The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning

The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning
US CD cover art
Greatest hits album by Chicago
Released	July 2, 2002 (2002-07-02)
Recorded	January 1969 – January 1995
Genre	Rock jazz fusion adult contemporary soft rock pop rock
Length	157:44
Label	Rhino
Producer	James William Guercio, Phil Ramone, Chicago, David Foster, Chas Sandford, Ron Nevison, Bruce Fairbairn, David McLees
Chicago chronology
Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert (1999) The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning (2002) The Box (2003)
Chicago compilation chronology
The Heart of Chicago 1967-1998 Volume II (1998) The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning (2002) Love Songs (2005)

Musicians Dawayne Bailey – guitar, vocals Peter Cetera – vocals, bass; guitar on "Wishing You Were Here" Bill Champlin – vocals, keyboards, guitar Donnie Dacus – guitar, vocals on "Alive Again" and "No Tell Lover" Bruce Gaitsch – guitar on "Sing, Sing, Sing" Tris Imboden – drums on "Sing, Sing, Sing" Terry Kath – vocals, guitar, percussion; bass on "Happy Man" and "Wishing You Were Here" Robert Lamm – vocals, keyboards, percussion Lee Loughnane – trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion, vocals Laudir de Oliveira – congas, percussion, vocals James Pankow – trombone, percussion, vocals, arrangements Walter Parazaider – woodwinds, percussion, vocals Chris Pinnick – guitar Jason Scheff – vocals, bass Danny Seraphine – drums, percussion, vocals

Production Chicago – production on "Alive Again" and "No Tell Lover", compilation production David Donnelly – remastering Bruce Fairbairn – production on "Sing, Sing, Sing" David Foster – production from Chicago 16 to Chicago 18 James William Guercio – production from The Chicago Transit Authority to Chicago XI Lee Loughnane – remastering Jeff Magid – remastering David McLees – compilation production Ron Nevison – production from Chicago 19 to Twenty 1 Phil Ramone – production on "Alive Again" and "No Tell Lover" Chas Sandford – production on "What Kind of Man Would I Be?"

Charts

Chart (2002-2003)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [3]	86
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [4]	4
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) [5]	12
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [6]	77
European Albums Chart [7]	20
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [8]	32
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [9]	25
Irish Albums (IRMA) [10]	6
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [11]	62
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [12]	4
Scottish Albums (OCC) [13]	15
Singaporean Albums (RIAS) [14]	3
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [15]	1
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [16]	29
UK Albums (OCC) [17]	11
US Billboard 200 [18]	38

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [19]	92

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [20]	Gold	35,000^
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [21]	Gold	50,000*
Germany (BVMI) [22]	Gold	150,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [23]	Gold	100,000^
United States (RIAA) [24]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Title	Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
The Very Best Of: Only the Beginning	United States	July 2, 2002	Rhino Entertainment	double CD	R2 76170
The Chicago Story: Complete Greatest Hits	United Kingdom	September 2002	Rhino Entertainment	double CD	8122736302
	Australia	October 2002	Warner Music Australasia	double CD	8122736062

References

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning review at AllMusic. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
2. "Jimmy Scott, songwriter".
3. "ARIA Top 100 Albums" (PDF). The ARIA Report (663): 7. November 11, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2003-01-06. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
4. "Austriancharts.at – Chicago – The Chicago Story - Complete Greatest Hits" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
5. "Danishcharts.dk – Chicago – The Chicago Story - Complete Greatest". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
6. "Dutchcharts.nl – Chicago – The Chicago Story - Complete Greatest" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
7. "The ARIA Report: Issue 656" (PDF). The ARIA Report (656): 23. September 23, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2002-10-01. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
8. "Chicago: The Chicago Story - Complete Greatest" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
9. "Offiziellecharts.de – Chicago – The Chicago Story - Complete Greatest Hits" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
10. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Chicago". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
11. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
12. "Norwegiancharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story - Complete Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
13. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
14. "RIAS CHART FOR WEEK ENDING 4 October 2002". Archived from the original on October 15, 2002. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
15. "Swedishcharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story - Complete Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
16. "Swisscharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story - Complete Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
17. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
18. "Chicago Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
19. "Spanishcharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story - Complete Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
20. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved June 20, 2024.
21. "Brazilian album certifications – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved June 20, 2024.
22. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Chicago; 'Complete Greatest Hits')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved June 20, 2024.
23. "British album certifications – Chicago – The Chicago Story". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved June 20, 2024.
24. "American album certifications – Chicago – The Very Best Of: Only the Beginning". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved June 20, 2024.