A Best

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A Best

Image:AB2.PNG

Compilation album by Ayumi Hamasaki

Released

March 28 2001

Recorded

1998-2000

Genre

J-pop

Length

76:01

Label

AVEX Trax

Producer

Max Matsuura

Ayumi Hamasaki chronology

Duty
(2000)

A Best
(2001)

I am...
(2002)

A Best is a greatest hits album released by Ayumi Hamasaki on March 28 2001.

1 Album Information
2 Track listing
3 Credits
4 Charts
- 4.1 Featured Singles
5 Sources

[edit] Album Information

This album also features two tracks that were never released as singles ("A Song for XX" and "Who..."). Due to the large number of Ayumi Hamasaki singles, the songs on the album are fan favorites. Songs from her debut album such as "A Song for XX", "Trust", and "Depend on You" were re-recorded, showing the changes in Hamasaki's vocal qualities. The initial pressings had six different variations that each came with its own "gift".

Image:ABESTINSTORECM.jpg

Screencaps from the CM.

She chose to re-record the first three tracks of the album because she wanted to deliver to her fans the same songs she had previously performed but with a new voice.

A Best was released simultaneously with Utada Hikaru's Distance, which topped the charts on the initial week of release with 3,000,000 copies in its first week; A Best debuted at number two with 2,870,000 copies. Additionally, it topped the charts the second week of its release and is the sixth highest-selling album of all time in Japan^[1].

Though this was her best selling album, Hamasaki opposed it publicly, stating: "It was too early for release." Hamasaki was forced to release this album and its release was intended to mark the end of her career.^{[citation needed]} However, due to the major success of the album, Hamasaki's career went on.

[edit] Track listing

"A Song for XX" (new vocal and mix)
"Trust" (new vocal and mix)
"Depend on You" (new vocal & mix)
"Love ~Destiny~"
"To Be"
"Boys & Girls"
"Trauma"
"End roll"
"Appears"
"Fly High"
"Vogue"
"Far Away"
"Seasons"
"Surreal"
"M"
"Who..."

[edit] Credits

"A Song for XX" (new vocal and mix)
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: Yasuhiko Hoshino
Arrangement: Akimitsu Honma
Keyboards: Akimitsu Honma
Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
Programming: Hiroshi Kitashiro
"Trust" (new vocal and mix)
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: Takashi Kimura
Arrangement: Takashi Kimura & Akamitsu Honma
Keyboards: Akimitsu Honma
Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
Programming: Takahiro Iida
"Depend on You" (new vocal & mix)
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi
Arrangement: Akamitsu Honma & Takashi Morio
Keyboards: Akimitsu Honma
Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
Programming: Takahiro Iida
"Love ~Destiny~"
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: Tsunku
Arrangement: Shingo Kobayashi & Yasuaki Maejima
keyboards: Shingo Kobayashi
Guitar: Jun Kajiwara
Programming: Naoki Suzuki
"To Be"
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: DAI
Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki & DAI
Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
Guitar: Masayoshi Furukawa
Programming: Takahiro Iida
"Boys & Girls"
Music: DAI
Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki & DAI
Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
Guitar: Hidetoshi Suzuki
Programming: Takahiro Iida
"Trauma"
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: DAI
Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki & DAI
Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
Guitar: Jun Kajiwara
Programming: Takahiro Iida
"End roll"
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: DAI
Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki & DAI
Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
Bass: Naoto Suzuki
Programming: Takahiro Iida
"Appears"
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi
Arrangement: HAL
Keyboards: HAL
Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
Programming: HAL
"Fly High"
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: DAI
Arrangement: HAL
Keyboards: HAL
Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
Programming: HAL
"Vogue"
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi
Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki & Kazuhito Kikuchi
Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
Programming: Takahiro Iida
"Far Away"
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi & DAI
Arrangement: HAL
Keyboards: HAL
Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
B.G. Vocal: Junko Hirotani
Programming: HAL
"Seasons"
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: DAI
Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki
Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
B.G. Vocal: Junko Hirotani
Programming: Takahiro Iida
"Surreal"
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi
Arrangement: HAL
Keyboards: HAL
Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
Programming: HAL
"M"
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
music: CREA
Arrangement: HAL
Keyboards: HAL
Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
Programming: HAL
"Who..."
Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi
Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki

Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
Programming: Takahiro Iida

[edit] Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

Release	Chart	Peak position	First Week Sales	Sales total	Chart run
March 28 2001	Oricon Daily Singles Chart	#1
March 28 2001	Oricon Weekly Singles Chart	#1 (second week)	2,870,000	4,295,353	52
March 28 2001	Oricon Yearly Albums Chart	#2

[edit] Featured Singles

Date	Title	Peak position	Chart Run	Sales
August 5 1998	"Trust"	#9	10 weeks	181,820
December 9 1998	"Depend on You"	#6	8 weeks	131,460
April 14 1999	"Love ~Destiny~"	#1	26 weeks	650,790
May 12 1999	"TO BE"	#4	15 weeks	571,110
July 17 1999	"Boys & Girls"	#1	16 weeks	1,037,950
August 11 1999	"A"	#1	17 weeks	1,670,000
November 10 1999	"Appears"	#2	3 weeks	290,550
February 9 2000	"Fly High"	#3	4 weeks	299,540
April 26 2000	"vogue"	#3	17 weeks	767,660
May 17 2000	"Far Away""	#2	13 weeks	510,460
June 7 2000	"SEASONS""	#1	20 weeks	1,367,400
September 27 2000	"SURREAL"	#1	10 weeks	417,210
December 13 2000	"M"	#1	17 weeks	1,319,070