18 Essential Songs

18 Essential Songs is a collection of songs recorded throughout Janis Joplin's career released in 1995 by Columbia Records. It included songs from her solo career as well as with Big Brother & the Holding Company. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it as gold on April 12, 1999.

Reception
AllMusic critic William Ruhlmann awarded the album 4.5 out of five stars and noted: "18 Essential Songs is a one-disc distillation of the triple-disc Janis box set. Running 70 minutes, it is a more extensive best-of than the ten-track 1973 Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits album. But it is denied "first pick" status because, unlike that album, it does not contain the hit version of Joplin's only number one single, "Me and Bobby McGee." (It does, however, contain an alternate demo version of that song.)"

Personnel

 * Janis Joplin – lead vocal, acoustic guitar (on "Me and Bobby McGee"), chorus voices
 * James Gurley, John Till, Jorma Kaukonen, Michael Bloomfield – guitars
 * Sam Andrew – guitars, backing vocals
 * Gabriel Mekler, Richard Kermode – keyboards
 * Ken Pearson – organ
 * Richard Bell – piano
 * Cornelius "Snooky" Flowers – baritone sax, backing vocals
 * Terry Clements – tenor sax
 * Luis Gasca – trumpet
 * Brad Campbell, Peter Albin – bass
 * Clark Pierson, Dave Getz, Lonnie Castille, Maury Baker, Roy Markowitz – drums, percussion
 * Sandra Crouch – tambourine
 * Bobbye Hall – conga/bongos
 * Full Tilt Boogie Band, Vince Mitchell, Phil Badella, John Cooke - chorus voices
 * Songs produced by Jorma Kaukonen, Bob Shad, John Phillips, Lou Adler, Elliot Mazer, Gabriel Mekler, Paul A. Rothchild
 * "Tell Mama" remixed by Elliot Mazer