The Best of Sade

The Best of Sade is the first greatest hits album by English band Sade, released by Epic Records in the United Kingdom on 31 October 1994 and in the United States on 4 November 1994. The compilation chronicles Sade's first four studio albums, while also including non-single songs "Jezebel", "Like a Tattoo" and "Pearls", as well as "Please Send Me Someone to Love", which appeared in the soundtrack to the film Philadelphia. The album was digitally remastered in 2000.

The Best of Sade
Greatest hits album by Sade
Released	31 October 1994 (1994-10-31)
Recorded	1983–1993
Studio	The Power Plant (London)[a] Miraval (Le Val, France)[b] Compass Point (Nassau, Bahamas)[c] Marcadet (Paris)[c] Condulmer (Venice)[d] Ridge Farm (Surrey, England)[d] The Hit Factory (London)[d] Conway (Los Angeles)[e] Ameraycan (Los Angeles)[e]
Length	74:03
Label	Epic
Producer	Hein Hoven Robin Millar Mike Pela Ben Rogan Sade
Sade chronology
Love Deluxe (1992) The Best of Sade (1994) Lovers Rock (2000)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Christgau's Consumer Guide	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	A[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]

The singles from Diamond Life, as well as Stronger Than Pride's "Paradise" and "Nothing Can Come Between Us", are presented in their 7″ edit forms; "Never as Good as the First Time" and "Cherish the Day" are remixes produced by Sade, also taken from their respective singles. None of this information is listed within the album's packaging.

Critical reception

AllMusic's Jason Elias wrote, "By the time this was released in 1994, something unexpected happened. Sade's early work became classic and the later additions boasted even better vocals and songs that nicely improved on the theme. The timeless sound and class always exhibited makes Sade Adu and her band a no-brainer for an appealing compilation. Like Al Green's Greatest Hits, The Best of Sade doesn't detract from the original albums and is a marker of time, not the end of the act... Despite its riches, The Best of Sade doesn't include all of the best, since 'Maureen' and or 'Keep Looking' aren't here. It's a small complaint and The Best of Sade is a great overview."^[1] Robert Christgau called the album "another loungecore alternative".^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Your Love Is King" (from Diamond Life, 1984)	Sade Adu Stuart Matthewman	Robin Millar	3:43
2.	"Hang On to Your Love" (edit of LP version, on Diamond Life, 1984)	Adu Matthewman	Millar	4:31
3.	"Smooth Operator" (7" edit, on Diamond Life, 1984)	Adu Ray St. John	Millar	4:18
4.	"Jezebel" (from Promise, 1985)	Adu Matthewman	Millar	5:25
5.	"The Sweetest Taboo" (from Promise, 1985)	Adu Martin Ditcham	Millar	4:25
6.	"Is It a Crime?" (from Promise, 1985)	Adu Matthewman Andrew Hale	Millar	6:17
7.	"Never as Good as the First Time" (remix edit, from Promise, 1985)	Adu Matthewman	Millar Ben Rogan Mike Pela Sade	3:59
8.	"Love Is Stronger Than Pride" (from Stronger Than Pride, 1988)	Adu Matthewman Hale	Sade Pela[a] Rogan[a]	4:18
9.	"Paradise" (remix, from Stronger Than Pride, 1988)	Adu Matthewman Hale Paul S. Denman	Sade Pela[a] Rogan[a]	3:37
10.	"Nothing Can Come Between Us" (radio edit, from Stronger Than Pride, 1988)	Adu Matthewman Hale	Sade Pela[a] Rogan[a]	3:53
11.	"No Ordinary Love" (from Love Deluxe, 1992)	Adu Matthewman	Sade Pela[a]	7:20
12.	"Like a Tattoo" (from Love Deluxe, 1992)	Adu Matthewman Hale	Sade Pela[a]	3:37
13.	"Kiss of Life" (radio edit, from Love Deluxe, 1992)	Adu Matthewman Hale Denman	Sade Pela[a]	4:11
14.	"Please Send Me Someone to Love" (from Philadelphia soundtrack, 1994)	Percy Mayfield	Sade Hein Hoven	3:42
15.	"Cherish the Day" (Sade remix, from Love Deluxe, 1992)	Adu Matthewman Hale	Sade Pela[a]	6:19
16.	"Pearls" (from Love Deluxe, 1992)	Adu Hale	Sade Pela[a]	4:37
Total length:				74:03

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Best of Sade.^[5]

Sade

• Sade Adu – vocals
• Andrew Hale – keyboards
• Stuart Matthewman – guitar, saxophone
• Paul S. Denman – bass

Additional musicians

• Dave Early – drums, percussion (tracks 1–7)
• Martin Ditcham – percussion (tracks 1–11, 13); drums (tracks 8–10, 13)
• Paul Cooke – drums (tracks 1–3)
• Terry Bailey – trumpet (tracks 1–7)
• Gordon Matthewman – trumpet (tracks 1–3)
• Pete Beachill – trombone (tracks 4–7)
• Leroy Osbourne – vocals (tracks 7–13, 15, 16)
• Jake Jacas – vocals (track 7)
• Gordon Hunte – guitar (tracks 9, 14)
• Nick Ingman – string arrangements (tracks 13, 16)
• Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader (tracks 11–13, 15, 16)
• Tony Pleeth – solo cello (track 16)
• Karl Van Den Bossche – percussion (track 14)
• Trevor Murrell – drums (track 14)

Technical

• Robin Millar – production (tracks 1–7)
• Mike Pela – production engineering (tracks 1–7); production (track 7); engineering, co-production (tracks 8–13, 15, 16)
• Pete Brown – engineering assistance (tracks 1–7)
• Simon Driscoll – engineering assistance (tracks 1–7)
• Ben Rogan – production (track 7); engineering, co-production (tracks 8–10)
• Sade – production (tracks 7–13, 15, 16), arrangement (tracks 8–13, 15, 16)
• Phil Legg – engineering assistance (tracks 4–7)
• Melanie West – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Vince McCartney – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Franck Segarra – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Olivier de Bosson – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Alain Lubrano – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Jean-Christophe Vareille – engineering assistance (tracks 8–10)
• Sandro Franchin – engineering assistance (tracks 11–13, 15, 16)
• Adrian Moore – engineering assistance (tracks 11–13, 15, 16)
• Marc Williams – engineering assistance (tracks 11–13, 15, 16)
• Hein Hoven – production, mixing (track 14)
• Ian Cooper – mastering

Artwork

• Albert Watson – photography
• Jo Strettel – photography
• Peter Brawne – design

Charts

Weekly charts 1994–1995 weekly chart performance Chart (1994–1995) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] 23 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[7] 9 Belgian Albums (IFPI)[8] 3 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[9] 22 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[10] 9 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[11] 21 European Albums (Music & Media)[12] 5 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] 12 French Compilation Albums (SNEP)[14] 8 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] 15 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[16] 12 Irish Albums (IFPI)[10] 6 Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)[17] 5 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[18] 27 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[19] 5 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[20] 12 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[8] 4 Scottish Albums (OCC)[21] 26 Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[22] 10 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[23] 7 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 11 UK Albums (OCC)[25] 6 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[26] 1 US Billboard 200[27] 9 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[28] 7 1999 weekly chart performance Chart (1999) Peak position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[29] 38 2005 weekly chart performance Chart (2005) Peak position UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)[30] 4 2010 weekly chart performance Chart (2010) Peak position Polish Albums (ZPAV)[31] 6 2022 weekly chart performance Chart (2022) Peak position Greek Albums (IFPI Greece)[32] 2 2024 weekly chart performance Chart (2022) Peak position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[33] 126 US Contemporary Jazz Albums (Billboard) 1

Year-end charts 1994 year-end chart performance Chart (1994) Position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[34] 63 UK Albums (OCC)[35] 40 1995 year-end chart performance Chart (1995) Position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[36] 83 European Albums (Music & Media)[37] 52 US Billboard 200[38] 45 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[39] 19 2024 year-end chart performance Chart (2024) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[40] 176

Certifications

Certifications for The Best of Sade

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[41]	Platinum	60,000^
Australia (ARIA)[42]	3× Platinum	210,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[43]	Gold	25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[44]	Platinum	50,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[45]	Gold	100,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[46]	3× Platinum	300,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[47]	3× Platinum	60,000‡
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[48]	Gold	34,474[48]
France (SNEP)[49]	2× Gold	200,000*
Germany (BVMI)[50]	Gold	250,000^
Italy (FIMI)[51]	Platinum	50,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[52]	Gold	100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[53]	Platinum	100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[54]	Platinum	15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[55]	Platinum	100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[56] 1994 release	Platinum	300,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[57] 2000 release	2× Platinum	600,000^
United States (RIAA)[58]	4× Platinum	4,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[59]	2× Platinum	2,000,000*
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

1. Tracks 1–7
2. Tracks 4–10
3. Tracks 8–10
4. Tracks 11–13, 15 and 16
5. Track 14