Album · Compilation
The Singles Collection
The Singles Collection is a David Bowie compilation that gathers his singles into a single set. It came out in November 1993 on EMI. In the United States it appeared under a different title, The Singles 1969 to 1993, with some changes to the contents. A video companion, Bowie – The Video Collection, arrived on VHS at the same time, so fans could watch as well as listen.
It landed in the same year as Black Tie White Noise, his first studio album of the decade, and it looks back across his career from the late 1960s. For anyone coming to Bowie through the radio, it is a handy way to hear how he moved between rock, pop and more adventurous sounds, with the American edition offering a slightly different route through the story.
The Singles Collection: tracklist, credits and charts
37 tracks · 2:31:48Tracklist
- Disc 1
- 1Space OddityDavid Bowie5:16
- 2ChangesDavid Bowie and Daniel Licht3:35
- 3StarmanDavid Bowie4:18
- 4Ziggy StardustDavid Bowie3:14
- 5Suffragette CityDavid Bowie3:26
- 6John, I’m Only DancingDavid Bowie2:47
- 7The Jean GenieDavid Bowie4:08
- 8Drive In SaturdayDavid Bowie4:30
- 9Life on Mars?David Bowie3:52
- 10SorrowFeldman, Goldstein, Gottehrer2:54
- 11Rebel RebelDavid Bowie4:30
- 12Rock & Roll SuicideDavid Bowie2:58
- 13Diamond DogsDavid Bowie6:05
- 14Knock on WoodSteve Cropper and Eddie Floyd3:04
- 15Young AmericansDavid Bowie5:11
- 16FameAlomar, Bowie, Lennon4:15
- 17Golden YearsDavid Bowie4:00
- 18TVC 15David Bowie5:32
- 19Sound & VisionDavid Bowie3:03
- Disc 2
- 1HeroesDavid Bowie and Brian Eno3:37
- 2Beauty & the BeastDavid Bowie3:34
- 3Boys Keep SwingingDavid Bowie and Brian Eno3:18
- 4D.J.Alomar, Bowie, Eno4:00
- 5Alabama SongKurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht3:52
- 6Ashes to AshesDavid Bowie4:24
- 7FashionDavid Bowie4:48
- 8Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)David Bowie5:11
- 9Under PressureBowie, Deacon, May, Mercury, Taylor3:57
- 10Wild Is the WindDimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington6:02
- 11Let’s DanceDavid Bowie4:10
- 12China GirlDavid Bowie and Iggy Pop4:17
- 13Modern LoveDavid Bowie3:58
- 14Blue JeanDavid Bowie3:11
- 15This Is Not AmericaMays, Metheny, Bowie3:50
- 16Dancing in the StreetGaye, Hunter, Stevenson3:11
- 17Absolute BeginnersDavid Bowie5:37
- 18Day In Day OutDavid Bowie4:12
- Produced by
- Gus Dudgeon, David Bowie, Ken Scott, Tony Visconti, Harry Maslin, Harry Maslin, Brian May, Queen, Roger Taylor, Nile Rodgers, Derek Bramble, Hugh Padgham, Pat Metheny, Michael Barbiero, Mick Jagger, Clive Langer, Steve Thompson, Alan Winstanley, Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley, David Richards
- Recorded at
- Trident Studios, RCA Studios, RCA Victor Studios, Château d'Hérouville, Basing Street Studios, Olympic Studios, Tower Theater, Hansa Studios, Mountain Studios, The Record Plant, Good Earth Studios, Power Station at BerkleeNYC, Musicland Studios, Le Studio, Abbey Road Studios
- Recorded
- 1969–1993
- Mixed by
- Mick Ronson, Ken Scott, David Bowie, Keith Harwood, Tony Visconti, Eddie Kramer, Harry Maslin, David Richards, Rod O’Brien, Bob Clearmountain, Hugh Padgham
- Mixed at
- Trident Studios, Hansa Studios, Mountain Studios, The Record Plant
- Engineered by
- Ken Scott, Mike Moran, Denis Blackeye, Keith Harwood, Eduard Meyer, Laurent Thibault, Tony Visconti, Colin Thurston, Rod O’Brien, David Richards, David Bowie, Mack, Bob Clearmountain, Hugh Padgham, Marcellus Frank, Stephen Benben, Mark Saunders
- Mastered by
- Toby Mountain
- Labels
- EMI, Rykodisc (US)
- Length
- 2:31:48
Line-up
- David Bowie · 12 string guitar, handclaps, Dubreq Stylophone, lead vocals, background vocals, saxophone, guitar, keyboard, baritone saxophone, piano, chamberlin, synthesizer, finger snaps, vocals
- Paul Buckmaster · cello · guest
- Terry Cox · drums (drum set) · guest
- Herbie Flowers · bass · guest
- Rick Wakeman · mellotron, piano · guest
- Mick Wayne · electric guitar · guest
- Trevor Bolder · bass guitar, bass · guest
- Mick Ronson · electric guitar, background vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, synthesizer, guitar, mellotron · guest
- Mick Woodmansey · drums (drum set), shakers · guest
- Ken Fordham · saxophone · guest
- Mike Garson · piano, harpsichord, mellotron, Moog · guest
- Aynsley Dunbar · drums (drum set) · guest
- Tony Newman · drums (drum set) · guest
- Alan Parker · guitar · guest
- Andy Newmark · drums (drum set) · guest
- Pablo Rosario · percussion · guest
- David Sanborn · saxophone · guest
- Larry Washington · congas · guest
- Willie Weeks · bass · guest
- Ava Cherry · background vocals · guest
- Robin Clark · background vocals · guest
- Luther Vandross · background vocals · guest
- John Lennon · background vocals · guest
- Carlos Alomar · guitar, drums (drum set), background vocals
- Roy Bittan · drums (drum set), piano · guest
- Dennis Davis · drums (drum set), percussion
- George Murray · bass, bass guitar, electric bass guitar, background vocals
- Earl Slick · guitar · guest
- Ricky Gardiner · guitar · guest
- Roy Young · piano · guest
- Brian Eno · background vocals, keyboard, synthesizer, analog synthesizer, piano · guest
- Mary Hopkin · background vocals · guest
- Robert Fripp · guitar · guest
- Antonia Maass · background vocals · guest
- Tony Visconti · background vocals, bass, percussion, shakers, acoustic guitar, analog synthesizer · guest
- Adrian Belew · guitar, background vocals · guest
- Simon House · violin, electric violin · guest
- Sean Mayes · piano, background vocals · guest
- Roger Powell · analog synthesizer · guest
- Andy Clark · analog synthesizer, Minimoog, synthesizer · guest
- Chuck Hammer · guitar synthesizer · guest
- Lynn Maitland · background vocals · guest
- Chris Porter · background vocals · guest
- John Deacon · bass guitar, handclaps, finger snaps, guitar, keyboard · guest
- Brian May · electric guitar, handclaps, finger snaps · guest
- Freddie Mercury · piano, handclaps, finger snaps, keyboard, background vocals, lead vocals · guest
- Roger Taylor · drums (drum set), handclaps, finger snaps, background vocals · guest
- Stevie Ray Vaughan · guitar · guest
- Robert Aaron · flute, tenor saxophone · guest
- Steve Elson · baritone saxophone, flute · guest
- Sammy Figueroa · percussion · guest
- Mac Gollehon · trumpet · guest
- Omar Hakim · drums (drum set) · guest
- Stan Harrison · flute, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone · guest
- Nile Rodgers · guitar · guest
- Carmine Rojas · bass, electric bass guitar · guest
- Rob Sabino · keyboard · guest
- Frank Simms · background vocals · guest
- George Simms · background vocals · guest
- David Spinner · background vocals · guest
- Derek Bramble · electric bass guitar, guitar · guest
- Mark Pender · trumpet · guest
- Lenny Pickett · tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone · guest
- Guy St. Onge · marimba · guest
- Curtis King · background vocals · guest
- Lyle Mays · analog synthesizer, marimba, keyboard · guest
- Pat Metheny · electric guitar, guitar synthesizer, synclavier · guest
- Steve Rodby · electric bass guitar · guest
- Paul Wertico · drums (drum set) · guest
- Pat Metheny Group · guest
- Kevin Armstrong · guitar · guest
- Neil Conti · drums (drum set) · guest
- Jimmy McLean · percussion · guest
- Steve Nieve · keyboard · guest
- Pedro Ortiz · percussion · guest
- John Regan · electric bass guitar · guest
- Matthew Seligman · electric bass guitar · guest
- G.E. Smith · guitar · guest
- Jimmy Maelen · percussion · guest
- Mick Jagger · lead vocals · guest
- Tessa Niles · background vocals · guest
- Helena Springs · background vocals · guest
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1993–1997 | 9 |
| New Zealand Albums · 1993–1997 | 4 |
| Dutch Albums · 1993–1997 | 5 |
| Belgian Albums (Flanders) · 1993–1997 | 13 |
| Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 1993–1997 | 22 |
| French Albums (SNEP) · 1993–1997 | 30 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) · 1993–1997 | 35 |
| Austrian Albums · 1993–1997 | 37 |
| Swedish Albums · 1993–1997 | 38 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1993–1997 | 49 |
All 11 charts
| German Albums · 1993–1997 | 64 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada · 1997 | Gold |
| France · 1994 | 2× Gold |
| Netherlands · 1998 | Platinum |
| New Zealand | Platinum |
| United Kingdom · 2013 | Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
53.3
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
279
ListenBrainz listeners
26k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
—
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
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Full discography →
David Bowie
1967
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1969
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1970
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1970
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1971
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1972
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1972
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1973
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1973
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1973
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1973
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1974
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1974
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1975
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1976
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1976
Low
1977
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1977
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1978
Stage
1978
Lodger
1979
David Bowie
1980
Scary Monsters… and Super Creeps
1980
The Best of Bowie
1980
Christiane F.: Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo
1981
ChangesTwoBowie
1981
In Bertolt Brecht’s Baal
1982
Rare
1982
Supergroups
1983
Serious Moonlight
1983
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars: The Motion Picture Soundtrack
1983
Let’s Dance
1983
Golden Years
1983
Fame and Fashion (David Bowie’s All Time Greatest Hits)
1984
Love You Till Tuesday
1984
Tonight
1984
Labyrinth: From the Original Soundtrack of the Jim Henson Film
1986
Never Let Me Down
1987
Glass Spider
1988
Sound + Vision
1989
Changesbowie
1990
Early On (1964–1966)
1991
Black Tie White Noise
1993
The Buddha of Suburbia
1993
Live Santa Monica ’72
1994
RarestOneBowie
1995
1.Outside: The Nathan Adler Diaries: A Hyper Cycle
1995
Earthling
1997
The Deram Anthology 1966–1968
1997
The Best of David Bowie 1969/1974
1997
The Best of David Bowie 1974/1979
1998
‘hours…’
1999
Liveandwell.com
2000
Bowie at the Beeb: The Best of the BBC Radio Sessions 68–72
2000
All Saints (Collected Instrumentals 1977–1999)
2001
Heathen
2002
Best of Bowie
2002
Reality
2003
Club Bowie: Rare and Unreleased 12″ Mixes
2003
Live EP (live at Fashion Rocks)
2005
The Collection
2005
The Platinum Collection
2005
Bowie 1965!
2006
The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987
2007
Outside / Earthling / Hours / Heathen / Reality
2007
iSELECT
2008
VH1 Storytellers
2009
Space Oddity
2009
A Reality Tour
2010
The Next Day
2013
Pin-Ups Radio Show
2013
The Next Day Extra EP
2013
Nothing has changed.
2014
Five Years 1969–1973
2015
★
2016
Who Can I Be Now? 1974–1976
2016
Lazarus
2016
Legacy
2016
No Plan
2017
Live Nassau Coliseum ’76
2017
Cracked Actor (Live Los Angeles ’74)
2017
A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982)
2017
Welcome to the Blackout (live London ’78)
2018
Loving the Alien (1983–1988)
2018
Glastonbury 2000
2018
Conversation Piece
2019
Is It Any Wonder?
2020
ChangesNowBowie
2020
I’m Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74)
2020
The Width of a Circle
2021
Toy
2021
Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001)
2021
Brilliant Adventure EP
2022
Toy E.P.
2022
Fun Mix
2022
Moonage Daydream: A Film by Brett Morgen
2022
Divine Symmetry
2022
Rock ’n’ Roll Star!
2024
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 1993-11-08 vs 1993-11-15 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 15 November 1993 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 8 November 1993 | |
| Wikidata | 1993 | |
| US release | 16 November 1993 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 15 November 1993 | earliest UK or European date |
13 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | ZA | EMI | 724382809920 | other |
| 1993 | AU | EMI | 724382810025 | other |
| 1993 | AU | EMI | 724382810124 | other |
| 1993 | XE | EMI | 724382809920 | other |
| 1993 | US | Rykodisc | other | |
| 1993 | US | Rykodisc | other | |
| 1993 | XE | EMI | 724382809920 | other |
| 1993 | US | EMI | 724382809920 | other |
| 15 November 1993 | GB | EMI | 724382809920 | original |
| 16 November 1993 | US | Rykodisc | 014431021824 | other |
| 16 November 1993 | US | Rykodisc | 014431021824 | other |
| 1997 | BE | EMI Music Belgium | 724385752421 | other |
| 22 October 1999 | FR | EMI | 724352328420 | other |
Cover art sources
fanarttv · upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| fanarttv ✓ | 1000×1000 | upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50) |
| coverartarchive | 466×466 | upscaled |