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A Ballads

Album Cover
Artist
Hamasaki Ayumi
Album
A BALLADS
Released
2003.03.12
Catalog Code
AVCD-17278
Price
¥3,300
Tracklist
  1. RAINBOW
  2. appears "HΛL's Progress"
  3. Key ~eternal tie ver.~
  4. YOU "northern breeze"
  5. TO BE "2003 ReBirth Mix"
  6. HANABI
  7. M "HΛL's Progress"
  8. Dearest
  9. Dolls
  10. SEASONS "2003 ReBirth Mix"
  11. Voyage
  12. A Song for ×× "030213 Session #2"
  13. Who... "Across the Universe"
  14. Sotsugyou Shashin (卒業写真; Graduation Photo)


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 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.

First Press Covers

Hamasaki Ayumi - A Ballads 2.jpg
Hamasaki Ayumi - A Ballads 3.jpg
Hamasaki Ayumi - A Ballads 4.jpg
Hamasaki Ayumi - A Ballads 5.jpg

Oricon Chart Positions

Hamasaki promoting the album.
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

External Links