{{Redirect|Best I|articles with similar titles|Best (disambiguation)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox album | name = Best... I | type = greatest | artist = the Smiths | cover = UKBest1.jpg | alt = | released = August 17, 1992 | recorded = 1983–1987 | studio = | genre = Alternative rock, indie pop | length = 45:09 | label = WEA | producer = Various (see main text) | prev_title = The Peel Sessions | prev_year = 1988 | next_title = ...Best II | next_year = 1992 | misc = {{Extra album cover | header = Alternative cover | type = greatest | cover = USBest1.jpg | border = | alt = | caption = US cover of ''Best... I'' }} }} {{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}} [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r76652|pure_url=yes}} link] | rev2 = ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' | rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|edition=4th|isbn=978-0195313734|title-link=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref> | noprose = yes }}
'''''Best... I''''' is a compilation album by the Smiths. It was released in August 1992 by the new owner of their back catalogue, WEA (Sire Records in the United States). It reached number one on the UK Albums Chart; it reached No. 139 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. Warner UK used a photograph taken by actor Dennis Hopper titled "Biker Couple, 1961" (top photo) for the artwork of the two 1992 "best of" compilations by The Smiths.
==Background== WEA (now the Warner Music Group) had acquired the entire Smiths back catalogue in early 1992. Along with the re-release of the eight original albums (the four studio albums, the ''Rank'' live album and the three compilation albums issued while the band were still active), they immediately set to work compiling a 'best of' collection in two volumes. It was the first time a regular best of compilation had ever been made of The Smiths' material and the album effortlessly reached the top of the British charts. The British press had doubts about sell-out and low track selection coherence.
The material is more or less picked and sequenced at random, and consists of both singles and album cuts. It was followed later the same year by its sibling, ''...Best II''. The first spin-off single, a re-release of "This Charming Man", reached No. 8 in the singles chart, the highest position a Smiths single had ever reached. A second single promoting ''Best... I'', an edited re-release of "How Soon Is Now?", got to No. 16 (the uncut version is featured on the compilation).
===Cover=== The UK and European release of the record featured the left half of a biker couple photograph by Dennis Hopper from 1961 entitled 'Biker Couple' on its sleeve, with ''...Best II'' completing the picture; the U.S. sleeve was designed by singer Morrissey and features Richard Davalos, co-star of ''East of Eden''.
==Track listing== All tracks written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr.
#"This Charming Man" (Single A-side) – 2:43 #"William, It Was Really Nothing" (From ''Hatful of Hollow'') – 2:09 #"What Difference Does It Make?" ''(album version)'' (From ''The Smiths'') – 3:51 #"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" (From ''Strangeways, Here We Come'') – 3:34 #"Girlfriend in a Coma" (From ''Strangeways, Here We Come'') – 2:02 #"Half a Person" (From ''The World Won't Listen'') – 3:36 #"Rubber Ring" (Single B-side of "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side") – 3:48 #"How Soon Is Now?" ''(full version)'' (From ''Hatful of Hollow'') – 6:46 #"Hand in Glove" ''(album version)'' (From ''The Smiths'') – 3:25 #"Shoplifters of the World Unite" (From ''The World Won't Listen'') – 2:58 #"Sheila Take a Bow" (From ''Louder Than Bombs'') – 2:42 #"Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" (From ''The Queen Is Dead'') – 3:18 #"Panic" (From ''The World Won't Listen'') – 2:20 #"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" (From ''Hatful of Hollow'') – 1:54
==Personnel== * Morrissey – vocals * Johnny Marr – guitars, harmonica, mandolins on "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" * Andy Rourke – bass guitar * Mike Joyce – drums * Craig Gannon – rhythm guitar on "Half a Person" and "Panic"
===Additional musicians=== * John Porter – slide guitar on "Sheila Take a Bow" * Stephen Street – synthesized string arrangements on "Girlfriend in a Coma".
===Production=== * John Porter – producer (A1-A3, B1, B6-B7) * Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Street – producers (A4-A6, B4) * Morrissey and Marr – producers (A7, B5) * The Smiths – producers (B2) * Johnny Marr – producer (B3)
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+1992 weekly chart performance for ''Best... I'' !scope="col"|Chart (1992) !scope="col"|Peak<br />position |- !scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{cite Ryan|page=257}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|64 |- {{album chart|Canada|36|chartid=1891|rowheader=true|access-date=5 August 2023}} |- {{album chart|Netherlands|74|artist=The Smiths|album=Best...I|rowheader=true|access-date=5 August 2023}} |- {{album chart|New Zealand|15|artist=The Smiths|album=Best...I|rowheader=true|access-date=5 August 2023}} |- {{album chart|Norway|35|artist=The Smiths|album=Best...I|rowheader=true|access-date=5 August 2023}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|45|artist=The Smiths|album=Best...I|rowheader=true|access-date=5 August 2023}} |- {{album chart|UK2|1|date=19920823|rowheader=true|access-date=5 August 2023}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|139|artist=The Smiths|rowheader=true|access-date=5 August 2023}} |} {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+2000 weekly chart performance for ''Best... I'' !scope="col"|Chart (2000) !scope="col"|Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|Ireland2|52|artist=The Smiths|rowheader=true|access-date=5 August 2023}} |} {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+2014 weekly chart performance for ''Best... I'' !scope="col"|Chart (2014) !scope="col"|Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|Italy|97|artist=The Smiths|album=Best...I|rowheader=true|access-date=5 August 2023}} |}
==Certifications and sales== {{certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for ''Best... I''}} {{certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|award=Gold|type=album|title=Best... I|artist=The Smiths|relyear=1992|certyear=1992|id=791-175-2|access-date=5 August 2023}} {{certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=Best... I|artist=The Smiths|relyear=1992|nocert=yes|salesamount=432,907|salesref=<ref name=morrissey-solo>{{Cite web|url=https://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=08/03/05/1811210|title = Morrissey/Smiths US album sales in 2007 and total sales since 1992 - Morrissey-solo}}</ref>}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
==References== {{Reflist}} {{The Smiths}} {{Authority control}}
Category:The Smiths compilation albums Category:1992 greatest hits albums Category:Warner Music Group compilation albums Category:Albums produced by Stephen Street Category:Albums produced by John Porter (musician, born 1947)