Light Years, The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra

The album celebrates the band's 25th Anniversary singles career starting in 1972 and contains all of ELO's 29 UK hit singles plus other single edits that either didn't chart or were hits in other countries.

All the songs included are reputed to be the edited 7" single versions; analysis of the vinyl 7" singles contradicts the claim. For example, the intro/count-in of "Four Little Diamonds" was trimmed from the original 7", but included here; the intro of "Strange Magic" was shorter on the 7".

It is also the first ELO compilation to feature the song "Across the Border" which was scheduled to be released as an EP track in 1980 but was withdrawn. Although not in chronological order, it is however the most comprehensive assemblage of the band's hits of the many compilations available.

The album reached 60 in the UK Album Charts.^[3] The album was also released in Europe with an identical track order under the titles, The Swedish Collection and The Danish Collection released in 2000.

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Track listing

Disc one
No.	Title	Original album	Length
1.	"Turn to Stone"	Out of the Blue, 1977	3:47
2.	"Evil Woman"	Face the Music, 1975	4:15
3.	"Livin' Thing"	A New World Record, 1976	3:32
4.	"Twilight"	Time, 1981	3:37
5.	"Telephone Line"	A New World Record	4:41
6.	"Four Little Diamonds"	Secret Messages, 1983	4:06
7.	"Xanadu" (with Olivia Newton-John)	Xanadu soundtrack, 1980	3:27
8.	"Last Train to London"	Discovery, 1979	4:32
9.	"Strange Magic" (7" edit)	Face the Music	4:06
10.	"Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" (7" edit)	On the Third Day, 1973	3:11
11.	"Confusion"	Discovery	3:40
12.	"Rock 'n' Roll Is King"	Secret Messages	3:05
13.	"The Way Life's Meant to Be"	Time	4:39
14.	"Can't Get It Out of My Head" (7" edit)	Eldorado, 1974	3:07
15.	"Secret Messages" (Special version from the LP)	Secret Messages	3:34
16.	"Calling America"	Balance of Power, 1986	3:28
17.	"Don't Walk Away"	Xanadu soundtrack	4:39
18.	"Don't Bring Me Down"	Discovery	4:03
19.	"Mr. Blue Sky"	Out of the Blue	5:03

Disc two
No.	Title	Original album	Length
1.	"Sweet Talkin' Woman"	Out of the Blue	3:47
2.	"I'm Alive"	Xanadu soundtrack	3:43
3.	"Shine a Little Love"	Discovery	4:10
4.	"Ticket to the Moon"	Time	4:07
5.	"Illusions in G Major"	Eldorado	2:38
6.	"So Serious"	Balance of Power	2:41
7.	"Nightrider" (7" edit)	Face the Music	3:43
8.	"All Over the World"	Xanadu soundtrack	4:01
9.	"Here Is the News"	Time	3:44
10.	"The Diary of Horace Wimp"	Discovery	4:17
11.	"Across the Border" (EP version)	Out of the Blue	3:51
12.	"Showdown"	On the Third Day (U.S.); Showdown, 1974	4:10
13.	"Hold on Tight"	Time	3:07
14.	"Wild West Hero"	Out of the Blue	4:40
15.	"Do Ya"	A New World Record	3:45
16.	"10538 Overture" (7" edit)	The Electric Light Orchestra/No Answer, 1971	3:56
17.	"Getting to the Point"	Balance of Power	4:29
18.	"Rockaria!"	A New World Record	3:14
19.	"Roll Over Beethoven" (7" edit)	ELO 2, 1973	4:34
Total length:			148:04

Personnel

Jeff Lynne – vocals, guitars, keyboards
Roy Wood – vocals, cello, oboe, bass guitar
Bev Bevan – drums, percussion
Richard Tandy – synthesizers, mellotron, clavinet, piano, guitar
Kelly Groucutt – vocals, bass guitar
Hugh McDowell – cello
Mik Kaminski – violin
Melvyn Gale – cello
Mike de Albuquerque – bass guitar, vocals
Mike Edwards – cello
Wilf Gibson – violin
Colin Walker – cello
Bill Hunt – French horn
Steve Woolam – violin

Charts

Chart (1997-1999)	Peak position
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[4]	10
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[5]	81
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)^[6]	41
UK Albums (OCC)^[7]	60

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Norway (IFPI Norway)^[8]	Gold	25,000^*
United Kingdom (BPI)^[9]	Gold	100,000^*
^* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Light Years, The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra at AllMusic
^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn). London: Omnibus Press. p. 916. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
^ "Electric Light Orchestra". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Electric Light Orchestra – Light Years - The Very Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
^ Salaverri, Fernando (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
^ "British album certifications – ELO – Light Years - The Very Best Of". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 April 2022.

v t e Electric Light Orchestra
Jeff Lynne Bev Bevan Roy Wood Richard Tandy Bill Hunt Steve Woolam Mike Edwards Wilfred Gibson Hugh McDowell Andy Craig Mike de Albuquerque Colin Walker Mik Kaminski Kelly Groucutt Melvyn Gale
Studio albums	The Electric Light Orchestra (No Answer) ELO 2 (Electric Light Orchestra II) On the Third Day Eldorado Face the Music A New World Record Out of the Blue Discovery Time Secret Messages Balance of Power Zoom Alone in the Universe From Out of Nowhere
Live albums	The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach Live at Wembley '78 Live at Winterland '76 The BBC Sessions Live at the BBC Electric Light Orchestra Live Wembley or Bust
Soundtracks	Xanadu
Compilations	Showdown Olé ELO The Light Shines On Three Light Years The Light Shines On Vol 2 ELO's Greatest Hits A Box of Their Best Four Light Years Afterglow ELO's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra Strange Magic Light Years Definitive Collection Friends & Relatives Flashback The Ultimate Collection The Essential Electric Light Orchestra All Over the World Ticket to the Moon The Essential Electric Light Orchestra (2 CD Edition) Mr. Blue Sky
Videography	Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley (1980) Fusion – Live in London (1990) Zoom Tour Live (2001) ELO – Total Rock Review (2006) Live: The Early Years (2010) Jeff Lynne's ELO: Live in Hyde Park (2015) Wembley or Bust (2017)
Tours	Jeff Lynne's ELO Tour 2019
Touring members	Louis Clark Dave Morgan Martin Smith Gregg Bissonette Matt Bissonette Marc Mann Rosie Vela
Related articles	Discography Song list Don Arden Reinhold Mack Jet Records The Move Wizzard ELO Part II The Orchestra List of songs produced by Jeff Lynne Daicon III and IV Opening Animations Violinski Earthrise L.E.O. Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO
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This page was last edited on 12 March 2024, at 20:28