A Ballads

Album Cover

Artist

Hamasaki Ayumi

Album

A BALLADS

Released

2003.03.12

Catalog Code

AVCD-17278

Price

¥3,150

Tracklist

1. RAINBOW
2. appears "HAL's Progress"
3. Key ~eternal tie ver.~
4. YOU "northern breeze"
5. TO BE "2003 ReBirth Mix"
6. HANABI
7. M "HAL's Progress"
8. Dearest
9. Dolls
10. SEASONS "2003 ReBirth Mix"
11. Voyage
12. A Song for ×× "030213 Session take #2"
13. Who... "Across the Universe"
14. Sotsugyou Shashin (卒業写真; Graduation Photo) (Matsutoya Yumi cover)

Information

"A BALLADS" is the second "best of" album released by Hamasaki Ayumi, with all of the songs being ballads or re-recorded into ballad form. The cover art depicts the "present" Hamasaki embracing the "past" Hamasaki. The first press edition of the album came housed in a slipcase; upon opening the case, the jacket photo inside the jewel case was one of a possible four images. It peaked #1 on the Oricon Oricon charts and sold 924,902 units in 2003. In 2006, According RIAJ, this album passed the 1,000,000 mark; selling a total of 1,040,998 copies.

This album was intended and marketed as a ballads best compilation, however, many of the tracks have been reversioned. The album contains four remixes, three self-cover versions, and two new songs, leaving only 5 of the 14 tracks in their original, previously-released state.

The first pressing of the "RAINBOW" album contained a special password to unlock a website that had a 45-second preview of the song "RAINBOW" in an early instrumental version. Fans were asked to, via the website, share their thoughts on the clip. Hamasaki used keywords received by fans to write the lyrics to "RAINBOW." The final product of this collaboration with her fans is heard for the first time on this album. The song would later be released in a 5.1 Surround mix on the DVD-Audio version of the album "RAINBOW."

The second new song on "A BALLADS", "Sotsugyou Shashin", is a cover of a song by Matsutoya Yumi.

Oricon Chart Positions

Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Week Rank	Sales
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	561,127
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	129,241
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	71,053
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	38,427
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	22,316
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	15,730
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	16	11,627
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	16	11,756
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	23	7,109
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	25	5,708
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	46	4,927
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	49	4,193
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	62	3,013
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	58	2,604
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	81	2,118
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	104	2,452
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	106	2,261
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	93	2,283
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	96	2,328
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	127	1,982
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	135	1,761
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	156	1,523
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	121	2,152
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	166	1,304
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	158	1,580
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	189	1,091
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	188	1,073
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	205	1,051
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	292	764
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	255	745
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	222	822
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	283	703
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	275	731
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	out for six weeks
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	255	977
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	210	2,876
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	190	1,318
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	240	892
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	out for twelve weeks
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	279	624

• Total Reported Sales: 924,242

First Press Covers

External Links

• Oricon Profile