This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "The Ego Has Landed" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The Ego Has Landed
Compilation album by
Robbie Williams album
Released4 May 1999
Recorded1997–1998
Length55:03
Label
Producer
Robbie Williams album chronology
The Ego Has Landed
(1999) 		Live at Knebworth
(2003)
Robbie Williams chronology
I've Been Expecting You
(1998) 		The Ego Has Landed
(1999) 		Sing When You're Winning
(2000)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Consumer Guide(neither)[2]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[3]
Los Angeles Times[4]
Rolling Stone[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]

The Ego Has Landed is a compilation album by English singer Robbie Williams. After the success of Williams around the world, especially in Europe, Williams was signed to Capitol Records in the United States, which was a part of EMI at the time. The album was released in May 1999 in the United States and Canada, and later issued worldwide. All tracks were previously released on Williams' first two albums, Life thru a Lens (1997) and I've Been Expecting You (1998).

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lazy Days"
3:52
2."Millennium"
4:04
3."No Regrets"
  • Williams
  • Chambers
5:09
4."Strong"
  • Williams
  • Chambers
4:37
5."Angels"
  • Williams
  • Chambers
4:24
6."Win Some Lose Some"
  • Williams
  • Chambers
4:18
7."Let Me Entertain You"
  • Williams
  • Chambers
4:18
8."Jesus in a Camper Van"
3:38
9."Old Before I Die"
3:53
10."Killing Me"
  • Williams
  • Chambers
3:57
11."Man Machine"
  • Williams
  • Chambers
3:35
12."She's the One"Karl Wallinger4:18
13."Karma Killer"
  • Williams
  • Chambers
4:28
14."One of God's Better People
  • "Hello Sir"
  • Williams
  • Chambers
    		• 15:03
    Total length:69:50
    Latin American editions
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    15."Angeles (Spanish Version)"
    • Williams
    • Chambers
    		4:28
    Total length:75:18

    Notes

    Tracks 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, and 14 are from Life thru a Lens (1997).
    Tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, and 13 are from I've Been Expecting You (1998).

    "One of God's Better People" runs 3:36. After 10 minutes of silence, Williams recites a poem called "Hello Sir", addressed to a teacher who berated him for wanting to become a pop singer. This previously appeared as a hidden track on Life thru a Lens.

    Reception

    Commercial performance

    Williams embarked on a US Promotional Tour and when his first American single, "Millennium" was released, it peaked at No. 72 in the Billboard Hot 100. The album The Ego Has Landed was released in May 1999 in the United States and peaked at No. 63 in the Billboard albums chart, not having the success that he enjoyed in Europe. Despite this, Williams enjoyed good video airplay and received a nomination for the MTV Video Music Awards for "Best Male Video"; he did not win, but the exposure helped the sales of the album.

    Capitol Records, trying to make Williams a bigger star, released a second single from the album, the ballad "Angels", for which Williams shot a new video. When it was released in the autumn of that year, the song became a somewhat bigger hit than "Millennium", charting at No. 53. However, this was not enough for Williams, so he concentrated on the rest of the world where he was already an established act. The album went on to sell 598,000 copies in the United States[7] being certified Gold by the RIAA in November of that year.[8]

    The compilation was released worldwide (as a limited edition in Europe, pressings for the album are still going strong in Latin America, Asia and New Zealand to this day) and was a huge success in New Zealand, reaching No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart.[9] It went on to sell 140,000 copies being certified 9× Platinum. In Australia, the album ensured platinum sales over 70,000 copies. The album was promoted in Latin America as well. Williams recorded a Spanish version of his hit "Angels" and it was included as a bonus track on the album and then released as a single (almost two years after its original release in English). The Spanish version was a substantial hit in most Latin American countries, but as the single had already been big in 1997, most video and radio outlets focused on the tracks from his album I've Been Expecting You. Despite this, the compilation proved to be a medium success giving him Gold sales in Argentina.

    Charts

    Certifications

    Region Certification Certified units/sales
    Argentina (CAPIF)[16] Gold 30,000^
    Australia (ARIA)[17] Gold 35,000^
    Canada (Music Canada)[18] Platinum 100,000^
    New Zealand (RMNZ)[19] 9× Platinum 135,000^
    United States (RIAA)[20] Gold 598,000[7]

    ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

    References

    1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Ego Has Landed – Robbie Williams". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
    2. ^ Christgau, Robert (2000). "W". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
    3. ^ Browne, David (14 May 1999). "The Ego Has Landed". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
    4. ^ Hochman, Steve (2 May 1999). "Robbie Williams, 'The Ego Has Landed,' Capitol". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
    5. ^ Sheffield, Rob (27 May 1999). "Robbie Williams: The Ego Has Landed". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 26 June 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
    6. ^ Pearlman, Nina; Eliscu, Jenny (2004). "Robbie Williams". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 876. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
    7. ^ a b Caufield, Keith (23 October 2006). "Ask Billboard: Rude Americans". Billboard. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
    8. ^ "RIAA's Gold & Platinum Searchable Database: Williams, Robbie – 'The Ego Has Landed'". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
    9. ^ New Zealand Albums Chart
    10. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Robbie Williams – The Ego Has Landed". Hung Medien.
    11. ^ "Robbie Williams Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard.
    12. ^ "Charts.nz – Robbie Williams – The Ego Has Landed". Hung Medien.
    13. ^ "Robbie Williams Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
    14. ^ "End of Year Charts 1999" Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
    15. ^ "End of Year Charts 2000" Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
    16. ^ "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
    17. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
    18. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Robbie Williams – The Ego Has Landed". Music Canada.
    19. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Robbie Williams – The Ego Has Landed". Recorded Music NZ.
    20. ^ "American album certifications – Robbie Williams – The Ego Has Landed". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
    Categories