Album · Compilation
The Very Beast of Dio
The Very Beast of Dio is a heavy metal compilation from the American band Dio, released on 3 October 2000 by Rhino. It was their second greatest hits collection and the first to appear in the US, which made it an easy way in for listeners on that side of the Atlantic who wanted the highlights without tracking down every studio record.
It arrived the same year as Magica, the band's eighth studio album, and draws on a catalogue that began with Holy Diver in 1983. The collection found a sizeable audience: it passed 400,000 copies according to SoundScan, and by 2009 the RIAA had certified it Gold for more than 500,000 sales in the US. A follow-up, The Very Beast of Dio Vol. 2, came out on 9 October 2012.
The Very Beast of Dio: tracklist and credits
16 tracks · 1:18:40Tracklist
- 1Stand Up and ShoutJimmy Bain and Ronnie James Dio3:19
- 2Holy DiverRonnie James Dio5:54
- 3Rainbow in the DarkAppice, Bain, Campbell, Dio4:17
- 4Straight Through the HeartJimmy Bain and Ronnie James Dio4:36
- 5We RockRonnie James Dio4:36
- 6The Last in LineBain, Campbell, Dio5:47
- 7MysteryJimmy Bain and Ronnie James Dio3:58
- 8King of Rock and RollAppice, Bain, Campbell, Dio3:52
- 9Sacred HeartAppice, Bain, Campbell, Dio6:29
- 10Hungry for HeavenJimmy Bain and Ronnie James Dio4:13
- 11Rock ’n’ Roll ChildrenRonnie James Dio4:34
- 12Man on the Silver MountainRitchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio2:28
- 13Dream EvilRonnie James Dio and Craig Goldy4:25
- 14I Could Have Been a DreamerRonnie James Dio and Craig Goldy4:44
- 15Lock Up the WolvesBain, Dio, Robertson8:34
- 16Strange HighwaysAppice, Dio, G, Pilson6:53
- Produced by
- Ronnie James Dio, Ronnie James Dio, Tony Platt, Mike Fraser
- Recorded at
- Sound City Studios, Caribou Ranch Recording Studio, Rumbo Recorders, Pechanga Arena, The Village, Granny’s House
- Recorded
- 1983 – December 1985
- Mixed by
- Nigel Green, Tony Platt, Mike Fraser
- Mixed at
- Westlake Audio, The Record Plant, Battery Studios
- Engineered by
- Angelo Arcuri, Guy Chabernau, Tony Platt, Mike Fraser
- Mastered by
- Bill Inglot
- Labels
- Rhino, WEA/Rhino
- Length
- 1:18:40
Line-up
- Vinny Appice · drums (drum set)
- Jimmy Bain · keyboard, electric bass guitar, bass guitar
- Vivian Campbell · guitar, electric guitar
- Ronnie James Dio · keyboard, lead vocals
- Claude Schnell · keyboard
- Craig Goldy · guitar · guest
- Teddy Cook · bass guitar · guest
- Jens Johansson · keyboard · guest
- Rowan Robertson · electric guitar · guest
- Simon Wright · drums (drum set) · guest
- Tracy G · guitar · guest
- Jeff Pilson · bass guitar · guest
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| United States · 2009 | Gold |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
14.4
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
1
ListenBrainz listeners
6.4k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
—
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Warning:
Green Day · 2000
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Rainbow
Rainbow · 2000
Kid A
Radiohead · 2000
So Much for the Ten Year Plan: A Retrospective 1990-2000
Therapy? · 2000
Bowie at the Beeb: The Best of the BBC Radio Sessions 68–72
David Bowie · 2000
Primitive
Soulfly · 2000
New American Gospel
Lamb of God · 2000
2000-05-30: Wembley Arena, London, UK (#5)
Pearl Jam · 2000
Over the Top: The Rarities
Motörhead · 2000
2000-06-08: Bercy, Paris, France (#10)
Pearl Jam · 2000
Also released on 3 October
Every year →Warning:
Green Day · 2000
Adrenaline
Deftones · 1995
The Who by Numbers
The Who · 1975
The Information
Beck · 2006
Lightning to the Nations
Diamond Head · 1980
Nö Sleep at All
Motörhead · 1988
Ad Astra
Ash · 2025
Live at Hammersmith
Twisted Sister · 1994
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Rainbow
Rainbow · 2000
More from Dio
Full discography →
Holy Diver
1983
The Last in Line
1984
Sacred Heart
1985
The Dio E.P.
1986
Intermission
1986
Dream Evil
1987
Lock Up the Wolves
1990
Diamonds: The Best of Dio
1992
Strange Highways
1993
Angry Machines
1996
DIO's Inferno: The Last in Live
1998
Magica
2000
Killing the Dragon
2002
Evil or Divine: Live in New York City
2003
Master of the Moon
2004
Metal Hits
2005
Holy Diver Live
2006
Dio at Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987
2010
The Very Beast of Dio, Volume 2
2012
Live in London: Hammersmith Apollo 1993
2014
The best of 2000
All of 2000 →
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park · 2000
Kid A
Radiohead · 2000
Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit · 2000
White Pony
Deftones · 2000
All That You Can’t Leave Behind
U2 · 2000
Next Year
Foo Fighters · 2000
Warning:
Green Day · 2000
Renegades
Rage Against the Machine · 2000
1
The Beatles · 2000
Rated R
Queens of the Stone Age · 2000
Brave New World
Iron Maiden · 2000
Conspiracy of One
The Offspring · 2000
More on Rhino
The label →
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots · 2018
Hi‐Five: ZZ Top
ZZ Top · 2005
Perdida
Stone Temple Pilots · 2020
I Can’t Give Everything Away (2002–2016)
David Bowie · 2025
The Studio Albums 1992–2016
Dream Theater · 2025
Greatest Hits 1970–1978
Black Sabbath · 2006
The Next Day Extra EP
David Bowie · 2013
Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour
Dream Theater · 2006
Anthology: Hey Ho, Let’s Go!
Ramones · 1999
The Rules of Hell
Black Sabbath · 2008
Operation: Mindcrime II
Queensrÿche · 2006
Live at the Gorge 05/06
Pearl Jam · 2007
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 3 October 2000 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 3 October 2000 | |
| Wikidata | 2000 | |
| US release | 3 October 2000 | earliest US date |
1 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 October 2000 | US | Rhino | 081227998325 | original |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1425×1425 | upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |