The Essential Barbra Streisand

The Essential Barbra Streisand
The singer appears in a black and white photograph.
Compilation album by
ReleasedJanuary 29, 2002 (2002-01-29)
GenrePop
Length150:53
LabelColumbia
Producer
Barbra Streisand chronology
Christmas Memories
(2001)
The Essential Barbra Streisand
(2002)
Duets
(2002)

The Essential Barbra Streisand (retitled The Ultimate Collection in some European countries) is the fifth greatest hits album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on January 29, 2002, by Columbia Records. The compilation features 38 songs from Streisand's catalog, in addition to two previously unreleased tracks (covers of "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "You'll Never Walk Alone"). It includes material from 26 of the singer's albums and was described as a collection of, mainly, her pop songs. A reissued version of the compilation was distributed by Columbia and Legacy Recordings in 2008 and includes a bonus disc featuring nine additional songs from Streisand's discography.

Critically, the album was noted for being a comprehensive and complete view of her discography, unlike her previous greatest hits releases. It topped the charts in Ireland, Scotland, and the United Kingdom, and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. The Essential Barbra Streisand also reached the top ten in several countries and was included on four year-end lists. The album has since been certified Platinum in Australia, Europe, New Zealand, Spain, and the United States, and multi-platinum in the United Kingdom.