I almost made the mistake of getting one of her older collections. Thankfully I chose "Magic" instead. This 21 track disc has every single song a casual fan could want from her, and then some. Her early mellow-country-pop is here, all the best "Grease/Xanadu" songs are included, and later favorites like "Heart Attack" and "Twist Of Fate" as well. Also tracks I didn't know like "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Make A Move On Me", I now like too. Truly an underrated artist, and to Olivia I say I love you, "I Honestly Love You".

Olivia Newton-John was a true talent. She influenced many classic artists.

Only now is her true music genius coming to light.

you will love all of these songs.

This is one of the best collections to chronicle Olivia's long career. It covers her country years, pre Grease mellow pop, Grease, and post Grease dance/pop. There are a few omissions such as "Livin In Desperate Times", "Soul Kiss", "Landslide", "The Rumour", "Let It Shine", "If Not For You" and "Something Better To Do". I do think the collection could have done without the "Grease mega mix" bonus track so one of the hits that did not make the cut could have been included. All in all, it is a satisfying collection by the Goddess from Down Under!!

Olivia Newton John first hit the U.S.A. radio waves and charts in 1971 with her sweet and intriguing "IF NOT FOR YOU". She came back a at the end of 1973 with two award winning worldwide smash hit singles, "LET ME BE THERE" & "IF YOU LOVE ME, LET ME KNOW"(early 1974)which shook up the traditional Country & Western Music Establishment in Nashville and simultaneously scored major selling pop-rock singles. These recordings firmly established her as a phenomenal worldwide multimedia best selling artist who went on to sell zillions of records well into the mid-1980s with her multitude of mega-selling hit singles and string of multi-platinum albums. Let's not forget that she is also the "main event" in the biggest selling movie musical soundtrack in recording/film history, "GREASE", and its spawned half dozen radio/chart megahits! WOW! A box set in her honor has been over a decade long overdue! It would be quite nice to have a REMASTERED box set which includes such treasured Newton-John gems such as "MARY SKEFFINGTON"(authored by Gerry Rafferty); "RIVER'S TOO WIDE"; "FOLLOW ME"; "DANCIN' ROUND & ROUND"; "HOME AIN'T HOME ANYMORE"; "FREE THE PEOPLE"; "YOU AIN'T GOT THE RIGHT"; "GOD ONLY KNOWS"; her stellar self written "CHANGES"; "SOMETHING BETTER TO DO"; "LET IT SHINE"; "EVERY FACE TELLS A STORY"; "GIMME SOME LOVIN'"; & "I NEED LOVE" - to name a few of her charting hit singles and essential recordings from her various studio albums, long "out-of-print" in the United States. MCA Records should wake up(!) and honor her with either a "Box Set" or a remastering/reissue of her entire catalogue - after all, she did earn them a few zillion dollars during her reign and beyond!

Like most major artists, Olivia has had some truly international hits but has had other hits that have charted in just one or two countries. This American compilation contains all her important USA hits. None of the lesser hits that have been omitted are essential from an American perspective. In 2004, a UK compilation (Definitive collection) was released containing fifteen of the twenty-one tracks that can be found here, the differences reflecting the different markets at which they are targeted. Brits (including expatriates) who remember Olivia's early hits, may prefer that collection, as I'll explain.

Olivia established her position in the UK pop charts a few years before breaking through in America. This compilation contains all those early hits (If not for you, Banks of the Ohio, What is life. Take me home country roads, Long live love). None of those charted high for Olivia in America (although If not for you was a minor hit) and are therefore omitted here but they are all on the UK compilation.

Following the failure of Long live love in the 1974 Eurovision song contest, Olivia switched her base to America and had a lot of American hits, most of which didn't chart in Britain (Let me be there, If you love me let me know, I honestly love you, Have you never been mellow, Please Mr Please, Come on over, Don't stop believing, Sam), all of which are here but only two (I honestly love you, Sam) are on the UK compilation.

Olivia's most commercially successful period music began in 1978 with the release of Grease, featuring two major international hit duets with John Travolta (You're the one that I want, Summer nights) and a solo ballad, Hopelessly devoted to you, which was also a major international hit. The follow-up album yielded two further hits (A little more love, Deeper than the night).

Next came the outstanding ballad, Magic, which was one of her biggest American hits, followed by Xanadu, this time featuring Olivia in a temporary role as lead singer of ELO. Following Xanadu came Suddenly, a duet with Cliff Richard.

Then came Physical, a monster American hit that stayed at the very top of the charts for over two months. The follow-up, Landslide, was only a minor American hit and is omitted, but it made the UK top ten and can be found on the UK compilation. Further hits include Make a move on me, Heart attack and Twist of fate. Finally (on this compilation) is Olivia's last major international hit, The Grease megamix.

This is the strongest collection of Olivia's American hits yet released. It would require a double CD to provide a truly definitive Olivia compilation with all her British and American hits. Until and unless such a compilation is released, we now have a choice. If you want all of Olivia's important American hits, buy this. If you want her British hits (and I know that there are plenty of expatriate Brits living in America who may wish to), buy Definitive collection.