Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection

Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection is a greatest hits album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released on various formats on 28 June 2019 by BMG Rights Management, serving as her first compilation with the label. Minogue confirmed the record in May 2019, after teasing initial content on social media and her website. The album's original content includes forty-two songs, dating back to Minogue's debut with PWL in 1987. In addition, an expanded version included another disc with eight additional tracks from her catalogue, as well as a megamix of various tracks from her career.

Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection
Greatest hits album by Kylie Minogue
Released	28 June 2019 (2019-06-28)
Recorded	1987–2019
Genre	Pop dance-pop nu-disco
Length	149:12 (CD version) 70:55 (vinyl version)
Label	BMG Parlophone
Producer	Sky Adams Babydaddy David Ball Brothers in Rhythm Dan Carey Guy Chambers Tony Cohen Ian Curnow Cutfather Daniel Davidsen Rob Davis Cathy Dennis DJ Fresh DNA Johnny Douglas Jim Eliot Freemasons Julian Gallagher Phil Harding Calvin Harris Paul Harris Jimmy Harry Kish Mauve Greg Kurstin Kylie Minogue Steve Power Stuart Price Matt Schwartz Lucas Secon Damon Sharpe Jake Shears Mike Spencer Graham Stack Stock Aitken Waterman Richard Stannard Sunnyroads Mark Taylor Emilíana Torrini Victor Van Vugt Ingo Vauk Peter Wallevik
Kylie Minogue chronology
Golden (2018) Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection (2019) Golden Live in Concert (2019)
Singles from Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection
"New York City" Released: 3 May 2019

Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection received positive reviews from music critics, who praised Minogue's extensive catalogue, with minor criticism directed at omitted content and packaging. The album was a commercial success, debuting at number one in both Australia and the United Kingdom, where it was certified gold in the latter. The record also reached the top ten in Spain, Belgium, and Switzerland, as well as component charts in the United States. Minogue promoted the album with the single "New York City" and embarked on a tour in mid-2019 throughout Europe, the Middle East, and South America.

Background and content

Near the end of April 2019, Minogue hinted at a greatest hits release by sharing content from her music video for "Step Back in Time" on social media. In addition, a countdown was added to her official website, which was set to end on May 3, but finished a day earlier. Following the countdown, the website displayed the album's slogan: "Pop Precision Since 1987". She announced the album, Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection, on her website, with pre-orders available the same day.

The album was planned to coincide with Minogue's 30th career anniversary, as well as her appearances at Glastonbury Festival, Brighton Pride, and other summer festivals that year. It is Minogue's fifth greatest hits collection, after Greatest Hits (1992), Hits + (2000), Ultimate Kylie (2004), and The Best of Kylie Minogue (2012). Its title originates from her 1990 single of the same name, and it is her first compilation release with BMG Rights Management.

The album's original content consists of forty-two songs chosen from Minogue's singing career beginning in 1987; all tracks are arranged in an unchronological order. The first disc includes an unreleased track titled "New York City", which was recorded during the sessions for Minogue's fourteenth studio album Golden (2018). The song "Breathe" appears on disc one between "2 Hearts" and "Red Blooded Woman" on the deluxe edition, whereas "New York City" appears as the final song on disc two as a hidden track. This track order is also followed by the cassette and digital versions of the original release, with the exception of "New York City". Some tracks from Minogue's discography were omitted from the album's original release, which sparked criticism; as a result, a third disc contains eight additional songs from her catalogue, as well as a megamix of Minogue's work lasting more than 40 minutes.

Release

Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection was released on various formats on 28 June 2019 by BMG Rights Management. The album was released in two standard formats: digipack and 32-page hardcover book, both of which included two discs containing the album's material. Three vinyl sets were released in various colours: black, mint, and picture disc. All vinyl formats contain only twenty of the original album's forty-two tracks, but each copy also included a digital copy. Five two-set cassette tapes were also released in various colours, including clear, gold, green, pink, and white. In November, BMG added additional content to the album; the expanded version was released as a three-disc digipak and digitally on Minogue's website.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Classic Pop Magazine	8/10
Spectrum Culture
The Yorkshire Times

Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection garnered positive reviews from music critics. Tim Sendra of AllMusic gave the greatest hits album four stars, calling it a "fitting tribute" in time for Minogue's 30th career anniversary. Sendra described it as "truly definitive and essential" and concluded by saying "This collection shows just how often that happened, especially after she was able to gain control of her own career." Graham Clark of The Yorkshire Times also awarded the album four stars, stating "In the fickle world of pop Kylie is still there at the top." Mick Jacobs of Spectrum Culture praised the compilation's overall versatility, describing Minogue's dance songs and downtempo moments as having "enduring appeal". Jacobs went on to say, "Step Back in Time stands as a strong reminder of not just how prolific her career has been but also how much more of it we can expect."

However, other critics noted the lack of new material and omitted singles. Classic Pop magazine gave it an 8 out of 10 rating and described it as a "nifty guide to one of the great modern pop careers". However, the reviewer felt it "isn't perfect" or "definitive". Pip Ellwood-Hughes, writing for Entertainment Focus, praised how the album's release "will most likely build on the current wave of love for Kylie that's sweeping the UK". Ellwood-Hughes, on the other hand, called the album's packaging a "disappointment" and concluded that "those of us who've been with her since the start might feel just that little bit underwhelmed with the lack of added extras". Quentin Harrison of Albumism wrote an article echoing similar sentiments about the lack of certain tracks on Step Back in Time, stating that Minogue's singles "Finer Feelings", "Where Is the Feeling?", "Some Kind of Bliss", "Flower", and "Into the Blue" should have been included on the album's original release.

Commercial performance

Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection was a commercial success. It debuted at number one in Australia, becoming her sixth album to do so, and remained on the regional chart for four weeks. It also reached number one on the Australian Albums Chart and Vinyl Albums Chart, making Minogue the first artist to top all three charts simultaneously. In New Zealand, the album spent one week at number 27 on the regional chart. In Ireland, it debuted at number four on the Irish Albums Chart, the week's highest entry.

In the United Kingdom, Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Minogue's seventh number one there. Furthermore, it debuted at number one on the UK Vinyl Chart and was the best-selling cassette that week. Music Week reported that all formats sold 31,980 album-equivalent units in the region, with 25,992 of those units from physical sales, including 5,682 vinyl copies. The album spent a total of twenty weeks on the charts and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 100,000 units in the country.

In Spain, the album debuted at number five on the Spanish Albums Chart and spent a total of 12 weeks there. Furthermore, it reached number nine in both Belgium (Flanders) and Switzerland (Romandy). It reached the top twenty in Switzerland and Germany, as well as the top forty in Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Italy, and Portugal. Elsewhere, the album peaked at number 41 in Poland, and 45 in France. In the United States, the album reached number six on the Independent Albums chart, 32 on the Top Album Sales chart, and 23 on the Top Tastemaker Albums chart.

Promotion

The promotion for Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection began with the release of the stand-alone single "New York City". The song was first added to Minogue's Golden Tour setlist and, due to popular demand, was announced to be included on the compilation. It debuted as a digital single on 3 May 2019, and was featured on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 and The Graham Norton Show the same day. Six days later, Minogue's YouTube channel released a music video of the track featuring footage from her Golden Tour.

Minogue went on tour in mid-2019 to promote the album. The show was announced during the European leg of her Golden Tour, and additional dates were added to coincide with Minogue's appearance at the Glastonbury Festival 2019. The show received positive reviews from publications, and her performance at Glastonbury received unanimous acclaim. Minogue's Glastonbury performance was the highest-rated show in history, with 3.9 million viewers. Minogue also toured Europe, including stops in the United Arab Emirates and Brazil.

Track listing

Disc one track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
1.	"Can't Get You Out of My Head"	Cathy Dennis Rob Davis	Fever (2001)	3:50
2.	"Spinning Around"	Kara DioGuardi Paula Abdul Ira Shickman Osborne Bingham	Light Years (2000)	3:27
3.	"Love at First Sight"	Kylie Minogue Richard Stannard Ash Howes Julian Gallagher Martin Harrington	Fever (2001)	3:58
4.	"Dancing"	Minogue Steve McEwan Nathan Chapman	Golden (2018)	2:58
5.	"In Your Eyes"	Minogue Stannard Howes Gallagher	Fever (2001)	3:17
6.	"Slow"	Minogue Emilíana Torrini Dan Carey	Body Language (2003)	3:13
7.	"All the Lovers"	Jim Eliot Mima Stilwell	Aphrodite (2010)	3:20
8.	"I Believe in You"	Minogue Jake Shears Scott Hoffman	Ultimate Kylie (2004)	3:20
9.	"In My Arms"	Minogue Calvin Harris Paul Harris Stannard Julian Peake	X (2007)	3:31
10.	"On a Night Like This"	Graham Stack Mark Taylor Brian Rawling Steve Torch	Light Years (2000)	3:32
11.	"Your Disco Needs You"	Minogue Robbie Williams Guy Chambers	Light Years (2000)	3:32
12.	"Please Stay"	Minogue Stannard Gallagher John Themis	Light Years (2000)	4:05
13.	"2 Hearts"	Eliot Stilwell	X (2007)	2:53
14.	"Red Blooded Woman"	Johnny Douglas Karen Poole	Body Language (2003)	4:20
15.	"The One"	Minogue Stannard James Wiltshire Russell Small John Andersson Johan Emmoth Emma Holmgren	X (2007)	4:04
16.	"Come into My World"	Dennis Davis	Fever (2001)	4:06
17.	"Wow"	Minogue Poole Greg Kurstin	X (2007)	3:12
18.	"Get Outta My Way"	Mich Hansen Lucas Secon Damon Sharpe Peter Wallevik Daniel Davidsen	Aphrodite (2010)	3:39
19.	"Timebomb"	Poole Matt Schwartz P. Harris	-	2:57
20.	"Kids" (with Robbie Williams)	Williams Chambers	Light Years (2000)	4:20
21.	"Stop Me from Falling"	Minogue McEwan Adams Danny Shah	Golden (2018)	3:01
22.	"New York City"	Minogue Daniel Stein Poole Myles MacInnes	Previously unreleased	3:20
Total length:				77:55

Disc two track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Step Back in Time"	Mike Stock Matt Aitken Pete Waterman	Rhythm of Love (1990)	3:05
2.	"Better the Devil You Know"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Rhythm of Love (1990)	3:52
3.	"Hand on Your Heart"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Enjoy Yourself (1989)	3:50
4.	"Wouldn't Change a Thing"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Enjoy Yourself (1989)	3:12
5.	"Shocked"	Stock Aitken Waterman Pauline Bennett	Rhythm of Love (1990)	3:08
6.	"Especially for You" (with Jason Donovan)	Stock Aitken Waterman	Enjoy Yourself (1989)	3:58
7.	"I Should Be So Lucky"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Kylie (1988)	3:22
8.	"Celebration"	Ronald Nathan Bell Claydes Charles Smith George Melvin Brown James "J.T." Taylor Robert Spike Mickens Earl Eugene Toon Jr. Dennis Ronald Thomas Robert Earl Bell Eumir Deodato	Greatest Hits (1992)	3:57
9.	"The Loco-Motion" (7" mix)	Carole King Gerry Goffin	Kylie (1988)	3:13
10.	"Give Me Just a Little More Time"	Edythe Wayne Ron Dunbar	Let's Get to It (1992)	3:06
11.	"Never Too Late"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Enjoy Yourself (1989)	3:20
12.	"Got to Be Certain"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Kylie (1988)	3:20
13.	"Tears on My Pillow"	Sylvester Bradford Al Lewis	Enjoy Yourself (1989)	2:28
14.	"Je ne sais pas pourquoi"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Kylie (1988)	4:02
15.	"What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)"	Stock Waterman Minogue	Greatest Hits (1992)	3:44
16.	"What Do I Have to Do?"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Rhythm of Love (1990)	3:34
17.	"Confide in Me" (radio mix)	Steve Anderson Dave Seaman Edward Barton	Kylie Minogue (1994)	4:26
18.	"Breathe" (radio edit)	Minogue Ingo Vauk David Ball	Impossible Princess (1997)	3:40
19.	"Put Yourself in My Place" (radio mix)	Jimmy Harry	Kylie Minogue (1994)	4:13
20.	"Where the Wild Roses Grow" (with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)	Nick Cave	Murder Ballads (1996)	3:57
Total length:				71:17

Disc three (expanded edition) track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
1.	"Into the Blue"	Kelly Sheehan Mike Del Rio Jacob Kasher Hindlin	Kiss Me Once (2014)	4:10
2.	"I Was Gonna Cancel"	Pharrell Williams	Kiss Me Once (2014)	3:32
3.	"Chocolate" (radio edit)	Poole Johnny Douglas	Body Language (2003)	4:02
4.	"Did It Again" (radio edit)	Minogue Anderson Seaman	Impossible Princess (1997)	3:45
5.	"Some Kind of Bliss" (radio edit)	James Dean Bradfield Minogue Sean Moore	Impossible Princess (1997)	3:34
6.	"Word Is Out"	Stock Waterman	Let's Get to It (1992)	3:35
7.	"If You Were With Me Now"	Minogue Stock Waterman Washington	Let's Get to It (1992)	3:10
8.	"It's No Secret"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Kylie (1988)	3:57

Disc three: F9 megamix track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
9.	"Step Back in Time" (section)	Stock Aitken Waterman	0:18
10.	"I Should Be So Lucky"	Stock Aitken Waterman	2:08
11.	"What Do I Have to Do"	Stock Aitken Waterman	2:15
12.	"Hand on Your Heart"	Stock Aitken Waterman	2:30
13.	"Better the Devil You Know"	Stock Aitken Waterman	1:38
14.	"Shocked" (DNA mix)	Stock Aitken Waterman Bennett	2:13
15.	"Step Back in Time"	Stock Aitken Waterman	2:21
16.	"Confide in Me"	Anderson Seaman Barton	2:21
17.	"On a Night Like This"	Stack Taylor Rawling Torch	2:40
18.	"Your Disco Needs You"	Minogue Williams Chambers	3:31
19.	"Spinning Around"	DioGuardi Abdul Shickman Bingham	2:24
20.	"Love at First Sight"	Minogue Stannard Howes Gallagher Harrington	2:52
21.	"Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head"	Dennis Davis Peter Hook Bernard Sumner Gillian Gilbert Stephen Morris	3:46
22.	"The One" (instrumental)	Minogue Stannard Wiltshire Small Andersson Emmoth Holmgren	0:14
23.	"Slow" (acapella)	Minogue Torrini Carey	1:18
24.	"The One"	Minogue Stannard Wiltshire Small Andersson Emmoth Holmgren	1:34
25.	"All the Lovers"	Eliot Stilwell	3:16
26.	"Dancing"	Minogue McEwan Chapman	3:00
Total length:			71:29

Vinyl edition track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
1.	"Can't Get You Out of My Head"	Dennis Davis	Fever (2001)	3:50
2.	"Spinning Around"	DioGuardi Abdul Shickman Bingham	Light Years (2000)	3:27
3.	"Love at First Sight"	Minogue Stannard Howes Gallagher Harrington	Fever (2001)	3:58
4.	"In Your Eyes"	Minogue Stannard Howes Gallagher	Fever (2001)	3:17
5.	"Slow"	Minogue Torrini Carey	Body Language (2003)	3:13
6.	"All the Lovers"	Eliot Stilwell	Aphrodite (2010)	3:20
7.	"I Believe in You"	Minogue Shears Babydaddy	Ultimate Kylie (2004)	3:20
8.	"In My Arms"	Minogue C.Harris P.Harris]] Stannard Peake	X (2007)	3:31
9.	"On a Night Like This"	Stack Taylor Rawling Torch	Light Years (2000)	3:32
10.	"Wow"	Minogue Poole Kurstin	X (2007)	3:12
11.	"Step Back in Time"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Rhythm of Love (1990)	3:05
12.	"Better the Devil You Know"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Rhythm of Love (1990)	3:52
13.	"Shocked" (DNA 7" mix)	Stock Aitken Waterman Bennett	Rhythm of Love (1990)	3:08
14.	"I Should Be So Lucky"	Stock Aitken Waterman	Kylie (1988)	3:22
15.	"Especially for You" (with Jason Donovan)	Stock Aitken Waterman	Enjoy Yourself (1989)	3:58
16.	"Confide in Me" (radio mix)	Anderson Seaman Barton	Kylie Minogue (1994)	4:26
17.	"Put Yourself in My Place" (radio mix)	Harry	Kylie Minogue (1994)	4:13
18.	"2 Hearts"	Eliot Stilwell	X (2007)	2:53
19.	"Kids" (with Robbie Williams)	Williams Chambers	Light Years (2000)	4:20
20.	"Dancing"	Minogue McEwan Chapman	Golden (2018)	2:58

Personnel

• Kylie Minogue – artist
• Tony Huang – album artwork concept
• Xevi Muntane – photography
• F9 – megamix producer

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection

Chart (2019)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)	1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)	21
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)	9
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)	25
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)	22
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)	23
French Albums (SNEP)	45
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)	15
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)	21
Irish Albums (IRMA)	4
Italian Albums (FIMI)	32
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)	27
Polish Albums (ZPAV)	41
Portuguese Albums (AFP)	40
Scottish Albums (OCC)	1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)	5
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)	11
Swiss Albums (Romandy)	9
UK Albums (OCC)	1
US Independent Albums (Billboard)	6
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)	32
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)	23

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection

Chart (2019)	Position
UK Albums (OCC)	51

Certifications

Certifications for Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)	Gold	228,584

Release history

Release history and formats for Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection

Region	Date	Format(s)	Edition	Label	Ref.
Various	28 June 2019	CD digital download LP cassette streaming	Standard Deluxe	BMG Parlophone
Various	22 November 2019	CD digital download streaming	Expanded	BMG Parlophone

See also

• List of number-one albums of 2019 (Australia)
• List of UK Albums Chart number ones of 2019

References