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A Best
Compilation album by Ayumi Hamasaki
Released	March 28, 2001
Recorded	1998-2000
Genre	J-pop
Length	76:01
Label	AVEX Trax
Producer	Max Matsuura
Ayumi Hamasaki chronology
Duty (2000) A Best (2001) I Am... (2002)

A Best is a greatest hits album that Avex forced Ayumi Hamasaki to release on March 28, 2001.

Album information

This album also features two tracks that were never released as singles ("A Song for XX" and "Who..."). Due to the large number of Ayumi Hamasaki singles, the songs on the album are fan favorites. Songs from her debut album such as "A Song for XX", "Trust", and "Depend on You" were re-recorded, showing the changes in Hamasaki's vocal qualities. The initial pressings had six different variations that each came with its own "gift".

A Best was released simultaneously with Utada Hikaru's Distance, which topped the charts on the initial week of release with 3,002,720 copies in its first week; A Best debuted at number two with 2,874,870 copies^[1]. Additionally, it topped the charts the second week of its release and is the sixth highest-selling album of all time in Japan^[2]. To date A BEST is Ayumi Hamasaki's highest selling album in Japan. It sold 4,301,353 copies total.

Though this was her best selling album, Hamasaki opposed it publicly, stating: "It was too early for release."

Track listing

1. "A Song for XX" ~new vocal and mix~
2. "Trust" ~new vocal and mix~
3. "Depend on You" ~new vocal & mix~
4. "Love: Destiny"
5. "To Be"
6. "Boys & Girls"
7. "Trauma"
8. "End roll"
9. "Appears"
10. "Fly High"
11. "Vogue"
12. "Far Away"
13. "Seasons"
14. "Surreal"
15. "M"
16. "Who..."

International version

A Best was later re-released in other countries outside Japan, including Singapore, the Philippines and Korea. The international version did not have new vocal mixes and had a slightly different cover art to the standard Japanese version.

1. "A Song for XX"
2. "Trust"
3. "Depend on You"
4. "Love: Destiny"
5. "To Be"
6. "Boys & Girls"
7. "Trauma"
8. "End roll"
9. "Appears"
10. "Fly High"
11. "Vogue"
12. "Far Away"
13. "Seasons"
14. "Surreal"
15. "M"
16. "Who..."

Credits

1. "A Song for XX" (new vocal and mix)
   Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
   Music: Yasuhiko Hoshino
   Arrangement: Akimitsu Honma
   Keyboards: Akimitsu Honma
   Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
   Programming: Hiroshi Kitashiro
2. "Trust" (new vocal and mix)
   Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
   Music: Takashi Kimura
   Arrangement: Takashi Kimura & Akamitsu Honma
   Keyboards: Akimitsu Honma
   Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
   Programming: Takahiro Iida
3. "Depend on You" (new vocal & mix)
   Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
   Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi
   Arrangement: Akamitsu Honma & Takashi Morio
   Keyboards: Akimitsu Honma
   Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
   Programming: Takahiro Iida
4. "Love:Destiny"
   Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
   Music: Tsunku
   Arrangement: Shingo Kobayashi & Yasuaki Maejima
   keyboards: Shingo Kobayashi
   Guitar: Jun Kajiwara
   Programming: Naoki Suzuki
5. "To Be"
   Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
   Music: DAI
   Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki & DAI
   Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
   Guitar: Masayoshi Furukawa
   Programming: Takahiro Iida
6. "Boys & Girls"
   Music: DAI
   Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki & DAI
   Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
   Guitar: Hidetoshi Suzuki
   Programming: Takahiro Iida
7. "Trauma"
   Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
   Music: DAI
   Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki & DAI
   Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
   Guitar: Jun Kajiwara
   Programming: Takahiro Iida
8. "End roll"
   Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
   Music: DAI
   Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki & DAI
   Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
   Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
   Bass: Naoto Suzuki
   Programming: Takahiro Iida
9. "Appears"
   Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
   Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi
   Arrangement: HAL
   Keyboards: HAL
   Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
   Programming: HAL
10. "Fly High"
    Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
    Music: DAI
    Arrangement: HAL
    Keyboards: HAL
    Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
    Programming: HAL
11. "Vogue"
    Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
    Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi
    Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki & Kazuhito Kikuchi
    Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
    Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
    Programming: Takahiro Iida
12. "Far Away"
    Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
    Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi & DAI
    Arrangement: HAL
    Keyboards: HAL
    Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
    B.G. Vocal: Junko Hirotani
    Programming: HAL
13. "Seasons"
    Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
    Music: DAI
    Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki
    Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
    Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
    B.G. Vocal: Junko Hirotani
    Programming: Takahiro Iida
14. "Surreal"
    Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
    Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi
    Arrangement: HAL
    Keyboards: HAL
    Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
    Programming: HAL
15. "M"
    Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
    music: CREA
    Arrangement: HAL
    Keyboards: HAL
    Guitar: Naoya Akimoto
    Programming: HAL
16. "Who..."
    Words: Ayumi Hamasaki
    Music: Kazuhito Kikuchi
    Arrangement: Naoto Suzuki

Keyboards: Naoto Suzuki
Guitar: Naoki Hayashibe
Programming: Takahiro Iida

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

• Total Sales: 4,301,353 (Japan)
• Total Sales: 6,750,000 (Asia)

Featured singles

Total Single Sales: 9,215,020

Sources