The Ultimate Collection (Paul Simon album)

The Ultimate Collection
Greatest hits album by Paul Simon
Released April 12, 2015
Genre Rock, folk
Length 67:03
Label Sony
Producer Paul Simon
Paul Simon chronology
Live in New York City
(2012)		 The Ultimate Collection
(2015)		 Stranger to Stranger
(2016)

The Ultimate Collection is a greatest hits album by American folk singer Paul Simon. It is the first album to include a selection of Simon & Garfunkel's best-known songs as well as the biggest hits of Simon's own solo career.[1] The album debuted at number one the UK Albums Chart and the Scottish Albums Chart, giving Simon his first UK chart topper since 1990.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusiclink

Timothy Monger gave the album a 4/5 review and said: "Though billed as a Paul Simon anthology, Sony's 19-song Ultimate Collection features nearly as much Simon & Garfunkel material as it does his solo work. Ranging from the duo's early-'60s breakthrough folk hit "The Sound of Silence" to Simon's 1990 percussive, Latin-flavored single "The Obvious Child," this set is focused largely on the more titanic tracks of his career. Displaying his range equally as a singer ("Still Crazy After All These Years") and a songwriter (the Art Garfunkel-led masterpiece "Bridge Over Troubled Water"), it's difficult to choose highlights, as almost all of these songs are career highlights and many are widely recognized as iconic classics of pop music. While it would be nice to see some representation of Simon's excellent solo releases of the late '90s and early 21st century, it's tough to argue with the selections offered here."[2]

Chart performance

The Ultimate Collection debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart on April 19, 2015 after selling 15,487 copies in its first week, marking Simon's sixth UK chart topper and his first for 25 years.[3] It also made Simon, at 73 years, six months and seven days old, the second oldest male soloist ever to have a number one album, trailing only Bob Dylan who was two months and nine days older when his album, Shadows in the Night, topped the chart two months earlier.[3] However, the album's sales were the lowest for a UK number-one album since Rihanna's album Talk That Talk returned to number one in August 2012 on sales of 9,578.[3]

Track listing

Standard edition[4]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."You Can Call Me Al"  Paul SimonPaul Simon4:41
2."Graceland"  Paul SimonPaul Simon4:50
3."Mrs. Robinson"  Paul SimonPaul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Roy Halee4:00
4."The Boxer"  Paul SimonRoy Halee, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel5:08
5."Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"  Paul Simon, Joseph ShabalalaPaul Simon5:50
6."50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"  Paul SimonPaul Simon, Phil Ramone3:38
7."Cecilia"  Paul SimonRoy Halee, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel2:56
8."Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"  Paul SimonRoy Halee, Paul Simon2:44
9."The Boy in the Bubble"  Paul Simon, Forere MotloheloaPaul Simon4:01
10."The Only Living Boy in New York"  Paul SimonPaul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Roy Halee3:58
11."Mother and Child Reunion"  Paul SimonRoy Halee, Paul Simon3:06
12."Late in the Evening"  Paul SimonPaul Simon, Phil Ramone4:03
13."Father and Daughter"  Paul SimonRoy Halee, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel4:12
14."The Obvious Child"  Paul SimonPaul Simon4:11
15."Slip Slidin' Away"  Paul SimonPaul Simon, Phil Ramone4:46
16."America"  Paul SimonPaul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Roy Halee3:35
17."The Sound of Silence"  Paul SimonRoy Halee, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel3:06
18."Still Crazy After All These Years"  Paul SimonPaul Simon, Phil Ramone3:26
19."Bridge over Troubled Water"  Paul SimonRoy Halee, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel4:52
Total length:77:15

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] 38
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[6] 9
Scottish Albums (OCC)[7] 1
UK Albums (OCC)[8] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2015) Position
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 27

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[10] Gold 181,000^

References

  1. ↑ Sinclair, Paul (February 21, 2015). "Paul Simon / Ultimate Collection". superdeluxeedition. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Ultimate Collection by Paul Simon". AllMusic. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Jones, Alan (April 20, 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: Paul Simon scores 6th No.1 with 15,487 sales". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved January 7, 2016. (subscription required (help)).
  4. ↑ "iTunes – Music – The Ultimate Collection by Paul Simon". iTunes Store (GB).
  5. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Paul Simon – The Ultimate Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Paul Simon – The Ultimate Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  9. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 - 2015". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  10. ↑ "British album certifications – Paul Simon – The Ultimate Collection". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 7, 2016. Enter The Ultimate Collection in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
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