Decade in the Sun: Best of Stereophonics is a compilation album of greatest hits by Stereophonics. It features tracks from all six of the band's previous albums, beginning from the 1997 debut release, Word Gets Around, all the way through to 2007's Pull the Pin, plus two new songs, "You're My Star" and "My Own Worst Enemy". "You're My Star" was also released as a single.
The two-disc album features seven songs from seven songs from Word Gets Around (1997), Performance and Cocktails (1999), five from Just Enough Education to Perform (2001), six from You Gotta Go There to Come Back (2003), four from Language. Sex. Violence. Other? (2005), four from Pull the Pin, one from the Tom Jones album Reload (1999), two B-sides, two non-album singles and two new songs. The one-disc album features five songs from Just Enough Education to Perform, four from Performance and Cocktails, four from Word Gets Around, three from Language. Sex. Violence. Other?, one from You Gotta Go There to Come Back, one from Pull the Pin and two new songs.
Critical response
Decade in the Sun received generally favourable reviews. Writing for the BBC, Sophie Bruce wrote a positive review. She labelled the album as a "fantastic selection sure to thrill Stereophonics superfans and new recruits alike" but criticised the band's choice of excluding "Madame Helga" and "Moviestar", two of their greatest hits in the UK. At Contactmusic.com, Alex Lai praised the compilation, particularly disc two's track selection for not "just throw[ing] in the singles that didn't make the regular release." Lai summarised that the album "act[s] as a good metaphor for Stereophonics." Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic found the band's evolution "effective" and "entertaining". In the negative however, he called the album "too comprehensive to be entertaining" and described the tracks as dragging "its heels over 20 tracks that all sound huge and hookless." Erlewine concluded the album shows listeners "why Stereophonics never translated across the Atlantic."
Chart performance The album debuted at number 2 with sales of 67,073 in the UK. The album is available in a 20-track edition, 40-track 2-CD Deluxe edition and DVD edition containing all the band's music videos, best live performances and some extra footage. With sales of 528,000 it was the 13th biggest selling album of 2008 in the UK. As of 16 March 2013, it had sold 1,044,219 copies in the United Kingdom. To date the album has spent 182 weeks in the top 100 UK Albums Chart.
Track listing
Charts
Weekly charts +Weekly albums chart Chart (2008) Peakposition
Year-end charts +Year-end albums chart Chart (2008) Position UK Albums (OCC) 13 Chart (2009) Position UK Albums (OCC) 69 Chart (2010) Position UK Albums (OCC) 110 Chart (2011) Position UK Albums (OCC) 191 Chart (2012) Position UK Albums (OCC) 118
Decade-end charts +Decade-end albums chart Chart (2010–2019) Position UK Albums (OCC) 86
Certifications
DVD
Decade in the Sun: Best of Stereophonics is a DVD released by Welsh rock band Stereophonics, coinciding with their greatest hits album of the same name. The DVD features all music videos from the band's debut album, 1997's Word Gets Around, up to 2007's Pull the Pin, as well as the video for "You're My Star."
Track listing
More Life in a Tramps Vest A Thousand Trees Traffic Local Boy in the Photograph (1998 version) The Bartender and the Thief Just Looking Pick a Part That's New I Wouldn't Believe Your Radio Hurry Up and Wait Mama Told Me Not to Come Mr. Writer Have A Nice Day Step on My Old Size Nines Handbags and Gladrags Vegas Two Times Madame Helga Maybe Tomorrow Since I Told You It's Over Moviestar Dakota Superman Devil Rewind It Means Nothing You're My Star
References
External links Decade in the Sun: Best of Stereophonics at Stereophonics.com