The Very Best of Elvis Costello

All songs written by Elvis Costello unless otherwise indicated.

1. "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" (Nick Lowe) (single, 1978) – 3:31
2. "Oliver's Army" (from Armed Forces, 1979) – 2:57
3. "Watching the Detectives" (single, 1977) – 3:43
4. "Alison" (from My Aim Is True, 1977) – 3:21
5. "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" (from This Year's Model, 1978) – 3:07
6. "Accidents Will Happen" (from Armed Forces, 1979) – 3:01
7. "Pump It Up" (from This Year's Model, 1978) – 3:13
8. "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" (Homer Banks, Alan Jones) (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 2:05
9. "Radio Radio" (single, 1978) – 3:06
10. "Clubland" (from Trust, 1981) – 3:43
11. "A Good Year for the Roses" (Jerry Chesnut) (from Almost Blue, 1981) – 3:35
12. "Man Out of Time" (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982) – 5:25
13. "I Wanna Be Loved" (Farnell Jenkins) (from Goodbye Cruel World, 1984) – 4:46
14. "Everyday I Write the Book" (from Punch the Clock, 1983) – 3:52
15. "Brilliant Mistake" (from King of America, 1986) – 3:41
16. "The Other Side of Summer" (from Mighty Like a Rose, 1991) – 3:53
17. "Tokyo Storm Warning" (from Blood and Chocolate, 1986) – 6:23
18. "Sulky Girl" (from Brutal Youth, 1994) – 5:04
19. "So Like Candy" (MacManus, McCartney) (from Mighty Like a Rose, 1991) – 4:35
20. "Veronica" (MacManus, McCartney) (from Spike, 1989) – 3:07
21. "She" (Charles Aznavour, Herbert Kretzmer) (from Soundtrack to Notting Hill, 1999) – 3:05

1. "Big Tears" (B-side of "Pump It Up" single, 1978) – 3:10
2. "Beyond Belief" (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982) – 2:33
3. "Lipstick Vogue" (from This Year's Model, 1978) – 3:31
4. "Green Shirt" (from Armed Forces, 1979) – 2:44
5. "Pills and Soap" (from Punch the Clock, 1983) – 3:43
6. "Tramp the Dirt Down" (from Spike, 1989) – 5:41
7. "Shipbuilding" (MacManus, Clive Langer) (from Punch the Clock, 1983) – 4:51
8. "High Fidelity" (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 2:28
9. "New Lace Sleeves" (from Trust, 1981) – 3:47
10. "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" (from My Aim Is True, 1977) – 2:46
11. "Talking in the Dark" (single, 1978) – 1:57
12. "New Amsterdam" (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 2:13
13. "I Hope You're Happy Now" (from Blood and Chocolate, 1986) – 3:07
14. "Riot Act" (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 3:34
15. "My Funny Valentine" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) (B-side from "Oliver's Army" single, 1979) – 1:29
16. "Indoor Fireworks" (from King of America, 1986) – 4:09
17. "Almost Blue" (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982) – 2:49
18. "I Want You" (from Blood and Chocolate, 1986) – 6:43
19. "God Give Me Strength" (Burt Bacharach, MacManus) (from Painted from Memory, 1998) – 6:10
20. "That Day Is Done" (MacManus, McCartney) (I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray, 1997) – 5:10
21. "I Want to Vanish" (from All This Useless Beauty, 1996) – 3:14