Whilst Phil Collins achieved massive commercial success during the 1980s with albums like Face Value and No Jacket Required, he has long distinguished between popular achievement and personal artistic satisfaction. The early 1990s marked a turning point when his personal circumstances shifted dramatically, prompting him to turn to music as an emotional outlet to process complex feelings stemming from his ongoing divorce.

In response to this upheaval, Collins recorded Both Sides in 1993, an album he now identifies as his greatest creative accomplishment. What distinguished this project was his hands-on approach—he performed every instrument on the record himself, eschewing the luxury of top-tier session musicians and studios that had previously defined his solo work. When asked about his artistic favourite in 2016, Collins emphasised that Both Sides represented his finest songwriting and creativity, making clear that commercial performance held no bearing on his personal assessment.