The Essential Electric Light Orchestra je ameriški kompilacijski album skupine Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), ki je izšel leta 2003. Album je del Sonyjeve serije The Essential . Pred to kompilacijo ELO sta le v ZDA izšli kompilaciji Olé ELO (1976) in Strange Magic: The Best of Electric Light Orchestra (1995).
2. septembra 2008 je izšla ekološka reizdaja albuma z naslovom Playlist: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra , ki je vsebovala multimedijski del s fotografijami.
Tretja reizdaja leta 2011 je album razširila na dve zgoščenki z drugačnim vrstnim redom skladb. To je tretji album ELO, ki vsebuje kronološki pregled skladb skupine. Prvotna naslovnica je bila malce spremenjena.
Vse pesmi je napisal in uglasbil Jeff Lynne , razen »Roll Over Beethoven« Chuck Berry in Ludwig van Beethoven .
1. "Evil Woman " (single verzija) Face the Music , 19754:19 2. "Do Ya" A New World Record , 19763:47 3. "Can't Get It Out of My Head" Eldorado , 19744:26 4. "Mr. Blue Sky" Out of the Blue , 19775:08 5. "Strange Magic" (britanska single verzija) Face the Music 4:07 6. "Livin' Thing" A New World Record 3:33 7. "Turn to Stone" Out of the Blue 3:48 8. "Sweet Talkin' Woman" Out of the Blue 3:49 9. "Telephone Line" A New World Record 4:40 10. "Shine a Little Love" Discovery , 19794:42 11. "Hold on Tight" Time , 19813:08 12. "Calling America" Balance of Power , 19863:28 13. "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" (urejena verzija) Secret Messages , 19833:17 14. "Don't Bring Me Down" Discovery 4:04 15. "Roll Over Beethoven" (single verzija) ELO 2 , 19734:33
Vse pesmi je napisal in uglasbil Jeff Lynne , razen »Roll Over Beethoven« Chuck Berry in Ludwig van Beethoven .
1. "10538 Overture" (7" verzija) The Electric Light Orchestra , 19714:05 2. "Roll Over Beethoven" (single verzija) ELO 2 , 19734:33 3. "Showdown" On the Third Day , 1973 (ZDA); Showdown , 19744:10 4. "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" (single verzija) On the Third Day 3:38 5. "Can't Get It Out of My Head" (7" verzija) Eldorado , 19743:08 6. "Evil Woman " Face the Music , 19754:13 7. "Nightrider" (7" verzija) Face the Music 3:43 8. "Strange Magic" Face the Music 4:08 9. "Livin' Thing" A New World Record , 19763:33 10. "Do Ya" A New World Record 3:46 11. "Rockaria!" A New World Record 3:13 12. "Telephone Line" A New World Record 4:41 13. "Turn to Stone" Out of the Blue , 19773:50 14. "Mr. Blue Sky" Out of the Blue 5:04 15. "Sweet Talkin' Woman" Out of the Blue 3:49 16. "Wild West Hero" Out of the Blue 4:43 17. "It's Over" Out of the Blue 4:10 18. "Shine a Little Love" Discovery , 19794:11
Vse pesmi je napisal in uglasbil Jeff Lynne .
1. "Don't Bring Me Down" Discovery 4:04 2. "The Diary of Horace Wimp" Discovery 4:17 3. "Confusion" Discovery 3:40 4. "Last Train to London" Discovery 4:32 5. "I'm Alive" Xanadu , 19803:44 6. "Xanadu" (nova verzija) Xanadu 3:22 7. "All Over the World" Xanadu 4:03 8. "Don't Walk Away" Xanadu 4:47 9. "Hold on Tight" Time , 19813:08 10. "Twilight" Time 3:45 11. "Ticket to the Moon" Time 4:08 12. "The Way Life's Meant to Be" Time 4:40 13. "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" (singl verzija) Secret Messages , 19833:08 14. "Secret Messages" Secret Messages 4:45 15. "Four Little Diamonds" Secret Messages 4:07 16. "Calling America" Balance of Power , 19863:31 17. "So Serious" Balance of Power 2:44 18. "Surrender" A New World Record 2:33 19. "Latitude 88 North" Out of the Blue 3:23
Jeff Lynne – vokali, kitare, klaviature
Bev Bevan – bobni, tolkala
Richard Tandy – klaviature, kitara
Kelly Groucutt – bas kitara, vokali (1974 in naprej)
Mike de Albuquerque – bas kitara, vokali (do 1974)
Mik Kaminski – violina
Wilfred Gibson – violina pri »Roll Over Beethoven« in »Showdown«
Mike Edwards – čelo (do 1974)
Melvyn Gale – čelo (1974 in naprej)
Hugh McDowell – čelo
Colin Walker – čelo pri »Roll Over Beethoven« in »Showdown«
Marc Bolan – kitara pri »Ma-Ma-Ma Belle«
Roy Wood – vokali, kitare, čelo, bas, pihala pri »10538 Overture«