Singles
In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats including CD, DVD, Cassette, Vinyl, VHS and Digital Downloads, amongst others. Single releases are often made simultaneously in more than one format, as a single track download, and on CD or vinyl. Records with more than two A-sides are usually not considered singles, but EPs.
Although non-album singles are sometimes released, the lead tracks (and sometimes B-sides) of singles usually come from an album (either one already released or one about to be) and the release of the single is partly to promote sales of the album, and to ensure radio playlisting. CD singles often feature "radio edit" or "single edit" versions of the main song, which differ from the original recording in being edited to an attractive length for radio play, having expletives censored (often by re-recording with different lyrics), or both.
A typical number of singles to be released from an album is two to four—more is considered exceptional. However, since an artist's most popular songs are often singles later albums including their earlier works may have many.
Evanescence has commercially released a total of Ten singles. Those being:
- Bring Me To Life
- Going Under
- My Immortal
- Everybody's Fool
- Imaginary1
- Missing1
- Call Me When You're Sober
- Lithium
- Sweet Sacrifice
- Good Enough
1these were released as radio-only singles in Spain and South America
It is worth noting that Evanescence received airplay before the release of Fallen from the song Understanding. The track gained the band local popularity and eventual commercial success. A 'single' was probably not produced for this purpose.
Collecting Singles
There are many people out there that collect Evanescence singles. It can be a costly hobby as a complete collection may cost thousands of dollars. Nobody is known to possess a "complete" singles collection, though there are a few who come close. There are roughly 90 known separate releases and countless others unknown.
Noteworthy Collectibles
There are obviously many rare singles that were either produced in limited quantities or contain exclusive tracks not found elsewhere (e.g. the Spanish release of Going Under). These are the major collectibles in the scene.
Items considered especially rare:
- BMTL Cassette
- BMTL US Radio Singles
- GU Spanish Single
- MI UK CD 1
- Sweet Sacrifice (US Radio Single)
- Good Enough (US Radio Singles)
- Korean releases of BMTL, MI and GU
The Imaginary Single
Lovingly called "The Holy Grail of Ev Singles". It is undoubtedly the rarest single ever with at most 30 copies produced for distribution among Spanish radio stations. See: Imaginary#Spain Radio Promo Single
Missing
Released in a few countries when Anywhere But Home reached stores. Sightings of the physical singles are rare nowadays. See: Missing
SAMPCS Radio Promos
SAMPCS being the first part of the catalog number
The Fallen era radio promotional discs released in Europe under the Epic (Sony International) label. One exists for each single released off of Fallen (BMTL, GU, MI, EF & Missing). The Bring Me To Life SAMPCS single notably features a drastically different cover image and Daredevil Soundtrack information. EF and GU are fairly easy to find for sale online, the others, are much harder especially Missing. The Call Me When You're Sober European radio promo is not included in this category because it was released by a different label (Sony BMG). Several fans have managed to collect all the SAMPCS singles.
WUJC Radio Promos
WUJC being the first part of the catalog number
Discs released directly from Wind-Up Records to United States radio stations. These discs are VERY rare and are often near impossible to find. They span the band's complete commercial career from Bring Me To Life to Good Enough. These discs often include alternate Single artwork and are always in full-sized Jewel cases (as opposed to a standard J-card single case). Earlier singles such as Bring Me To Life and My Immortal are especially rare, but more recently, the Good Enough and Sweet Sacrifice WUJC singles are known to be quite elusive. At least three people are really known to have every WUJC single, while some are close. There are, in all, thirteen: 2 for BMTL, 2 for GU, 3 for MI and one for EF, CMWYS, Lithium, SS, and 2 for GE.
Other Singles
"My Immortal" (from Anywhere But Home) and "Call Me When You're Sober" Acoustic Version were both realeased in Brazil as video and radio singles, respectively. "Weight of the World" was chosen to be the fifth single from Open Door album in October 2007 in Colombia and Bolivia, as a radio single like Imaginary and Missing. No CD Single was produced for any of the above-mentioned songs.
Together Again was also released as a digital single on iTunes. An artwork for online distribution was made although no CD Single was ever produced.
