Remix album
Album consisting mostly of remixes or re-recorded versions of earlier released material
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (Aerial Pandemonium Ballet, 1971).[1] As of 2026[2] the best-selling remix album of all time is Michael Jackson's Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (1997).
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History and concept
Aerial Pandemonium Ballet (1971) by Harry Nilsson is credited as the first remix album.[1] It was released after the successes of "Everybody's Talkin'" and The Point!, when he decided that his older material had started to sound dated.[citation needed] Neu!'s Neu! 2 (1973) has also been described as "in effect the first remix album", as many tracks see the duo "speed up, slow down, cut, doctor, and mutilate the material, sometimes beyond recognition".[3]
In the 1980s, record companies would combine several kinds of electronic dance music, such as dance-pop, house, and techno into full-length albums, creating a relatively low-overhead addition to the catalogs and balance sheets.[4] Soft Cell's Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing (1982) and The Human League's Love and Dancing (1982) are credited for inventing the modern remix album.[5] Since this time, this kind of release is not only seen as an easy cash-in for an artist and their label, but also as an opportunity to provide a second lease of life for a record.[6] In reggae music, it is very common for a whole album to be remixed in a dub style.[7][8]
Jennifer Lopez's album J to tha L–O! The Remixes (2002) is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first remix album to debut at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart.[9]
List of best-selling remix albums
See also
Notes
- Certification systems have been established periodically throughout the past half century; thus, certification databases are not able to cover all sales. Some (or all) records released and sold prior to a certification system's establishment year may not be found within the available searchable certification databases. Year of establishment (from largest market to smallest based on Retail Value each market generates respectively):[57][58]
- United States: 1958[59]
- Japan: 1989[60]
- Germany: 1975[12]
- United Kingdom: 1973[61]
- France: 1973[62]
- Canada: 1975[63]
- Australia: 1997[16] (online certification-database has begun since 1997. Certifications; however, existed in Australia since the 1970s)
- Brazil: 1990[64]
- Netherlands: 1978[19]
- Italy: 2009[20] (online certification-database covers certifications issued since 2009. Certifications; however, have existed in Italy since the 1990s)
- Spain: 1979[51]
- Sweden: 1987[65]
- Denmark: 2001[23] (online certifications for Denmark start from 2001. Certifications; however, existed in Denmark since the early 1990s[66])
- Switzerland: 1989[67]
- Mexico: 1999[68]
- Argentina: 1980[69]
- Belgium: 1995[70]
- Austria: 1990[47]
- Poland: 1995[29]
- Finland: 1971[71]
- Ireland: 2005[72]
- New Zealand: July 1978[33]
- United States[76] (Note, U.S. certification-award-levels for singles before 1989 were: 1,000,000 for Gold and 2,000,000 for Platinum.[77] Also, U.S. certification-awards for Shortform albums before September 1996 were: 250,000 for Gold and 500,000 for Platinum[78])
- Japan[79][80]
- Germany[81]
- United Kingdom[82]
- France[83][62][84][85]
- Canada[86] (Canadian certification-award-levels for singles before February 1982 were: 75,000 for Gold and 150,000 for Platinum[87])
- Brazil[88][89][90]
- Netherlands[91]
- Italy[20][92][93]
- Spain[94][95]
- Sweden[96]
- Denmark[66][97][98][99]
- Switzerland[67]
- Mexico[100][101]
- Argentina[69]
- Belgium[102][103]
- Austria:[102][104][105]
- Poland[106][107]
- Finland[71]
- New Zealand: (NZ certification-levels for singles before 1989 were: 10,000 for Gold, 20,000 for Platinum)[108] (NZ certification-levels for singles before June 2007 were: 5,000 for Gold, 10,000 for Platinum)[109] (The levels for singles were adjusted again on 17 June 2016 from previous 7,500 for Gold, 15,000 for Platinum, to 15,000 for Gold, 30,000 for Platinum)[110]