A Best

Infobox Album |
Name = A Best
Type = Compilation album
Artist = Ayumi Hamasaki


Released = March 28, 2001
Recorded = 1998-2000
Genre = J-pop
Length = 76:01
Label = AVEX Trax
Producer = Max Matsuura
Last album = "Duty"
(2000)
This album = "A Best"
(2001)
Next album = "I am..."
(2002)

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

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".

"A Best" was released simultaneously with Utada Hikaru's "Distance", which topped the charts on the initial week of release with 3,002,720 copies in its first week; "A Best" debuted at number two with 2,874,870 copies [ [http://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=ja&types=rnk&year=2001&month=4&week=2&submit5.x=16&submit5.y=8 ORICON STYLE - Weekly album chart : 2nd week of April 2001] ] , giving it the second highest first week album sales of all time (just only behind "Distance") Additionally, it topped the charts the second week of its release and is the sixth highest-selling album of all time in Japan [http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~yamag/rekidai_a.html] . To date A BEST is Ayumi Hamasaki's highest selling album in Japan. It sold 4,295,353 copies total.

Though this was her best selling album, Hamasaki opposed it publicly, stating: "It was too early for release."

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"~new vocal and mix~
#"Appears"
#"Fly High"
#"Vogue"
#"Far Away"
#"Seasons"
#"Surreal"
#"M"
#"Who..."

International version

A Best was later re-released in other countries outside Japan, including Singapore, the Philippines and Korea. The international version did not have new vocal mixes and had a slightly different cover art to the standard Japanese version.
#"A Song for XX"
#"Trust"
#"Depend on You"
#"Love ~Destiny~"
#"To Be"
#"Boys & Girls"
#"Trauma"
#"End roll"
#"Appears"
#"Fly High"
#"Vogue"
#"Far Away"
#"Seasons"
#"Surreal"
#"M"
#"Who..."

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

Charts

;Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

*Total Sales: 4,295,353 (Japan)
*Total Sales: 6,750,000 (Asia)

Featured singles

Total Single Sales: 9,215,020

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