Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992

The album was released with different track listings in different territories in order to feature her biggest hits in each region.

Although the album did not chart highly in the US, it was a long-term big seller and eventually certified Gold.{{cite certification|region=United States|title=Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992|artist=Olivia Newton-John|type=album}} The album was a bigger success in the UK and Australia.

AllMusic rated the album four and a half stars, stating that "an artist well-defined by her hit singles, Olivia Newton-John has had a stylistically varied career, as is illustrated on Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971-1992, a set that ranges from her teary ballad "I Honestly Love You" to that bouncy paean to getting horizontal, "Physical." Fans may quibble that such hits as "Let Me Be There" and "Make a Move on Me" are not included, but Newton-John's two greatest-hits albums are out of print, and this is the only collection to combine both her good-girl and bad-girl personae."{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/back-to-basics-mw0000279641 | title=Back to Basics - Olivia Newton-John | Album | AllMusic | website=AllMusic }}

In their review of the album, Billboard commented that "it's hard to believe that Livvy has been cranking out guilty pop pleasures for more than 20 years now. Though she has frequently taken a hefty critical slagging, there's no denying that tunes like "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)," "A Little More

Love," and "I Honestly Love You" have worn well over time. On this set, which has numerous cuts previously unavailable on CD, ONJ keeps from drowning in nostalgia by offering four strong new songs. "I Need

Love," an AIDS-conscious pop/dance cut, is the best radio bet, while "Not Gonna Be The One" proves exactly how much Wilson Phillips really does owe her." {{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-06-27.pdf|magazine=Billboard Music Week|title=Album Reviews|issue=27 June 1992 |page=46 |access-date=August 5, 2024}}

Cashbox stated "the amazing career of Olivia lives on. Her 18th album (second on Geffen) is primarily a greatest hits LP with four new songs...the rest of the album consists of 13 other select should make this record a collector's item."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1992/CB-1992-06-20.pdf|magazine=Cash Box|title=Album Reviews|issue=20 June 1992 |page=5 |access-date=August 12, 2024}}

Spin commented that Newton-John's music was "the soundtrack to a million adolescent infatuations, consummations and separations," noting that "the four new-for-'92 tracks included on this collection harken back to the Olivia of old. Call this a comeback."{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h-bxxO5B-xsC|magazine=Spin|title=Album Releases|date=April 1989 |issue=August 1992|page=77 |access-date=August 5, 2024}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| headline = Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992 {{nobold|– American edition}}

| total_length = 54:19

| title1 = Deeper Than a River

| writer1 = Diane Warren

| extra1 = {{flat list|

• Guy Roche
• Warren

}}

| length1 = 4:19

| title2 = Not Gonna Be the One

| writer2 = Seth Swirsky

| extra2 = John Farrar

| length2 = 3:12

| title3 = I Want to Be Wanted

| writer3 = {{flat list|

• Giuseppe Spotti
• Alberto Testa
• Kim Gannon

}}

| extra3 = Peter Asher

| length3 = 3:26

| title4 = I Need Love

| writer4 = {{flat list|

• Stephen A. Kipner
• John Lewis Parker

}}

| extra4 = Giorgio Moroder

| length4 = 4:12

| title5 = Twist of Fate

| writer5 = {{flat list|

• Kipner
• Peter Beckett

}}

| extra5 = David Foster

| length5 = 3:43

| title6 = Physical

| writer6 = {{flat list|

• Kipner
• Terry Shaddick

}}

| extra6 = Farrar

| length6 = 3:43

| title7 = Magic

| writer7 = Farrar

| extra7 = Farrar

| length7 = 4:25

| title8 = Deeper Than the Night

| writer8 = {{flat list|

• Tom Snow
• Johnny Vastano

}}

| extra8 = Farrar

| length8 = 3:35

| title9 = A Little More Love

| writer9 = Farrar

| extra9 = Farrar

| length9 = 3:27

| title10 = You're the One That I Want

| note10 = with John Travolta

| writer10 = Farrar

| extra10 = Farrar

| length10 = 2:47

| title11 = Summer Nights

| note11 = with John Travolta

| writer11 = {{flat list|

• Jim Jacobs
• Warren Casey

}}

| extra11 = Louis St. Louis

| length11 = 3:36

| title12 = Hopelessly Devoted to You

| writer12 = Farrar

| extra12 = Farrar

| length12 = 3:00

| title13 = Please Mr. Please

| writer13 = {{flat list|

• Bruce Welch
• John Rostill

}}

| extra13 = Farrar

| length13 = 3:24

| title14 = Sam

| writer14 = {{flat list|

• Farrar
• Hank Marvin
• Don Black

}}

| extra14 = Farrar

| length14 = 3:37

| title15 = Have You Never Been Mellow

| writer15 = Farrar

| extra15 = Farrar

| length15 = 3:28

| title16 = If You Love Me (Let Me Know)

| writer16 = Rostill

| extra16 = Farrar

| length16 = 3:12

| title17 = I Honestly Love You

| writer17 = {{flat list|

• Peter Allen
• Jeff Barry

}}

| extra17 = Farrar

| length17 = 3:36

}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| headline = Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992 {{nobold|– European and Japanese editions}}

| total_length = 71:21

| title1 = If Not for You

| writer1 = Bob Dylan

| extra1 = {{flat list|

• Welch
• Farrar

}}

| length1 = 2:53

| title2 = Banks of the Ohio

| writer2 = Traditional

| extra2 = {{flat list|

• Welch
• Farrar

}}

| length2 = 3:16

| title3 = What Is Life

| writer3 = George Harrison

| extra3 = {{flat list|

• Welch
• Farrar

}}

| length3 = 3:26

| title4 = Take Me Home, Country Roads

| writer4 = {{flat list|

• Bill Danoff
• Taffy Nivert
• John Denver

}}

| extra4 = Farrar

| length4 = 3:17

| title5 = I Honestly Love You

| length5 = 3:37

| title6 = Have You Never Been Mellow

| length6 = 3:30

| title7 = Sam

| length7 = 3:42

| title8 = You're the One That I Want

| note8 = with John Travolta

| length8 = 2:48

| title9 = Hopelessly Devoted to You

| length9 = 3:06

| title10 = Summer Nights

| note10 = with John Travolta

| length10 = 3:35

| title11 = A Little More Love

| length11 = 3:29

| title12 = Xanadu

| note12 = with Electric Light Orchestra

| writer12 = Jeff Lynne

| extra12 = Lynne

| length12 = 3:28

| title13 = Magic

| length13 = 4:31

| title14 = Suddenly

| note14 = with Cliff Richard

| writer14 = Farrar

| extra14 = Farrar

| length14 = 4:00

| title15 = Physical

| length15 = 3:43

| title16 = The Rumour

| writer16 = {{flat list|

• Elton John
• Bernie Taupin

}}

| extra16 = {{flat list|

• John
• James Newton Howard

}}

| length16 = 3:56

| title17 = Not Gonna Be the One

| length17 = 3:04

| title18 = I Need Love

| length18 = 4:13

| title19 = I Want to Be Wanted

| length19 = 3:26

| title20 = Deeper Than a River

| length20 = 4:19

| title21 = Warm and Tender

| note21 = Japanese bonus track

| writer21 = {{flat list|

• Olivia Newton-John
• Farrar

}}

| extra21 = Farrar

| length21 = 3:22

}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| headline = Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992 {{nobold|– Australian edition}}

| total_length = 73:05

| title1 = I Need Love

| length1 = 4:14

| title2 = Deeper Than a River

| length2 = 4:20

| title3 = Not Gonna Be the One

| length3 = 3:06

| title4 = I Want to Be Wanted

| length4 = 3:31

| title5 = If Not for You

| length5 = 2:56

| title6 = Banks of the Ohio

| length6 = 3:19

| title7 = Let Me Be There

| writer7 = Rostill

| extra7 = {{flat list|

• Welch
• Farrar

}}

| length7 = 3:01

| title8 = I Honestly Love You

| length8 = 3:38

| title9 = If You Love Me (Let Me Know)

| length9 = 3:16

| title10 = Have You Never Been Mellow

| length10 = 3:33

| title11 = Don't Stop Believin{{'-}}

| writer11 = Farrar

| extra11 = Farrar

| length11 = 3:40

| title12 = Sam

| length12 = 3:45

| title13 = A Little More Love

| length13 = 3:30

| title14 = Physical

| length14 = 3:44

| title15 = Make a Move on Me

| writer15 = {{flat list|

• Farrar
• Snow

}}

| extra15 = Farrar

| length15 = 3:19

| title16 = Hopelessly Devoted to You

| length16 = 3:07

| title17 = Xanadu

| note17 = with Electric Light Orchestra

| length17 = 3:29

| title18 = Magic| length18 = 4:31

| title19 = Twist of Fate

| length19 = 3:42

| title20 = Soul Kiss

| writer20 = Mark Goldenberg

| extra20 = Farrar

| length20 = 4:33

| title21 = The Grease Megamix

| note21 = with John Travolta

| writer21 = {{flat list|

• Farrar
• Jacobs
• Casey

}}

| extra21 = {{flat list|

• Farrar
• St. Louis
• Harding Curnow

}}

| length21 = 4:51

}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| headline = The Singles: Australasian Tour Souvenir {{nobold|– 1998 bonus disc}}

| total_length = 38:00

| title1 = No Matter What You Do

| writer1 = Newton-John

| extra1 = {{flat list|

• Newton-John
• Murray Burns
• Colin Bailey

}}

| length1 = 4:22

| title2 = Don't Cut Me Down

| writer2 = Newton-John

| extra2 = {{flat list|

• Newton-John
• Burns
• Bailey

}}

| length2 = 4:15

| title3 = It's Always Australia for Me

| writer3 = {{flat list|

• John Capek
• Newton-John

}}

| extra3 = Davitt Sigerson

| length3 = 3:19

| title4 = Can't We Talk It Over in Bed

| writer4 = {{flat list|

• Sandy Linzer
• Irwin Levine

}}

| extra4 = {{flat list|

• Hank Medress
• Linzer

}}

| length4 = 3:55

| title5 = The Rumour

| length5 = 3:59

| title6 = Please Mr. Please

| length6 = 3:24

| title7 = Jolene

| writer7 = Dolly Parton

| extra7 = Farrar

| length7 = 3:07

| title8 = Don't Cry for Me Argentina

| writer8 = {{flat list|

• Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Tim Rice

}}

| extra8 = Farrar

| length8 = 6:02

| title9 = Heart Attack

| writer9 = {{flat list|

• Kipner
• Paul Bliss

}}

| extra9 = Farrar

| length9 = 3:08

| title10 = Toughen Up

| writer10 = {{flat list|

• Terry Britten
• Graham Lyle

}}

| extra10 = Farrar

| length10 = 3:49

}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992}}

{{Certification Table Entry|title= Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992|artist=Olivia Newton-John|type=album|relyear=1992|certyear=1992|region=Australia|award=Gold|access-date=27 November 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971-1992|artist=Olivia Newton-John|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1992|certyear=1998|date=23 July 1998|refname=US Plat}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Olivia Newton-John}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Back To Basics: The Essential Collection 1971-1992}}

Category:1992 greatest hits albums

Category:Geffen Records compilation albums

Category:Olivia Newton-John compilation albums