The Best of 1980–1990

Did You Know?

• The boy on the album's cover is Peter Rowen, brother of Bono's friend Guggi of the Virgin Prunes.
• Peter Rowen also appears on the covers of U2's early EP Three, two of their first three albums (Boy and War), and Early Demos.
• The version of "Bass Trap" on this compilation is a shortened edit from the original 5:14 version found on "The Unforgettable Fire" 12" single EP from 1985.

Commercial performance

In the United States, the double-disc version of the album debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 during the week of 21 November 1998, with 237,500 copies sold. This set a new record for the best-selling opening week for a greatest hits collection by a group in the SoundScan era. The following week it fell to number five, while the single-disc version entered the chart at number 57 and later peaked at number 45. The double-disc version remained on the chart for 17 weeks, the single-disc version for 44 weeks. The double-disc edition was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on 4 December 1998; the standard edition received the same certification on 6 March 2002. In the United Kingdom, the limited double-disc version debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart on 14 November 1998, then dropped to number two the next week, charting for 20 weeks. The single-disc edition entered at number eight on 21 November 1998 and reached its peak of number four two weeks later, charting for 126 weeks. It was certified quintuple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry on 8 November 2002. In Canada, a numbered limited edition of 175,000 units of the double-disc version was pressed. The double-disc version debuted at the top of the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for the week of 21 November 1998 and stayed for four weeks. The standard edition debuted and peaked at number five the next week, then fell to number eight, remaining on the chart for 15 weeks. In Ireland, the album debuted with the highest single-week sales since 1993, when IRMA started keeping records, and reached number one, staying on the chart for 76 weeks.