."One by One"A Day Without Rain 
14."Pax Deorum"The Memory of Trees 
15."Athair ar Neamh"The Memory of Trees 
16."Anywhere Is"The Memory of Trees 
17."Orinoco Flow"Watermark 
18."Watermark"Watermark 
19."Boadicea"Enya 
20."May It Be"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 
21."Caribbean Blue"Shepherd Moons 
22."Aníron (I Desire)"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 
iTunes and Spotify release bonus track
No.TitleFrom the albumLength
23."Oíche Chiúin [Chorale]"And Winter Came...3:49
Amazon MP3 release bonus tracks
No.TitleFrom the albumLength
23."Oíche Chiúin [Chorale]"And Winter Came...3:49
24."Only Time (Remix)"Only Time3:13
The Very Best of Enya — Limited and Deluxe Edition DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Orinoco Flow"3:44
2."Caribbean Blue"3:38
3."Only Time"3:38
4."The Celts"3:08
5."Amarantine"3:05
6."Trains and Winter Rains"3:17
7."Evening Falls"3:50
8."Anywhere Is"3:47
9."It's in the Rain"3:47
10."Wild Child"3:33
11."Only If"3:16
12."Storms In Africa"2:59
13."On My Way Home"4:26
Total length:46:06
The Very Best of Enya — Limited and Deluxe Edition DVD Additional Content
No.TitleLength
1."Enya: A Life In Music" (documentary)16:10
2."Caribbean Blue" (making of)10:13
3."Only Time" (making of)9:03
Total length:35:26

Personnel

Credits adapted from Allmusic[2] and the album's sleeve notes.[3]

Musicians
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

Certifications and sales
Certifications and sales for The Very Best of Enya
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[38] Gold 35,000^
Belgium (BEA)[39] Gold 15,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[40] Platinum 20,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[41] Gold 100,000^
Ireland (IRMA)[42] Gold 7,500^
Italy (FIMI)[43] Gold 30,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[44] Platinum 15,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[45] Gold 10,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[46] Gold 30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] Platinum 300,000‡
Summaries
Worldwide — 905,000[48]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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[49] 25 August 2017 LP
  • Warner Bros.
  • Reprise

References
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  2. Monger, James Christopher. "Review: The Very Best of Enya". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  3. Enya. “The Very Best of Enya”. Warner Bros. 2009.
  4. "Argentine Albums Chart". allcharts.org. Archived from the original on 21 December 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
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  8. "Ultratop.be – Enya – The Very Best Of" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
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  10. "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 52.Týden 2009 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
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  14. "Offiziellecharts.de – Enya – The Very Best Of" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  15. "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) Week: 29/2023" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
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  19. December 2009/ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 14 December 2009" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  20. "Mexicancharts.com – Enya – The Very Best Of". mexicancharts.com. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
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  22. "Norwegiancharts.com – Enya – The Very Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
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  30. "Enya Chart History (New Age Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  31. "Jaaroverzichten 2009". Ultratop. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  32. "Top Selling Albums of 2009". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
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