Äntligen – Marie Fredrikssons bästa 1984–2000 (Finally – Marie Fredriksson's Best) is the first greatest hitscompilation album by Swedish singer-songwriter Marie Fredriksson, released on 31 March 2000 by EMI. It was compiled by Fredriksson, and contains the majority of her singles, as well as several of her favourite album tracks. It was a commercial success upon release in her native country, spending eight weeks at number 1 on the Sverigetopplistan chart, and eventually being certified triple platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association for shipments of almost a quarter of a million units.
Background and recording
The album contains every single released by Fredriksson since her 1984 debut album, Het vind, with the exception of three: Het vind's title track, "Silver i din hand" from 1985's Den sjunde vågen, and the limited edition single "Ber bara en gång" from 1996's I en tid som vår. Also excluded is her collaboration with former ABBA vocalist Anni-Frid Lyngstad, "Alla mina bästa år", which was taken from Frida's album Djupa andetag (1996) and released as a single in 1997.[1]
The record contains two previously unreleased recordings, both of which were released as singles. "Äntligen" was issued as the lead single, and became a top forty hit in Sweden.[2] A remixed version of the song, re-titled "Solen gick ner över stan", was also included on the album.[1] The remaining song, "Det som var nu" – a duet with singer-songwriter Patrik Isaksson – was released in Sweden as the second single, where it peaked at number 59.[3] The latter is a Swedish re-recording of a track originally demoed in the late 1990s for Roxette's 1999 album Have a Nice Day.[1] The original English demo of the track, titled "Always the Last to Know", subsequently leaked onto the internet in 2002 when a former member of EMI staff sold a bootleg CD at a Dutch record fair.[4]
Commercial performance
The record was a major commercial success in Fredriksson's native country, debuting at number one and spending a total of eight non-consecutive weeks at the top spot. It went on to spend over a year on the album chart there.[5] It was the second best-selling album of 2000 in the country, behind 1, a greatest hits compilation by The Beatles,[6] and was also the 87th best-selling album of 2001.[7] The album was eventually certified triple platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association for shipments of almost 250,000 units.[8] It was also a success in neighbouring Norway, peaking at number six,[9] and was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for shipments of over 25,000 units in Norway.[10]
The success of the album led Fredriksson to perform a series of 18 concerts throughout Sweden, her first solo concerts since 1992. Äntligen – Sommarturné, a two-disc box set containing a live album and a DVD of her 10 August 2000 performance at Stockholm's Maritime Museum, was released on 24 November.[1]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Äntligen – Marie Fredrikssons bästa 1984–2000.[11]
Recorded at EMI Studios in Stockholm and Studio Vinden in Djursholm, Sweden between March 1984 and February 2000.
All songs produced by Lars-Göran "Lasse" Lindbom, except tracks 1, 2, 15, 16 and 17 produced by Marie Fredriksson and Mikael Bolyos; track 11 produced by Fredriksson, Anders Herrlin and Per "Pelle" Andersson; tracks 12, 13 and 14 produced by Fredriksson and Herrlin.
^Äntligen – Marie Fredrikssons bästa 1984–2000 (CD liner notes). Marie Fredriksson. EMI. 2000. 7243 525954-2 6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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