The Essential Luther Vandross is a greatest hits album by American singer Luther Vandross, released on March 5, 2002 in the UK and June 10, 2003 in the US, by Sony Music and Legacy Recordings as part of The Essential Series. The two-disc compilation features thirty-five tracks from Vandross's recording catalog. The collection contains R&B and pop hit songs spanning from Vandross earlier albums to the later—Dance with My Father, a Grammy win for Best R&B Album.
The set also includes hit duets with Janet Jackson, Dionne Warwick, and Mariah Carey. In 2005, The Essential Luther Vandross Plus was released with a bonus DVD of music videos, and 2008 as The Essential 3.0 included a bonus disc of songs. Unreleased tracks of "Love It, Love It", "Look To The Rainbow", and remixes of charting hit tracks.
Background
The Essential Luther Vandross originally released in 2002 was a 30-track hits collection by the R&B/soul singer. The later updated 2015 version of The Essential Luther Vandross contains 35 tracks, from uptempo dance, sultry ballads, pop, two featured lead vocal tracks with Change to his 1981 debut album Never Too Much, 1990s albums and the multi-platinum hit album, Dance with My Father (2003).
Vandross pop hit duets with Janet Jackson ("The Best Things in Life Are Free"), Mariah Carey ("Endless Love"), and Beyonce ("The Closer I Get To You"). Some of his best charting hits is featured from "Never Too Much"; "Superstar"; "Give Me the Reason"; "Any Love"; "So Amazing"; "Wait for Love"; "Here and Now"; "Creepin'", to "Take Me Out" and "Dance With My Father" which won Grammys for Best R&B Vocal, Male and Song of the Year". The compilation also includes a cover performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with Paul Simon and Jennifer Holliday.
These bonus versions are special addendums to the US release. Essential Plus DVD was originally released in 2004 titled From Luther with Love: The Videos.
