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 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. 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
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.
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'."
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from Allmusic and the album's sleeve notes.
Musicians
Enya – vocals
Nicky Ryan - additional vocals
Roma Ryan - additional vocals
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
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
References
External links
Enya compilation albums
2009 greatest hits albums
Warner Music Group compilation albums