The Ultimate Collection is a compilation album by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, first released on 28 October 2016.[1] Remastered by engineer Andy Pearce and curated by the members of the band,[2] the album was released during the band's final concert tour, The End Tour.
| The Ultimate Collection | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 28 October 2016 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 150:14 | |||
| Label | BMG | |||
| Black Sabbath chronology | ||||
| ||||
Release
The Ultimate Collection was released on CD and digital platforms on 28 October 2016.[1] This was followed on 18 November with the limited edition "Crucifold" box set release, which contains four vinyl LPs and folds out into the shape of a cross.[3][4] The CD and LP releases were made available in the United States in February 2017.[2]
Reception
Leigh Sanders of Express & Star gave the album a positive review, calling it "[a] great collection."[5] Ulf Kubanke of Laut.de also reviewed the album positively, complimenting the songs and the sound quality.[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Paranoid" | Paranoid, 1970 | 2:48 |
| 2. | "Never Say Die" | Never Say Die!, 1978 | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Iron Man" | Paranoid | 5:54 |
| 4. | "Black Sabbath" | Black Sabbath, 1970 | 6:17 |
| 5. | "Children of the Grave" | Master of Reality, 1971 | 5:14 |
| 6. | "Fairies Wear Boots" | Paranoid | 6:13 |
| 7. | "Changes" | Vol. 4, 1972 | 4:42 |
| 8. | "Rat Salad" | Paranoid | 2:29 |
| 9. | "Sweet Leaf" | Master of Reality | 5:03 |
| 10. | "War Pigs" | Paranoid | 7:54 |
| 11. | "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" | Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, 1973 | 5:47 |
| 12. | "Hole in the Sky" | Sabotage, 1975 | 4:00 |
| 13. | "Symptom of the Universe" | Sabotage | 6:28 |
| 14. | "Spiral Architect" | Sabbath Bloody Sabbath | 5:29 |
| 15. | "Rock 'n' Roll Doctor" | Technical Ecstasy, 1976 | 3:26 |
| Total length: | 75:34 | ||
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dirty Women" | Technical Ecstasy | 7:08 |
| 2. | "Evil Woman" | Black Sabbath | 3:22 |
| 3. | "A Hard Road" | Never Say Die! | 6:04 |
| 4. | "Lord of This World" | Master of Reality | 5:22 |
| 5. | "Into the Void" | Master of Reality | 6:12 |
| 6. | "Behind the Wall of Sleep" | Black Sabbath | 3:38 |
| 7. | "Snowblind" | Vol. 4 | 5:26 |
| 8. | "Tomorrow's Dream" | Vol. 4 | 3:08 |
| 9. | "The Wizard" | Black Sabbath | 4:20 |
| 10. | "N.I.B." | Black Sabbath | 6:04 |
| 11. | "Electric Funeral" | Paranoid | 4:49 |
| 12. | "Embryo" | Master of Reality | 0:27 |
| 13. | "Killing Yourself to Live" | Sabbath Bloody Sabbath | 5:42 |
| 14. | "Am I Going Insane (Radio)" | Sabotage | 4:16 |
| 15. | "Wicked World" | Black Sabbath | 4:43 |
| 16. | "It's Alright" | Technical Ecstasy | 3:59 |
| Total length: | 74:40 | ||
Charts
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[7] | 176 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[8] | 141 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] | 40 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[10] | 20 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[11] | 45 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] | 52 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[13] | 20 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[14] | 4 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[15] | 3 |
| US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[16] | 13 |
| US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[17] | 17 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[18] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||