Music critics gave the album 181920 favorable reviews, praising its overall sound but finding the material insufficient. The Japan Gold Disc Awards also recognised the album as Pop Album of the Year that same year. Commercially, the album was a huge success in Japan, reaching number one on the Oricon Albums Chart and being certified double million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for sales of more than two million copies. After the album's campaign concluded, Amuro took a brief hiatus for maternity reasons.
Content and material
181920 is Amuro's debut greatest hits album as a solo artist.[a] The album contains Amuro's single releases from her debut studio album, Dance Tracks Vol. 1 (1995), to her third album, Concentration 20 (1997).[b] The album also features three songs from her time with Toshiba-EMI: "Try Me (Watashi o Shinjite)", "Taiyou no Season", and "Stop the Music".[5] These three songs were recorded with the Japanese girl group Super Monkeys and released on the compilation Original Tracks Vol. 1 (1996).[1] However, each song was completely reworked and recorded specifically for Amuro on Dance Tracks Vol. 1.[2]
Avex Trax first released 181920 in Japan on January 28, 1998, and later distributed in Hong Kong and Taiwan the same year.[5] On July 1, a VHS and laserdisc format titled 181920 Films (1998) was released, containing most of the music videos from the album.[8] The standard album was re-issued in Taiwan on September 29.[5] In 2004, the album was re-released in all three territories, with a DVD album format and additional DVD disc that contained the music videos from 181920 Films.[9] In 2012, the original format was re-issued to commemorate Amuro's 20th career anniversary in the entertainment business.[10]
"Dreaming I Was Dreaming" is the album's only single. It was released a year earlier, on November 27, 1997, as a mini CD, and served as the commercial theme for Ginza Jewellery in Japan.[11][12] It features a sample of T. Rex's "Liquid Generation" song.[5] Commercially, it was a success in Japan, reaching number one on the Oricon Singles Chart and received double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of over 800,000 units.[13][14]
Music critics complimented 181920. Ted Mills of AllMusic gave the album three and a half stars.[6] Mills questioned the timing of its release, believing it was "premature to have a singles collection out so soon" and unusual given that it coincided with the rise of other Japanese singers, particularly Ayumi Hamasaki.[6] Nonetheless, Mills stated that the material was "superior," but that it was a "short summation of the sound that changed J-Pop, circa 1996."[6] In addition, the album won Pop Album of the Year at the Japan Gold Disc Awards in 1998.[15]
Commercially, the album was a massive success in Japan. It debuted at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart, selling 857,100 units in its first week of release.[16] It remained at number one for a second week, selling an additional 326,270 copies.[17] The album spent 35 weeks on the charts and was the 11th best-seller of the year.[18][19] Since its release, 1,693,465 copies have been sold in the region.[20] It was certified double million by the RIAJ for exceeding sales of two million units.[21]
