The Sound of Girls Aloud
Encyclopedia
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits
anthology by British and Irish all-female pop group
Girls Aloud
. It was released in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2006 and entered the UK Albums Chart
at number one, making it Girls Aloud's first number one album. As of February 2009, it reached sales of over a million copies. The album has sold 1,000,000 copies worldwide, and continues to re-enter the top 75 on the UK Singles Charts to this day.
" and "I Think We're Alone Now"), and an additional new track entitled "Money". A limited edition with a bonus disc of rarities was also available.
Until three days before the greatest hits was manufactured, the Tiffany
cover "I Think We're Alone Now" was going to be a cover of Irene Cara
's "What A Feeling
". Girls Aloud had called their record label on a Friday afternoon to say they'd rather record "I Think We're Alone Now" — the group recorded the song the following morning and the album was mastered on Monday, three days afterwards. The bonus disc was planned to include "Wicked Game
", a cover of the Chris Isaak
song that was planned for a single release in May 2005. A demo version of "Love Machine
" was also included on the tracklisting, but instead appeared on the Popjustice: 100% Solid Pop Music compilation. However, other unreleased singles incluing "Some Kind Of Miracle" (Single Mix) was also supposed to be added to the album list however was removed indefinitely due to the complexity of the album. Girls Aloud manager, Hillary Shaw confirmed that the singles would have been included but we "Polydor" decided to use the official singles instead of unreleased tracks, but might be included on the next complimation of Girls Aloud: Greatest Hits.
on 26 June 2007.
", entered the UK Singles Chart
at number five on download sales alone, a first for a British act. It peaked at number three the following week. It was the 36th best-selling single of 2006 in the United Kingdom. The second and final single to be taken from the greatest hits compilation was their version of "I Think We're Alone Now". The song managed to reach number four on the UK Singles Chart upon its Christmas week release, then remaining in the top ten for a second week.
union flag
and is meant to include the Irish tricolour. It originally only featured the union flag until Nadine Coyle (from Derry
, Northern Ireland
) demanded the inclusion of the Irish tricolour. However, the cover actually features a horizontally flipped Irish flag, which is in fact the flag of Côte d'Ivoire
.
called it "a journey through the most exciting and daring pop music of recent times" and went on to add that "this reality band has surpassed all expectations". Paul Scott of Stylus Magazine
described it as "an irreverent party through the last 30 odd years of pop, taking inspiration from the most unexpected of places" and hailed Girls Aloud as "the finest singles band Britain has produced this decade". Allmusic's Andy Kellman noticed that it "makes for an ideal introduction to Girls Aloud" and called it "a straightforward compilation that adds three new songs ... which will likely keep the group's remarkable streak of dominance afloat" and concluded by stating that Girls Aloud is "a group that has never had any form of stateside push". John Murphy of musicOMH
gave a raving review and complimented all the songs, saying that they are "15 glorious examples of how to create joyful, hook-filled pop music that will sound timeless for many years to come". He felt that each song is "ridiculously catchy and packed with elements that you just won't hear anywhere else" as well as "positively overflowing with freshness, originality and wit". He went on to hail the band as "the greatest singles act since Blondie
in their heyday" and described the album as "pure pop at its very best [which] should be a compulsory purchase for anyone even remotely interested in pop music".
Dan Cairns of The Times
gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, stating that "these endearingly stroppy, gobby, messy girls breeze and brawl through unimpeachable, sugar-rush pop singles such as Something Kinda Ooooh
, The Show and Sound of the Underground
". Pitchfork Media
s Tim Finney described the album as "a whirlwind trip through bizarre but lovable pop gadgetry that may leave the uninitiated reeling". He complimented on the songs' "deathless hooks and multi-genre pyrotechnics" and praised their diversity by saying that they start "from new wave drum & bass and expand[ing] to embrace elements of electroclash, big beat, and even skiffle, [while being] stuffed to the gills with two, three, sometimes four different choruses, sounding like patchwork assemblages of the best bits of a hundred fantasy pop songs, smoothly and effortlessly changing gears at a moment's notice." Leonie Cooper of The Guardian
characterized the album as "slick ... near-faultless high-octane pop all the way", however she felt that the ballads were not really necessary, as "Girls Aloud sound far more exciting when they're simply having fun". Finally, Adam Webb from Yahoo! Music
felt that the ballads and cover versions drag the collection down, but concluded by saying that "Girls Aloud have been the best British pop band of the new millennium".
After its first chart run in 2006, The Sound of Girls Aloud returned to the UK Albums Chart for several weeks in 2008, peaking at number 44. This came at the time of their fifth studio album and overall sixth album Out of Control
. On 4 January 2009, the collection managed to re-enter the top ten at number six, partly thanks to it being sold for as little as £3 at music retailers such as HMV
. Therefore, the band had two albums in the Top 10 at the same time: The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits at number six, and Out of Control at number ten. The album left the top ten the following week, only to return to number ten the week after.
The Sound of Girls Aloud has been recognised by the IFPI
as a million-seller.
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
anthology by British and Irish all-female pop group
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
. It was released in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2006 and entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at number one, making it Girls Aloud's first number one album. As of February 2009, it reached sales of over a million copies. The album has sold 1,000,000 copies worldwide, and continues to re-enter the top 75 on the UK Singles Charts to this day.
Background
The album includes Girls Aloud's first twelve singles from their three studio albums, two brand new singles ("Something Kinda OooohSomething Kinda Ooooh
"Something Kinda Ooooh" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their first greatest hits collection The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania...
" and "I Think We're Alone Now"), and an additional new track entitled "Money". A limited edition with a bonus disc of rarities was also available.
Until three days before the greatest hits was manufactured, the Tiffany
Tiffany (singer)
Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
cover "I Think We're Alone Now" was going to be a cover of Irene Cara
Irene Cara
Irene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
's "What A Feeling
Flashdance... What a Feeling
"Flashdance... What a Feeling" is a song from the 1983 film Flashdance, written by Giorgio Moroder, Keith Forsey, and Irene Cara, and performed by Cara. Despite the title, the word "Flashdance" is never used in the lyrics; however, the line "In a flash, take a hold of my heart" refers to the...
". Girls Aloud had called their record label on a Friday afternoon to say they'd rather record "I Think We're Alone Now" — the group recorded the song the following morning and the album was mastered on Monday, three days afterwards. The bonus disc was planned to include "Wicked Game
Wicked Game
"Wicked Game" is a 1989 song by Chris Isaak from his third studio album Heart Shaped World. Despite being released as a single in 1989, it did not become a hit until it was later featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart...
", a cover of the Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
song that was planned for a single release in May 2005. A demo version of "Love Machine
Love Machine (Girls Aloud song)
"Love Machine" is a song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their second studio album What Will the Neighbours Say? . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania...
" was also included on the tracklisting, but instead appeared on the Popjustice: 100% Solid Pop Music compilation. However, other unreleased singles incluing "Some Kind Of Miracle" (Single Mix) was also supposed to be added to the album list however was removed indefinitely due to the complexity of the album. Girls Aloud manager, Hillary Shaw confirmed that the singles would have been included but we "Polydor" decided to use the official singles instead of unreleased tracks, but might be included on the next complimation of Girls Aloud: Greatest Hits.
Release
The Sound of Girls Aloud was released in Ireland on 27 October 2006, with a United Kingdom release occurring the following Monday. In addition to the standard edition of the album, a limited edition with a bonus disc was also released. The bonus disc contained unreleased songs (such as the Chemistry outtake "Singapore"), alternate versions of their singles (including the "Wake Me Up" demo), and various other material. The second pressing of the album included the single version of "I Think We're Alone Now", which is drastically different to the original version included. Along with Girls Aloud's first three studio albums, The Sound of Girls Aloud was released to the US iTunes StoreITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on 26 June 2007.
Singles
The lead single taken from this album, "Something Kinda OooohSomething Kinda Ooooh
"Something Kinda Ooooh" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their first greatest hits collection The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania...
", entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number five on download sales alone, a first for a British act. It peaked at number three the following week. It was the 36th best-selling single of 2006 in the United Kingdom. The second and final single to be taken from the greatest hits compilation was their version of "I Think We're Alone Now". The song managed to reach number four on the UK Singles Chart upon its Christmas week release, then remaining in the top ten for a second week.
Cover
The cover features the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
union flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
and is meant to include the Irish tricolour. It originally only featured the union flag until Nadine Coyle (from Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
) demanded the inclusion of the Irish tricolour. However, the cover actually features a horizontally flipped Irish flag, which is in fact the flag of Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
.
Reception
The album received glowing reviews from all critics. Talia Kraines of BBC MusicBBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
called it "a journey through the most exciting and daring pop music of recent times" and went on to add that "this reality band has surpassed all expectations". Paul Scott of Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
described it as "an irreverent party through the last 30 odd years of pop, taking inspiration from the most unexpected of places" and hailed Girls Aloud as "the finest singles band Britain has produced this decade". Allmusic's Andy Kellman noticed that it "makes for an ideal introduction to Girls Aloud" and called it "a straightforward compilation that adds three new songs ... which will likely keep the group's remarkable streak of dominance afloat" and concluded by stating that Girls Aloud is "a group that has never had any form of stateside push". John Murphy of musicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
gave a raving review and complimented all the songs, saying that they are "15 glorious examples of how to create joyful, hook-filled pop music that will sound timeless for many years to come". He felt that each song is "ridiculously catchy and packed with elements that you just won't hear anywhere else" as well as "positively overflowing with freshness, originality and wit". He went on to hail the band as "the greatest singles act since Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
in their heyday" and described the album as "pure pop at its very best [which] should be a compulsory purchase for anyone even remotely interested in pop music".
Dan Cairns of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, stating that "these endearingly stroppy, gobby, messy girls breeze and brawl through unimpeachable, sugar-rush pop singles such as Something Kinda Ooooh
Something Kinda Ooooh
"Something Kinda Ooooh" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their first greatest hits collection The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania...
, The Show and Sound of the Underground
Sound of the Underground (song)
"Sound of the Underground" is the debut single by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, later featured on their debut album of the same name. The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, and Niara Scarlett, and produced by Higgins and his production team Xenomania...
". Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
s Tim Finney described the album as "a whirlwind trip through bizarre but lovable pop gadgetry that may leave the uninitiated reeling". He complimented on the songs' "deathless hooks and multi-genre pyrotechnics" and praised their diversity by saying that they start "from new wave drum & bass and expand[ing] to embrace elements of electroclash, big beat, and even skiffle, [while being] stuffed to the gills with two, three, sometimes four different choruses, sounding like patchwork assemblages of the best bits of a hundred fantasy pop songs, smoothly and effortlessly changing gears at a moment's notice." Leonie Cooper of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
characterized the album as "slick ... near-faultless high-octane pop all the way", however she felt that the ballads were not really necessary, as "Girls Aloud sound far more exciting when they're simply having fun". Finally, Adam Webb from Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
felt that the ballads and cover versions drag the collection down, but concluded by saying that "Girls Aloud have been the best British pop band of the new millennium".
Track listings and formats
Charts and certification
The Sound of Girls Aloud was the group's first LP to top the UK albums chart when it was released in 2006. It was the 16th best-selling album of the year.After its first chart run in 2006, The Sound of Girls Aloud returned to the UK Albums Chart for several weeks in 2008, peaking at number 44. This came at the time of their fifth studio album and overall sixth album Out of Control
Out of Control (Girls Aloud album)
Out of Control is the fifth studio album by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 3 November 2008 by Fascination Records. Like their previous albums, Out of Control was crafted by the production team of Brian Higgins and Xenomania...
. On 4 January 2009, the collection managed to re-enter the top ten at number six, partly thanks to it being sold for as little as £3 at music retailers such as HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
. Therefore, the band had two albums in the Top 10 at the same time: The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits at number six, and Out of Control at number ten. The album left the top ten the following week, only to return to number ten the week after.
The Sound of Girls Aloud has been recognised by the IFPI
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...
as a million-seller.
| Chart (2006) | Provider | Peak position |
Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
1 | 3x Platinum |
| Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... an Albums Chart |
Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... |
4 | Platinum Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
9 | Platinum |
| UK Albums Chart (2006 2006 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band.... Year-End) |
IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
16 | |
| Estonia Estonia Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies... n Albums Chart |
17 | ||
| Chart (2008) | Provider | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
44 |
| Chart (2009) | Provider | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
6 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
30 |
| Chart (2010) | Provider | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
65 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
62 |