The Next Best Thing (soundtrack)

The Next Best Thing (official title including subtitle: The Next Best Thing — Music from the Motion Picture) is a soundtrack album released on February 22, 2000, by Maverick Records for the film of the same name starring Madonna. Executive-produced by Madonna herself, the album features a handpicked selection of tracks, including two new songs by the singer: "Time Stood Still" (an original ballad co-written and co-produced with William Orbit) and a cover of Don McLean's "American Pie".^[2] The compilation also includes contributions from artists such as Christina Aguilera, Moby, Beth Orton, and Groove Armada. Critics generally praised the soundtrack for its cohesive and well-curated tracklist, with many highlighting its dance and electronica influences.^[3][4]

Commercially, the album peaked at number 34 on the US Billboard 200 and sold over 155,000 copies within its first two months. Internationally, "American Pie" became a chart-topping hit in multiple countries, including the UK, Germany, and Australia, while "Time Stood Still" reached the top three in the Czech Republic. The soundtrack also revived interest in McLean's original song and boosted sales for British band Olive's album Extra Virgin (1996). Despite some mixed reviews, The Next Best Thing further solidified Madonna's status as the female artist with the most number-one singles in the UK at the time. The album remains a notable entry in the late 1990s and early 2000s pop and electronic music landscape.

The soundtrack received generally positive feedback from music journalists. Various reviewers praised Madonna's hand-pick selection and Madonna's songs. Portland Press Herald editor Michael Histen called it a "strong collection" and complimented the release as a "cohesive collection, and one of the better soundtracks in quite some time".^[10] The Washington Post's Richard Harrington, described "Most of this soundtrack has a cool luster to it".^[14] Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was overall positive towards the soundtrack, concluding "It's not great, but it's the next best thing".^[9] Kerry Gold, from Vancouver Sun, similarly described the album as "the next best thing to an excellent soundtrack".^[12]

Other reviewers praised soundtrack's dance-oriented songs. According to Billboard, the album is a "clubber's dream",^[4] and a "pop/dance punter's dream" that have "groovy mix of global beats" and "intertwines the old with the new".^[15] New York Daily News made similar remarks, complimenting the music style featured on the soundtrack, describing the album as "nouvelle electronica", "a revolutionary mix of woozy electronics and retro-lounge sounds".^[16] Writing for The Baltimore Sun, J. D. Considine considered "is the next best thing to a new Madonna album", further describing "anyone who was a fan of her last album, 1998's Ray of Light" will find much to like about The Next Best Thing.^[6] J. D. Considine complimented "Time Stood Still" as "far more convincing" describing it as "mournful, Latin-tinged ballad".^[6] Jim Farber, in his review for Orlando Sentinel overall praised the soundtrack, and also complimented "Time Stood Still" saying "her best ballad since 'Take a Bow'; vocally, Madonna "has never sounded more beautiful than on her other song".^[17] In a mixed response, Howard Cohen from the Miami Herald commented "American Pie" is the "best thing" on the album while "the rest is the usual soundtrack grab-bag of found oldies".^[18] Kevin C. Johnson, from St. Louis Post-Dispatch was overall critical calling the soundtrack a "horrific material".^[19] Courier News referred the soundtrack is "as impersonal as the film's storyline".^[20]

The Next Best Thing debuted and peaked at number 34 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart,^[21] staying at least 8 weeks on the chart.^[22] Two months after its release, in April 2000, the album had sold over 155,000 copies in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[23] The album also charted in Austria, Germany and elsewhere. The song "American Pie" climbed to the top of charts in the UK, Italy, Australia, Germany, and other territories. "Time Stood Still" also reached the number 3 in Czech Republic.^[24]

The soundtrack album helped boost US sales for British band Olive's album, Extra Virgin (1996).^[23] Billboard's Michael Paoletta commented, the band "stirred much interest of its sophomore album".^[25] "American Pie" also revived "interest in [Don] McLean's magnum opus" according to publications such as Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI),^[26] and writer Nat Shapiro.^[27] Fred Bronson, chart columnist of Billboard, noted Madonna was the first artist to have a number-one song of an "American Pie" cover in the UK. It also extended Madonna's record of most-number one singles in the UK by a female artist; at that time, double that Whitney Houston and Kylie Minogue, with four each.^[28]