Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years is the first greatest hits album (sixth overall) by American singer and actress Vanessa Williams, released in the US on November 17, 1998, on Mercury Records. It features eleven of her previous recordings from the ten years starting from 1988, plus a new recording, a cover of Bobby Caldwell's "My Flame". This is the first Vanessa Williams album to feature her soundtrack contributions "Love Is", "Colors of the Wind" and "Where Do We Go From Here?".

Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedNovember 17, 1998
Recorded1988–1998
Genre
Length58:01
LabelMercury
ProducerVanessa Williams, Rex Salas, Donald Robinson, Kenni Hairston, Trevor Gale, Gerry Brown, Kipper Jones, Keith Thomas, Babyface, Nick Moroch, Brian McKnight, David Foster, Gary Taylor
Vanessa Williams chronology
Next
(1997)
Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years
(1998)
20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Vanessa Williams
(2003)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Robert Christgau(dud)[2]

The compilation includes all of Williams' singles to have charted on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, except for four: "Darlin' I", "Just For Tonight", "Work to Do" and "The Way That You Love".

The only older tracks included on the album that did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 are "Betcha Never" (from The Sweetest Days) and Williams's covers of Flora Purim's "Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly" and Simon Climie's "Oh How the Years Go By". Both these covers were originally released only on multi-artist compilations (although "Oh How The Years Go By" was subsequently included on Next).

Chart performance

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The album failed to chart on the Billboard 200. "My Flame" was released as a single and gained airplay on mostly jazz and adult contemporary radio stations, but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Right Stuff (from The Right Stuff)"Kipper Jones, Rex SalasSalas4:18
2."Dreamin' (from The Right Stuff)"Michael Forte, Lisa Montgomery, Geneva PaschalDonald Robinson5:25
3."Running Back to You (from The Comfort Zone)"Trevor Gale, Kenni Hairston, John Davis, Craig SnydederGale, Hairston4:39
4."The Comfort Zone (from The Comfort Zone)"Jones, Reggie StewartGerry Brown, Jones3:58
5."Save the Best for Last (from The Comfort Zone)"Phil Galdston, Jon Lind, Wendy WaldmanKeith Thomas3:40
6."The Sweetest Days (from The Sweetest Days)"Galdston, Lind, WaldmanThomas3:31
7."Betcha Never (from The Sweetest Days)"BabyfaceBabyface3:55
8."Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly (from the compilation Ain't Nuthin' But A She Thing)"Chick Corea, Neville PotterBrown, Nick Moroch, Williams4:57
9."Oh How the Years Go By (from the compilation NBA at 50 - A Musical Celebration and the album Next)"Simon Climie, Will JenningsThomas5:11
10."Love Is (with Brian McKnight) (from the soundtrack to Beverly Hills 90210)"Michael Caruso, Tonio K, John KellerMcKnight, Brown, Williams4:45
11."Colors of the Wind (from the Pocahontas soundtrack)"Alan Menken, Stephen SchwartzThomas4:18
12."Where Do We Go from Here? (featured in the film Eraser but previously unreleased on an album)"David Foster, Douglas Pashley, Linda Thompson, Evan KopelsonFoster4:19
13."My Flame (previously unreleased)"Bobby CaldwellGary Taylor5:05
  • Track information and credits verified from the album's liner notes.[3] Some information was adapted from AllMusic.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Gallucci, Michael. Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years at AllMusic
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Vanessa Williams". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  3. ^ Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years (liner notes). Vanessa Williams. Mercury Records. 1998. 314 538 271-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ^ 'Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years' Credits at AllMusic. Retrieved 6 February 2020.