Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Released at a time when Nightwish's future appeared uncertain because of the shocking departure of charismatic frontwoman and de facto band calling card Tarja Turunen, Highest Hopes is a comprehensive greatest-hits collection spanning the chart-topping Finnish pop-metal act's entire first decade. Summarized in one convenient CD at last, the 16-song set proves that Nightwish were nothing if not consistent -- both in terms of quality and overall style -- throughout the five and a half studio albums recorded during that period. Yes, enduring early numbers like the Tolkien-esque "Elvenpath," the somewhat preposterous, narration-embellished "The Kinslayer," and the neoclassical metal-by-numbers of "Stargazers" eventually gave way to slightly more refined (and restrained) pop-metal singles like "Ever Dream," "Wish I Had an Angel," and "Nemo" (which, one presumes, was about the submarine captain, not the fish), but the relatively seamless transition between them all is made abundantly clear by the non-chronological order in which they are presented here. Likewise, with the exception of their still tentative (and therefore, on this collection, mostly ignored) first album, Nightwish showed equal mastery at composing potent power metal ("Sacrament of Wilderness," "Wishmaster," "Dead to the World") and tear-jerking ballads ("Walking in the Air," "Dead Boy's Poem," "Sleeping Sun") in all phases of their career. They even took Gary Moore's generally forgotten '80s nugget "Over the Hills and Far Away" for their own, recording a debatably definitive version that is wisely included in this disc, alongside a brand new recording of Pink Floyd's "High Hopes." Also keep in mind the band's immaculate instrumental execution through the years, and what this collection proves above all else is that, though they've inspired quite literally dozens of imitators, Nightwish's groundbreaking fusion of melodic power metal, symphonic orchestration, theatrical lyrics, and (of course) Turunen's classically trained, operatic soprano, has arguably yet to be equaled. Whatever becomes of the group's trajectory following its popular singer's exit, you can at least take this statement to the bank.
© Eduardo Rivadavia /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Marco Hietala, AcousticGuitar - Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Producer, MixingEngineer - Mikko Karmila, MixingEngineer - Nightwish, MainArtist - Tero Kinnunen, Producer, MixingEngineer - Erno Vuorinen, AcousticGuitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Keyboards - Nightwish, MainArtist - Tarja Turunen, LeadVocals - Jukka Nevalainen, Drums - Erno Vuorinen, Guitar - Sami Vänskä, BassGuitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Keyboards - Nightwish, MainArtist - Tarja Turunen, LeadVocals - Jukka Nevalainen, Drums - Erno Vuorinen, Guitar - Ike Vil, LeadVocals - Sami Vänskä, BassGuitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Marco Hietala, BackgroundVocals, BassGuitar - Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Producer, Keyboards - Mikko Karmila, MixingEngineer - Nightwish, MainArtist - Jukka Nevalainen, Drums - Tero Kinnunen, Producer - Erno Vuorinen, Guitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Keyboards - Nightwish, MainArtist - Jukka Nevalainen, Drums - Tero Kinnunen, Composer, MixingEngineer - Erno Vuorinen, AcousticGuitar, BassGuitar, ElectricGuitar - Esa Lehtinen, Flute
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Marco Hietala, BassGuitar - Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Producer, Keyboards - Mikko Karmila, MixingEngineer - Nightwish, MainArtist - Jukka Nevalainen, Drums - Tero Kinnunen, Producer - Erno Vuorinen, Guitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Marco Hietala, AcousticGuitar - Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Producer, MixingEngineer - Mikko Karmila, MixingEngineer - Nightwish, MainArtist - Tero Kinnunen, Producer, MixingEngineer - Erno Vuorinen, AcousticGuitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Marco Hietala, BassGuitar - Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Keyboards - Nightwish, MainArtist - Tarja Turunen, LeadVocals - Jukka Nevalainen, Drums - Erno Vuorinen, Guitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Marco Hietala, BassGuitar - Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Producer, Keyboards - Mikko Karmila, MixingEngineer - Nightwish, MainArtist - Jukka Nevalainen, Drums - Tero Kinnunen, Producer - Erno Vuorinen, Guitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Gary Moore, Composer - Nightwish, MainArtist
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Keyboards - Nightwish, MainArtist - Tarja Turunen, LeadVocals - Jukka Nevalainen, Drums - Erno Vuorinen, Guitar - Sami Vänskä, BassGuitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Tuomas Holopainen, Composer - Nightwish, MainArtist
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
DAVID BLAKE, Composer - Nightwish, MainArtist
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Keyboards - Nightwish, MainArtist - Tarja Turunen, LeadVocals - Jukka Nevalainen, Drums - Erno Vuorinen, Guitar - Sami Vänskä, BassGuitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Tuomas Holopainen, Composer, Keyboards - Nightwish, MainArtist - Tarja Turunen, LeadVocals - Jukka Nevalainen, Drums - Tero Kinnunen, Composer - Erno Vuorinen, Guitar - Sami Vänskä, BassGuitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Marco Hietala, BassGuitar, LeadVocals - David Gilmour, Composer - Tuomas Holopainen, Keyboards - Nightwish, MainArtist - Jukka Nevalainen, Drums - Erno Vuorinen, Guitar
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Album review
Released at a time when Nightwish's future appeared uncertain because of the shocking departure of charismatic frontwoman and de facto band calling card Tarja Turunen, Highest Hopes is a comprehensive greatest-hits collection spanning the chart-topping Finnish pop-metal act's entire first decade. Summarized in one convenient CD at last, the 16-song set proves that Nightwish were nothing if not consistent -- both in terms of quality and overall style -- throughout the five and a half studio albums recorded during that period. Yes, enduring early numbers like the Tolkien-esque "Elvenpath," the somewhat preposterous, narration-embellished "The Kinslayer," and the neoclassical metal-by-numbers of "Stargazers" eventually gave way to slightly more refined (and restrained) pop-metal singles like "Ever Dream," "Wish I Had an Angel," and "Nemo" (which, one presumes, was about the submarine captain, not the fish), but the relatively seamless transition between them all is made abundantly clear by the non-chronological order in which they are presented here. Likewise, with the exception of their still tentative (and therefore, on this collection, mostly ignored) first album, Nightwish showed equal mastery at composing potent power metal ("Sacrament of Wilderness," "Wishmaster," "Dead to the World") and tear-jerking ballads ("Walking in the Air," "Dead Boy's Poem," "Sleeping Sun") in all phases of their career. They even took Gary Moore's generally forgotten '80s nugget "Over the Hills and Far Away" for their own, recording a debatably definitive version that is wisely included in this disc, alongside a brand new recording of Pink Floyd's "High Hopes." Also keep in mind the band's immaculate instrumental execution through the years, and what this collection proves above all else is that, though they've inspired quite literally dozens of imitators, Nightwish's groundbreaking fusion of melodic power metal, symphonic orchestration, theatrical lyrics, and (of course) Turunen's classically trained, operatic soprano, has arguably yet to be equaled. Whatever becomes of the group's trajectory following its popular singer's exit, you can at least take this statement to the bank.
© Eduardo Rivadavia /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 16 track(s)
- Total length: 01:18:21
- Main artists: Nightwish
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Spinefarm FI
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
2005 Spin-Farm Oy 2005 Spin-Farm Oy
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.